For one night only, hyperpop’s resident girlfriend GFOTY returned to Brooklyn to host the party of the year, featuring elaborate bridal costumes, appearances from DJ’s like Petal Supply, and a sneak peek of her new album. The London based artist Polly Louisa Salmon is known for her raunchy, over the top, and ironic party-girl persona known as GFOTY. Starting out as a blogger giving dating advice, with the dot-com address that later became her stage name, Salmon began releasing edgy bubblegum-pop. She has collaborated with artists A.G. Cook and Danny L Harle on the PC Music label, and has since solidified herself as a messianic voice of 2010’s hyperpop.
With the release of a handful of classic singles and remixes, as well as the seminal album GFOTYBUCKS in 2017, GFOTY has been recognized as an essential yet unsung hero of her genre. She famously left the label to pursue projects as an independent artist under her own label, GIRLFRIEND RECORDS. There, she released more experimental projects such as GFOTV, a project focused around television tropes, and FEMMEDORM in 2021. She teeters between spoofing club culture, popular media, and fame while using heavy synths, drums, and vocal manipulation to create the glittering sound fans have grown to love.
On February 7th, she announced the release of her new album, Influenzer, which will be released on March 7th, 2025. The cover sardonically pokes fun at health and influencer culture, with a vitamin pill bottle photographed with GFOTY signage and a promise to “change your life.” Amidst all the excitement, GFOTY sits down with me to talk reality television, banana flavored vapes, and the meaning behind INFLUENZER.
Note: this interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Out of all the American cities you’ve toured, what’s your favorite?
I’ve only actually played in LA, New York, and Austin. At first, I thought LA was more fun because the people there seemed a bit more like “party-crazy,” and New York was a bit more like “we’re cool.” But, I love New York as a city so much more, so I’m much more excited to play here, it seems more fun.
And you’re back at Market Hotel? Did you coordinate with Angel Emoji (of Frost Children) and Petal Supply?
They wrote to me asking to play around October last year, and I could do it! So I was like I’m free in February and now it’s going to be really fun! I know all of them from different events. Always happy to play New York of course.
You just announced a new album, congratulations! If you could summarize the album in one word, what would it be and why?
I know! So exciting! Sickening.
Does that have anything to do with the title?
I’m not going to explain it, because it’s so obvious. But yeah, sickening I guess, because if you’ve seen Love Island… I like that vibe which is very fun and amazing and a little bit crazy, and also how gross it is at the same time. “Influencer…Influenzer,” wow! Two words together. The whole vibe of the album is sickening.
How long has this been in the works?
Way over a year, a year and a half.
Any exciting collaborations fans can expect?
It’s completely me. I like a collab, but when I’m doing an album I like it to be completely me, because I barely do them. My last album was what, four years ago? Five? So if it took me five years to do something, so I feel like when I am gonna do something, I just make it pure. Pure GFOTY.
We’re living in a post-PC/hyperpop music world, where I feel so many are labeling themselves as a hyperpop artist, what do you make of that? How has it affected the way you label yourself as an artist in terms of genre, and how has it expanded?
I had never wanted to be explicitly called a hyperpop artist, but I mean that is just what happened to PC Music. First it was bubblegum pop and then hyperpop. Then when people ask me my genre… I mean I can’t do genres, it doesn’t make sense to me. I guess if someone asks me what my genre is, I’ll call it “crazy-pop.” I’m just talking, what did you ask?
How have you expanded?
I don’t think I have. I think I’ve stayed exactly the same and true to myself. Obviously, maybe that means my album comes out, it might sound very much the same as my old stuff, but every single piece of music I put out is based on my music or my musical influences.
Who are your influences?
They’ve stayed exactly the same. I love reality TV. Big Brother, Love Island, I’ve been watching this show called Outlast set in Alaska. It’s about people from America, all different jobs and careers and backgrounds, and they have to live in Alaska and survive for six weeks. It’s like Lord of the Flies.
Are you a Real Housewives fan?
I’m actually not. There’s so many shows I need to get into.
Is reality TV in the UK better?
You know what? It’s probably not, but all the music– for example Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares, I feel like the dramatic music is American-ized.
Was that the inspiration behind GFOTV?
