The past eight-to-nine months have been life-changing for Bronx, New York, native Ice Spice. Transforming from underground drill rapper to pop culture icon on the backs of hits like “Munch” and “In Ha Mood,” the 23-year-old makes headlines every time she leaves the house.
Videos by American Songwriter
However, even with a whirlwind of fame encompassing her as of late, she still has not tweaked her creative process one bit. In a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar published Thursday (March 30), Spice revealed that her songwriting process involves solely her and her producer Riot, just as it always has.
“I’m open to working with writers at some point when the time is right, but right now, I’m sticking to what got me here in the first place,” she said. “That’s me being creative in the studio with Riot. We just cook up bops, we make vibes; I try not to think too hard and just really have fun.”
Confirming that she’d consider working with other writers in the future, it’s clear that the process she mentioned above hasn’t failed her yet. Most recently, a feature verse she added to British sensation PinkPantheress’ “Boy’s A Liar” earned her a No. 3 peak on the Billboard Hot 100.
Additionally, her January EP Like..? contained unique, light-hearted tracks like “Gangsta Boo” with Lil Tjay and “Princess Diana.” Being able to connect with fans with sassiness and femininity, while still maintaining her New York grit, is what makes her such a fascinating artist. And when speaking with Bazaar, even she felt that her style is particularly unique.
“I feel like I’m bringing a new sound to people that they haven’t really heard before, being one of the few girls to bring drill to a mainstream level,” she said. “It’s refreshing and fun—I’m really enjoying it.”
Still without a debut studio album, which she told Bazaar she is still meticulously crafting, Ice Spice’s takeover has been a breath of fresh air for hip-hop and pop music. Wanting to help her listeners feel like a “baddie” the way she does, she put together a playlist of her favorite songs with the help of Bazaar. Including tracks from Nicki Minaj, SZA, Doja Cat, and more, it’s clear that she wears her influences on her sleeve, but still puts a distinct twist on the formula her idol pop stars perfected. Check out Ice Spice’s 19-song mix HERE.
(Photo by Steven Simione/FilmMagic)
