Few artists truly understand the power of feel-good pop Pixie Lott. For nearly two decades, she has built a career on creating infectious melodies and uplifting anthems, and with her latest single, “Dance Like No One’s Watching”she reminds listeners exactly why her music has been such a constant presence on playlists over the years.
The new release also signals an exciting new chapter. Instead of just revealing her next single, Pixie invited fans into the creative process from the very beginning, giving them the chance to shape the direction of her comeback and reinforce the close relationship she’s cultivated with her audience throughout her career.
Speaking to ThePlayerLounge, Pixie opens up about the inspiration behind it “Dance Like No One’s Watching”explains why now felt like the right time to hand over creative control to her fans, reflects on how she’s grown both personally and creatively since the release of her latest studio album “Encino”and shares what’s next as she embraces this exciting new era…
Pixie, congratulations on the release of “Dance Like No One’s Watching” – it’s a real feel-good song that already looks like a serious contender for song of summer 2026…
Pixies: Oh, what do you think? Thank you so much for saying that! It would be great if this song found its way to people and became a bit of a soundtrack to their summer. We’ve already played it live at some of my festival shows, and the feedback I’ve gotten is really, really positive, so I’m super happy. I love that it resonates with people and makes them feel a little joy.
How does the song make YOU feel?
Pixies: Free! I feel so free when I sing it, and I really hope that translates to everyone who listens to it, because this song is really about freedom and letting go! We are all so busy, we work hard and try our best to make something out of our lives, to the point that sometimes we forget to have fun and enjoy ourselves. So I want everyone to put this song on, turn up the volume and go out into the world and live their best life!
Let’s be set free with Pixie Lott…
Pixies: (laughs) exactly! And why not? Life can be tough! Every single one of us has been through a difficult situation, or an experience that has changed us, and sometimes, when we come out the other side of a dark time, it’s hard to know how to find our joy again. As a songwriter, my goal is to always try to lift people up, and bring them into the here and now, so they can feel present in the moment. Life is too short to worry about tomorrow, we must live for today.
When you set out to write an inspirational pop-bop like this, how do you get yourself in that positive, happy headspace and then translate those feelings into something that listeners can feel too?
Pixies: I think it’s about finding, and knowing what makes you happy, and then tapping into that feeling when you’re in the studio. Which isn’t always easy to do… I hold my hands up and admit that I’m an overthinker, and like many people I can easily get caught up in things that don’t really matter. But luckily I have a creative outlet. Music and performing is something that really helps me get out of my head and escape into my own little world. With this song, and every song I write, I hope I can give people that same sense of escape.
You co-wrote the song with Jacob Attwooll and Bryn Christopher, what was it like collaborating with them on new music?
Pixies: It was amazing! Working with Jacob is the best, we are always so much fun writing together! I actually did my last two singles with him – ‘Coming Of Age’ and ‘Good Wife’ – which I love, so I’m glad we’re continuing to collaborate on new material. Bryn Christopher is a master at what he does! He’s such a talent, and he’s written some incredible dance/pop songs… I actually went to school with him which is kind of crazy! When the three of us got into the room together, there was this amazing energy that came as soon as we started writing. We set ourselves a goal and came up with two words that the song had to encapsulate – fun and free! And I think we did a good job of that. On the surface, “Dance Like No One’s Watching” is a fun, lively, summer party song! But it has heart, and there is a message that I try to convey to people and that is go out, live your life for you and do things on your own terms!
DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS SEEING
You let your fans help shape this release from the very beginning. Why did you choose to take that approach, and was it scary to give up so much creative control?
Pixies: That’s a good question… was it scary? No, I don’t think so. I think I was just excited about the idea of giving everyone the chance and opportunity to be a part of my decision making process. I make music for the people out there who want to hear it, so I felt why not get everyone involved and make these big decisions together! Social media gets a bad rep, and I thought this was a great way to show everyone that we can actually use all of these online platforms for good. So I asked the question – what style of music do you want to hear from me? And we went from there. I have loved this whole process; I definitely want to do it again in the future.