A bit yeah. GFOTV was basically showing the world that you can put an album out within two days. It wasn’t- let’s be honest, the songs aren’t amazing, but it was more about being like, fuck these labels who take ages to let you put something out, and it has to work around them. I just made it work around me and put something out. I love TV.
What about the internet and music? Coming up it seemed like you were able to put stuff out, collaborate with people online, and now it seems the state of the internet and music is kind of weird, almost oversaturated?
It definitely feels over-saturated because the more the better. But, it’s not as easy to connect with people as it used to be, because it was a smaller amount of artists and everyone was a bit more friendly, and I don’t really know now. I find it really hard to respond to people online.
What was it like when you started?
I started because of my blog “girlfriendoftheyear.com,” which was dating advice to get boyfriends. Really bad dating advice, and then because me and Alex [A.G.] Cook , made music together from that… I don’t know what happened. I guess there was nothing like [our music] at the time.
What was the jump between, the blog and making music? Or the personality of GFOTY?
One day I was sitting with A.G., and we just made a song. I never, ever wanted to do music. I did grade two singing when I was like ten years old, but that wasn’t a thing. I’m a pretty rubbish singer. I like the personality aspect, and we made fun of it, and it worked. Which was pretty cute.
Would you say your own personality is in tune with GFOTY, or what’s the difference?
I think GFOTY is a heightened version of me. Everything I would like to be, GFOTY can be, but GFOTY is a bit grosser. It’s like having a character who can do whatever.
You said you didn’t want to be a singer when you were younger, what did you want to be?
I guess I wanted to be an actress?
Okay, you’re kind of doing the same thing, the performance aspect of it.
I made a character. That was it. I wanted to be a chef. I did that for two days. I spent £10,000 on that and quit. But, performing is fun. I guess I wanted to be a pop star when I was five.
Was there a learning curve for you when you started to make music?
A learning curve…you need to keep yourself to yourself sometimes. The only thing I learned: don’t give everything away to everyone! That is something I still need to learn. Actually, yesterday I was at a bar with my friend Sabina, and we were just talking and then we went to a restaurant and then someone wrote to me on Instagram saying, “Hey. Just wanted to let you know I was listening to your conversation, and you guys were talking about how you feel when you put out an album it’s anticlimactic, but I wanted to let you know that I love your album releases!” That was insane.
You have a stalker!
Yeah, it’s great. But I’ve learned to be quiet.
What is your favorite performance you’ve ever put on?
South by Southwest. That was 2014 in Austin, with my horrible, frizzy hair. I felt like that was the most fun era for PC Music, because it was when we first got big, so everything was just exciting and fun. I think those times were the most fun. We had silly budgets too, to go to Walmart, and just spend $500 on absolute shit. I decked the place out, and that was really fun.
Do you have a least favorite performance?
I played in Paris recently for a band, and they were having an album launch. I don’t think anyone knew who I was playing there, and I started singing and a guy came up– I don’t know what he said because it was French– and then another girl came up on stage and said “Do you mind playing something catchy?” So, I turned my whole set into a comedy routine and just decided to diss the crowd, really the two people who were horrible to me. Those are the worst sets. I had to stop my set, because it was cringe, you know? When you notice no one’s enjoying it, and I had to turn it into a DJ set. But usually they’re not that bad.
So no hecklers typically?
Actually, I’ve had a few. In Manchester, while supporting Animal Collective, apparently they like to troll their fans? I think they booked me because I’m so different from them. I was playing in Manchester in the UK, and during the one second break in between two songs someone just screamed, “You’re shit!”
Are you going to tour for your new album?
Yeah! I’ve got Paris, Berlin, Spain, and I’m organizing London right now. Then America, hopefully later on in the year.
That’s so exciting. You’re performing tonight, so do you have any advice for STATIC readers going out?
Dress great, look amazing, espresso martinis. But only in moderation. And don’t drink too much because in America the drinks are like, way too strong.
Really?
Oh my god. Too strong. Stay careful kids.
I’ll let everyone know. Anything else for Static readers?
If you want to root for a football team in the UK, it should be Arsenal. My hair is going grey but I’m covering it up with highlights, and banana candy ice is the best flavor vape.
