FEATURE: Spotlight: Chloe Star — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

Chloe Star

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I did want to…

PHOTO CREDIT: Kai Dickson

share my love of an artist who I feel everyone should check out. The Los Angeles-based Chloe Star is a true sensation. This cosmic force that is absolutely wonderful to see. I will come to a couple of interviews with her. One from last year and one from this. Before getting there, DIVA introduced us to this truly amazing and compelling artist. I am a new convert to her music, though I can instantly tell that she is going to be making music for so many years to come:

“As independent artist Chloe Star rocks out on stage at Pride in London 2025, rainbow flags cover Leicester Square as far as the eye can see. The packed audience chants along, throwing their hands in the air and banging their heads with joyful abandon. It’s queer joy at its finest.

LA-based Persian and Native American artist Chloe Star is, in simple terms, awesome. With 101 tattoos and counting, the alt-pop sensation is providing listeners everywhere with new tracks every month that explore heartbreak, living authentically and celebrating queerness. We catch up on a scorching day in May, just days before her gig at The Grace (30 May). When I ask about Pride in London last year, Chloe’s face lights up: “It was honestly a movie. It was something that was one of my favourite shows that I’ve ever done. The energy was just unmatched.”

Growing up, Chloe explains that she struggled to find ways to express herself fully. It was only after she found a love of journaling and poetry that she was able to put her feelings to paper. This soon turned into the discography that we can see today. Her biggest inspirations growing up were Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. As a teenager, Chloe would spend her days watching Amy’s interviews. “I would look at her and be like, ‘What are you going to do to be so authentically yourself and really not give a fuck?’ That’s what I was chasing when I was younger.”

In her early teens, Chloe was also grappling with the thought of coming out to her family. Up until that point, she had referred to her then-girlfriend as her “best friend”. One day, she sat her mum down at a diner and told her that she was dating a girl. Her mum’s response? “She said, ‘Yeah, I know. I love you anyway’. And just kept going!” Chloe laughs. “Everyone in my world knew I was a lesbian before I had to tell anyone which took a lot of weight off my shoulders. After that, I knew that I didn’t have to explain myself to anybody.”

As a queer Persian and Native American artist, Chloe has been breaking down barriers both in her music and personal life. She shares that it’s been a really “cool” experience to connect with her Persian dad and “break some culturally learned mindsets”. For other queer Persian people, Chloe hopes that people in the same boat will know to “just be yourself, because you never really know what you’ll get in return, especially from people that love you”.

As Chloe gears up to perform at her highly anticipated show at The Grace, she tells me that one of her favourite songs at the moment is I Didn’t Want To Say Goodbye which dropped earlier this year. “One of my biggest fears in life is losing people that I love,” Chloe explains. “I was rehearsing [the song] and I just wanted to cry.”

From lesbian superstars like Chappell Roan to the growth of grassroots dyke communities, we’re seeing a rise of sapphic representation across the arts. “The music industry is more open now which warms my heart,” Chloe says. “There are so many queer artists that feel safe enough to be honest which is key. It creates a safe space for artists, but it creates a bigger space for the listener.”

I ask what her younger self would think seeing the career she has built for herself now. “I think she’d be so proud,” Chloe smiles. “She probably wouldn’t believe it and would need some photo proof!”

And what advice would she give to an LGBTQIA+ person in the crowd? “Stay true to yourself. Dress how you want to dress. Talk how you want to talk. Continue to walk in your path. I think when people are just being who they truly are, then the universe will take control and do its job.”

It’s undeniable that Chloe is 100% her authentic, insanely cool self now. With over 100 tattoos, I ask if any have a special meaning. She points to one on her arm of a street cone. “One of my best friends passed away a few years ago. We used to steal street cones and then paint them. Sometimes we would put them back where we found them, so not technically stealing but borrowing!”.

Let’s go back to 2025 and NONCHALANT. They spoke with “The Tattooed Queer Rebel Redefining Alt-Pop, One Banger at a Time”. Not only is her music as impressive as hell. Her tattoo collection – which is increasing all of the time – is even more awe-inspiring. You wonder how much skins he has left to cover:

“Alright, Chloe. You’ve got over 101 tattoos and counting – tell us about the one that means the most to you?

I have so many tattoos that have a lot of meaning! But, one of my most important tattoos is my street cone that I have on my arm. I got that tattoo in memory of my best friend who passed, we used to steal street cones and paint them.

We know all about your bio, but give us your chaotic but honest one-liner intro. Who the hell is Chloe Star in 2025?

Chloe Star, the lover girl who wears her heart on her sleeve and lights cigarettes with dynamite.

