The Baroness doesn’t write any of her own songs, nor does she perform on them. Instead, the postmodern pop star was chosen almost entirely for her sex and sexuality. That’s because The Baroness isn’t technically ‘real’ – instead, she’s the creation of London electronic musician Viva Victoria and the brains behind erotica magazines Baron and Baroness. “Our sexual desires have been packaged, marketed, and are sold in various forms, including music,” a statement from Baroness magazine declares. “By accelerating sex visually and musically, The Baroness questions how sex is perpetuated in our modern society. Does the Baroness look tantalising and appealing? Will you fall in love and buy her product?”

The Baroness herself is played by French-born, London-based performance artist Emma Gruner, who recently spoke to Dazed about her ongoing American Series of nude self-portraits. Victoria – previously a member of post-punk four-piece Ipso Facto, as well as a session drummer for M.I.A., Connan Mockasin, The xx and more – handles the music and vocals. Their debut single “Xstasy” is a fusion of pop and product, with both the outfit that Gruner wears in its forthcoming music video and The Baroness’s press photos set to be sold as artworks later down the line.

Preview “Xstasy” below, and read on for a chat between Victoria and Gruner about who The Baroness is and how she relates to the artists’ own personalities.

Viva Victoria: The Baroness is a fictional pop star that you are performing. Do you also construct characters in your own art practice?

Emma Gruner: I get interested by and attracted to certain trends or people – some of their qualities and features influence me. I don’t go as far as producing defined characters, (instead) I channel this inspiration to create my own visuals, always using myself as the main subject. You remain anonymous, visually, in this release – are you anything like The Baroness?

Viva Victoria: The champagne and dangerous liaisons are spot-on, as is the hunting of my prey. I definitely think a dominating force and control are very sexy subjects. And I do love to slide into silky satin sheets at the end of a long day at the studio. What do you think about her? Are you like The Baroness?

Emma Gruner: She’s in love with her reflection. I relate.

Viva Victoria: In many ways, this project has been constructed in a similar way to a manufactured pop act, where pop acts are chosen because of their sex and sexuality. Since you also touch upon many of these ideas in your own practice, what are your views on this?

Emma Gruner: Pop acts being sexually confident is another attempt at avoiding commercial failure. Even the dead boring gets sexualised – think Taylor Swift post-Kanye. I’m interested in the depiction of this confidence, where sex sells and is used as a promotional tool.

Emma Gruner: And do you think that mainstream female pop stars have any artistry, or is it all just about sex?

Viva Victoria: It’s great to see that there has been a gradual shift from the sugarcoated factory-line female pop star to empowered, talented singer-songwriters such as Sia and Grimes. Selling sex is an artistry in itself and can be mastered and performed as such on stage, it’s just a question of who’s calling the shots behind the scenes. Taking control and owning your sexuality is most important – as a gay woman, I’ve never told myself anything but that. 

Emma Gruner: I guess there are lots of female pop cliches. It seems to be that to be taken very seriously as a female pop star, one has to denounce hypersexuality. How do you feel about that?

Viva Victoria: I guess this is what a lot of women can relate to. You’re often categorised as either a ‘good girl’ type or a ‘bad girl’, not just in terms of female representation in pop music but in all types of popular culture and in our everyday lives. I won’t be denouncing my sexuality for anyone any time soon and I hope my music makes other people, whatever their gender identity or identities, feel the same.

The Baroness & Viva Victoria’s “Xstasy” is released December 9