Music
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
Scroll To Top
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
A week has passed since she won her Grammy, and Elly Jackson is still reeling. "I'm in a haze," says the 23-year-old singer, one half of the British synth-pop duo La Roux, as she heads to a London DJ gig in a cab in late February. "It's a feeling you expect to pass, but then you realize it's not gonna pass, that you're gonna have a Grammy forever." When asked where she plans to showcase the award, Jackson chuckles before launching into a story of cultural nuance. "On the red carpet I said to one guy that I might put it in the toilet," she says. "He was like, 'Oh, my God, do you really not care about your Grammy that much that you're going to put it in the toilet?!' I was like, 'No! I'm gonna put it on the shelf in my restroom! I don't have a mantle, and I guess it's a British thing to put your awards in the bathroom, but after how offended he was, maybe I won't."
It's the kind of unassuming anecdote you'd expect to hear from a pop music newcomer who has referred to her look as 'androgynous moody bitch,' a modish, nervy performer who for the past two years has flaunted a much-imitated, cloud-sweeping ginger quiff to rival Morrissey's circa Bona Drag (like him, she won't discuss the specifics of her sexuality). A year ago Jackson and keyboardist Ben Langmaid were merely a blip on America's radar. Then came the single "Bulletproof," their irresistable pogoing, Gloria Gaynor'trapped-in-an-Atari post-breakup survivor anthem. It cracked Billboard's top 10 last summer and went double platinum. Kanye West then tapped Jackson to contribute vocals to two tracks on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy -- "All of the Lights" and "Lost in the World" -- and to "That's My Bitch," a song they recorded with Jay-Z for the rappers' joint EP Watch My Throne. But the watershed was the Grammy for best electronic/dance album that La Roux snagged for their self-titled debut, beating out upperclassmen the Chemical Brothers, Goldfrapp, and Groove Armada with a project they recorded in their living room.
Still the wide-eyed ing'nue, Jackson marvels at her profile in the United States. "We went to this incredible house in the hills," she says, running through her post-Grammys festivities. "It had the most amazing view and statues of dolphins around the pool. Just after I left the party, I found out that Jay-Z, Beyonc', and Brandy had come down to say hello to me, but I'd gone!" Yet like the savvy pop-star pros before her, she says she's ready for the next stage in the fame game. "The pompadour is no more, I'm afraid," she says. "I've moved on. I've become much more interested in a simple flick, something slightly more classic."
And though she struck gold with her first effort, a bubbly, noirish homage to '80s groups like Depeche Mode and the Human League, don't expect Jackson to retrace her steps for its follow-up, which she and Langmaid have already started writing. "I've been listening to a lot of classic disco, a lot of 'State of Independence''era Donna Summer and Grace Jones and Tom Tom Club," she says. "I'd like a more sexual feel to the record, but not in a sex-in-the-club kinda way -- the way sexy was before it got made dirty. Sexy can be classy, sexy can be cool, sexy can be actually sexy."
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
38 Male Celebs Who Did Full Frontal Scenes
November 17 2023 5:18 PM
These are all the celebrities Who came out as LGBTQ+ in 2023
December 31 2023 12:19 PM
These Pics Prove Maluma Has Always Been a Certified Daddy
October 20 2023 1:13 PM
32 LGBTQ+ Celebs You Can Follow on OnlyFans
October 25 2023 3:15 PM
26 actors who showed bare ass in movies & TV shows
February 28 2024 1:50 PM
16 Times Celebrity Men Had to Say They Weren't Gay
February 29 2024 1:19 PM
15 Unforgettable Gay Kissing Scenes From TV & Movies
February 14 2024 10:20 AM
13 Queens Who Quit or Retired From Drag After 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
November 24 2023 10:11 AM
40 steamy celebrity Calvin Klein ads we'll always be thirsty for
January 04 2024 10:54 AM
9 Movies to Watch If You Loved 'Red, White & Royal Blue'
September 21 2023 9:47 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Gay councilman resigns after drunken urination video & alleged assault
March 15 2024 5:22 PM
Zane Phillips would love to star in live-action 'Hercules' & we will be SEATED
March 15 2024 5:07 PM
The tragic death of trans teen Nex Benedict: everything you need to know
March 15 2024 3:59 PM
Gina Carano says Pedro Pascal tried to help her not get fired from 'The Mandalorian'
March 15 2024 1:54 PM
March 15, 2024
March 15 2024 12:03 PM
Fired 'X-Men '97' creator Beau DeMayo is seemingly back on social media
March 15 2024 11:23 AM
Hyperpop, punk, reggaeton: 5 genres we'd love to see Beyoncé conquer next
March 15 2024 10:58 AM
18 times the girls and the gays collaborated on perfect pop songs
March 15 2024 10:35 AM
Regina King gives a trailblazing political hero her flowers in Netflix's 'Shirley'
March 15 2024 10:17 AM
Is 'All of Us Strangers' ever going to get a Blu-ray & DVD release?
March 15 2024 10:02 AM
3/15/24 GLAAD Awards email
March 15 2024 10:00 AM
10 LGBTQ+ TV shows and movies coming out this spring
March 15 2024 9:50 AM
Out wins 2024 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine
March 15 2024 1:05 AM
How I bring positivity and laughter online
March 14 2024 3:23 PM
All the celebrity LGBTQ+ couples who hard launched their relationships in 2024 (so far)
March 14 2024 12:25 PM