By looking at her social media following (569k Instagram followers, nearly 94k on Twitter and 220k on Depop) you’d think everyone would be familiar with the goth-friendly, LA-based artist TOOPOOR.
However, when it comes to the talented 26-year-old and her budding music career, she is still relatively unknown. Not for the lack of trying mind you, but simply due to the fact that as of today, the eccentric and electrifying media mogul has only released two singles – with the second, an eerie and moody ballad co-written with boyfriend Killstation, only hitting the airwaves yesterday.
So you might be asking yourself then, who is TOOPOOR? Well, factually speaking, she is the brainchild of Layla Shapiro. But, to her thousands of devout supporters all across the world, she is an outspoken, honest-yet-relatable persona providing fans an escape from reality via eye-opening fashion, vlogging, and now, music.
Getting the chance to talk with TOOPOOR, we dove right into her upstart musical career discussing her infectious debut single “Crazy Girls” plus her follow up track “Lamented.” To hear what the internet star turned musician had to say and to check out some behind the scenes footage of her recent music video shoot, be sure to see below. Afterward, if you aren’t already, you can follow TOOPOOR here.
In your own words, who is TOOPOOR?
An extension of Layla. TOOPOOR was never meant to grow like this but I’m pleased to see how far she’s gone especially with all she’s put up with and sacrificed.
How would you describe your musical aesthetic?
Contradicting. Dark/Heavy production with pretty lyrics and a soft voice or vice versa.
Who or what inspired you to pursue music other than your DJ career?
I’ve tried it all. I’m a creative. I’m an artist. I got a lot of shit inside of me and I’ve tried almost every outlet. Music was an outlet I never tried out of fear. My friends believed in me and would always try to get me on the mic. The first time I got on the mic, I made my friend put a towel over his head and headphones in his ear playing Green Day [on] full blast so he couldn’t see or hear me. The rest is history.
Along with working with Killstation, what other artists would you want to collaborate with in the future?
Marilyn Manson, Billie Joe Armstrong, Kanye West & many many more.
How would you describe your relationship with the emo rap culture? And do you see that style of music continuing to grow?
Non-existent. I don’t associate myself with that genre/culture. I think “emo rap” will always have a home in music though. It’s not a new thing, it goes way back before Soundcloud.
Your first single “Crazy Girls” has over 750,000 YouTube views and nearly 500,000 streams on Spotify. Did you expect such a big response from your first-ever single?
Absolutely not! I was and still am so pleased and impressed with the response. Big thank you to anyone who listened and continues to listen.
Did any of that attention from your first single make you nervous when it came to releasing “Lamented,” especially considering its difference in style?
I’m naturally always nervous releasing any of my art. If anything, the attention I got from “Crazy Girls” made this release easier for me. I’m very proud of how well it did for it being my first song ever.
Where did the inspiration for “Lamented” come from?
Originally, the working title was “gone” which wasn’t enough for me. Lamented essentially means the same thing, a little less vague with a little more depth. The song was written in July [of] 2018, nearly a year ago. It was the first song my boyfriend and I created together. We wrote it telepathically. There was no inspiration, it was all organic and genuine from our hearts to the mic and the production. The song itself has multiple meanings to me, but I’ll leave it to the listener to understand.
What do you hope the future holds for TOOPOOR?
Happiness. That’s all I care about.
