The lesbian renaissance is alive and kicking. Across culture, sapphic identities have been gaining long overdue recognition. As pop-girl Zolita tells us, “There’s obviously names like Chappell Roan and Reneé Rapp who are very big in pop culture right now, but there’s also such a long list of incredible sapphic people making art right now who are super loudly queer. It’s an incredible time for sapphic music.”

Zolita would know – she’s been carving out space in pop for over a decade, long before the industry felt so welcoming. Her early idols, although iconic, were few and far between. “Lady Gaga was my number one, and still is,” she says. “But back then, it was mostly people like Leisha Hailey from The L Word, or Portia de Rossi, who wrote a book about coming out that really stuck with me.” But today, for some of the younger generation Zolita has become that figure. “Fans come up to me and say, ‘You helped me realise something about myself’ or ‘You made me feel less alone coming out,’ and that’s the most meaningful thing.”

Zolita’s queer storytelling is present in both her music and visual direction. Her work – whether it’s her country-inspired anthem ”Small Town Scandal” or the viral, ”Somebody I F***ed Once” – represents narratives with a proudly lesbian lens. It’s a discography that has established her as a pillar of the LA lesbian scene, which she jokingly describes as “chaotic, incestuous and entertaining.”

Like many queer experiences, beauty has been an important part of the singer’s story. “I definitely had that moment when I came out where I was like, wait, maybe I shouldn’t wear make-up. Maybe I have to dress a certain way.” she recalls. “But I came back around. It’s a way to express the different phases I’m in artistically. And it’s an art form I love.” That celebration of beauty and queerness forms the focus of NYX’s new PrideMix campaign, which brings Zolita together with fellow queer musical talents Tiana Major9 and Destin Conrad for a series of short videos centered around their queerness and music. Zolita chats to Dazed below.

What’s happening for you right now?

Zolita: Right now it’s Pride, obviously, so I’ve been doing a ton of Pride events and performances. I just went to Orlando last week to perform at a big lesbian event, which was really fun. And amidst all of that, I’m writing my next project.

What kind of issues within the community do you feel passionate about speaking out on?

Zolita: Right now, trans rights. That’s a community that needs all of us the most right now, especially under this current administration.

What topics about queerness do you cover in your most recent music?

Zolita: In the most recent album, there’s definitely some lesbian breakup energy in there. Also just fun stuff. “Small Town Scandal” is a gay country song – it’s super fun and takes all the bro-country tropes and spins them on their head. But yeah, I’d say it’s about sapphic falling out of love, breaking up… the typical lesbian experience.

How has your experience been in the industry as a queer person?

Zolita: For me, it’s been pretty incredible. I think being queer is actually what’s helped people find me, because my entire career is built on sapphic storytelling. When I started, like a decade ago, there weren’t as many sapphic pop girlies. And now, it’s really an incredible time for music. Of course, there are people like Chappell and Reneé who are really present in pop culture right now, but there’s also this long list of amazing artists making art who are super loudly queer.

That must be rewarding – to be that figure for young queer people?

Zolita: Yeah, I’ve always talked about how meaningful those experiences are when fans come up to me. It’s never just “I love you”, it usually comes with a story. Like, “‘You helped me realise this thing about myself,’ or ‘You made me feel less alone when I was coming out to my parents,’ or ‘You made me feel a certain way.’ That’s what really hits.

What was your journey with make-up and queerness?

Zolita: I feel like make-up has always been a place for me to express whatever phase I’m in, creatively. It’s been a way for me to reinvent myself. I definitely had that moment when I first came out where I thought, ‘Wait, maybe I shouldn't wear make-up.  Maybe I have to dress a certain way.’ But then I came back around. Now, I’m very obviously femme and for me, make-up is a way to express different things I’m exploring artistically in the moment. It’s an art form I love, and I get to incorporate it into my music videos, photoshoots… it’s something I love playing with.

Can you tell us about the NYX PrideMix campaign?

Zolita: It was so incredible. The first thing I noticed when I walked on set was how massive it was – but it was mostly women, which was so cool, and there were so many queer people. The director of the video, Dana Boulos, is someone I’ve known from New York and had wanted to work with for so long, so that was really cool. It was just such an uplifting energy.

NYX has always been incredible and progressive when it comes to the queer community. It was one of the first make-up brands I used when I was little, I bought it at the drugstore. So it was really cool to be a part of this campaign. And Tiana and Dustin were amazing too. There was such immediate chemistry between the three of us.

It's great to have campaigns like PrideMix, especially at times when it feels like there aren’t many others going on. 

Zolita: Yes, especially when it feels like the brand really aligns with you and what you're doing and when the chemistry is so great on set, it's always a nice feeling.

What’s been a standout product from the brand?

Zolita: I love the Butter Gloss, and the Epic Ink Liner is amazing. There’s this silver one, Flashy Flare, which is so nice.

Lastly, I’ve heard that the LA lesbian scene is kind of wild – is that true?

Zolita: It’s crazy. I feel like I’m in a TV show, honestly. It literally feels like The L Word all the time. Everything is so interconnected. I’m mostly on the East Side of LA, and a lot of the scene is over here. There are definitely hotspots we all go to. I’m very entertained, I’ll say that.