Being openly queer in the music scene is a flex, but also a fight. What’s one thing you wish more industry heads understood about queer artists?

We are TRUE artists. We are TRUE creatives.

What’s on your tour rider that would make people raise an eyebrow? Be honest. We won’t judge (much).

A pair of Calvin Klein Boxer Briefs

What’s one thing you’d ban from the music industry if you could wave a wand?

Ego!!!!!!!! We need to make it about the ART again.

If you could collaborate with any artist (alive or dead or undead rock legend), who’s getting the call and why?

Janis Joplin! I’ve never seen or heard a more free soul. I couldn’t imagine what creating with her would have been like.

Are you single, dating, or stashing away a secret girlfriend at the moment?

Single! but hopefully stashing away a secret girlfriend soon mmmmhmmmm

You’re about to hit the stage at Pride festivals from London to Houston – what should fans expect?

A good fucking time! New Music! A time to let loose and be yourself and not worry about a single thing!

What’s inspired your new EP?

An era of my life when I was living in my old apartment, 1101. I wrote this project from a place that channelled behaviours I exhibited when I was living there. 1101 was a time of chaos, growth, creation, and cathartic healing.

Finally, what you planning on getting up to after London Pride – where you hitting up?

After London Pride, I’m heading to San Diego Pride for a show with “Lez In Waterland” on July 20th! AND THEN! I am heading to Austin, Texas for a show with “The Afters” on July 25th! I AM BEYOND PUMPED!”.

I do want to end with Not on Stage and their conversation with Chloe Star. They spent some time with this amazing Los Angeles wonder. Maybe not as well known in the U.K. as the U.S., I do hope this changes. She was in the U.K. as recently as May. I hope she comes back this year and plays, as I for one would love to see her perform:

“Not On Stage: For someone discovering you for the first time, how would you introduce yourself and your music?

Chloe Star: My name is Chloe Star, I’m 28, based in Los Angeles, and I’ve been working on this project for the past couple of years! My sound is constantly evolving, but I’d say I’m in that pop-punk genre. Some big inspirations are Third Eye Blind, Machine Gun Kelly, Amy Winehouse, and P!nk. There’s a lot of storytelling in my music. I love telling stories through sound and art and really connecting with an audience when I perform. If someone’s never heard me before, I’d say there’s a lot of “I don’t give a f***” energy. I really try to put my personality into my art and have it all feel like one.

Not On Stage: How has your Native and Persian heritage shaped your experience as an artist?

Chloe Star: It’s been a journey. Being Indigenous in this industry isn’t common, especially in the pop-punk world in L.A., so there’s a lot of educating people on what I’m doing and where I come from culturally. But that’s also a positive because I get to say, “This is who I am, this is where I come from, and this is what I want to do.”

I grew up going back and forth between my family’s reservation and Los Angeles, and storytelling is huge in my culture. My great-grandmother used to tell us stories about how she grew up, and that really stuck with me. When I write songs, I want them to have intention and tell a story. Music is also really important in my culture. We have traditional songs that are sacred and tied to ceremonies. As I got older, I realized how important music is in my culture, and I’ve taken that and put my own twist on it in a modern way.

Not On Stage: What other experiences inspire your music?

Chloe Star: I haven’t had the best relationship track record, and I’ve struggled with mental health and substance abuse. I’ve been in and out of rehab, and it’s a constant journey. I use all of that, the not-so-fun things we go through, and put it into my music. Even just everyday life inspires me. There’s always something going on, so it definitely helps the writing process.

Not On Stage: You’re releasing a new song every month. What inspired that approach?

Chloe Star: I feel like the more I drop music, the more momentum there is. With an album, it’s kind of like, “Here’s 10 songs, enjoy,” and things can get lost. This way, each song gets its own moment. I can promote it for a full month, connect with it, and really explain what it’s about. It also lets the music breathe and gives listeners time to take it in instead of everything being dropped at once. I also started thinking about what I’d want to listen to during each month. Like, what does September feel like? What does December feel like? That made everything make more sense.

Not On Stage: Do you have any unique creative processes when writing or recording?

Chloe Star: I like to make mood boards before I go into sessions. I’ll pull together colors, images, clothing…like, if my music had an outfit, what would it wear?

I show that to the producers and writers I’m working with so everyone can really dive into the world of the project. It makes everything feel more visual and helps shape the sound”.

There is something about Chloe Star that is unique and brilliant. In terms of her personality, look and music, there is nobody else in music like her. I absolutely love everything she does and am committed to following her path. It will be a very bright and busy next few years. If you are a stranger to Chloe Star, make sure that you follow her now. I hope to see this U.S. queen perform…