Do you think involving your fans in this way has strengthened the bond you share with them?
Pixies: Aww yes, I hope it has! Like I just said, I make music for my fans! I am where I am, and I have the career I have because of them, so of course I want them to feel included in what I do. I always want to deliver, and give them what they want! So it’s been brilliant to use things like ‘polls’ on and talk to them directly about and say ‘hey, what do you think of this song, or this lyric, or this genre of music?’ And again, as I just said, a great thing about social media is that we artists can now connect directly with our audience, in a way that we couldn’t before.
Tell me about the reaction the songs have received so far…
Pixies: Oh, the reaction has been incredible – both online and in real life! In the comments I see a lot of people saying how much they enjoy having a fun new dance track to party to too, and then at my live shows I see the crowd really getting lost in the music. For someone to have an emotional reaction to an uptempo song is very rare, so I’m super, super happy to see that people are connecting with the song on so many different levels. I’m so glad we’ve gone in this direction and created such an uplifting party track, because I just think it’s a perfect vibe to explore at this time of year. Honestly, I was beside myself when the vote came in and I knew we were going back to the dance floor, I’ve missed having a boogie on stage (laughs).
September marks two years since the release of your critically acclaimed fourth studio album “Encino”. What do you think you learned the most about yourself and the industry during that time?
Pixies: Wow, I can’t believe it!.. 2 years? It’s crazy! Making the “Enicno” album changed everything for me, it was such a special time in my life. I’ve learned so much about the business over the past few years, maybe more than I have in my entire career! Which I know is a crazy thing to say when I’ve been doing this (making music) as long as I have, but now that I’m more hands-on and play an active role in aspects of my work, I see firsthand all the things it takes to “make it” in this industry. I’m having conversations and taking meetings that I’ve never been a part of before, which is understandable because I was so young, but now that I’m older and I have more of a voice, it feels great to have this real sense of ownership over my career. But to get back to your question, what have I learned the most about the industry? (Laughs). Gosh, I think maybe the fact that artists themselves have a lot more overall control these days. Back in the day, I would be in the studio writing all these songs and working to a set theme, but it was never my decision which songs went on my album or when the music was released. Sometimes you can wait years for things to happen… and since I’m not a very patient person, I found it quite difficult. These days, though, I can write a song that I feel captures a moment, and I can release it whenever I want! I love having that freedom, it’s much more creatively satisfying.
All the material presented on ‘Encino’, and your releases since, have been incredibly personal – you’ve developed this beautiful way of telling heartfelt stories through song. How do you feel your writing style has changed since then? “Grow up”?
Pixies: I definitely feel more confident in my writing now, and I think confidence comes with age – the older you get, the more experience you have, the more you have to say, and the confidence to say it! Collaborating and working with other writers also really helps you find your style and your process, but ultimately you have to believe that what you bring to the table is worth hearing. I’ve always liked writing songs that have a message, and I always will, but going forward I find myself wanting to explore the idea of writing lyrics that are a little more directly reflective of where I am in my life – topics and situations that feel really real to me.
“Getting Old” and “good wife” are good examples of that…
Pixies: Ahh thanks, I love those songs! They are very different in style, but lyrically they each tell a part of my story. It’s always fun when you write a song that connects the magic of pop music and real life. I think most songwriters strive to share the things they’ve learned in their own lives as a way to connect with people, because that’s really what music is about, connection. There are no more rules! No one can tell you what will land, no one can predict what will go viral, and that’s the fun of the music industry now, the unknown! So you just have to do what’s right for you, focus on the positives, keep watching your audience and be happy!
As you’ve said before, your music has always been a reflection of your life, and because of that, you’ve spent the last 17 years creating this wonderful musical scrapbook, which will forever tell your story. As you continue to grow and develop both personally and artistically, how would you best describe this current chapter in your life? And what do you hope its legacy will be?
Pixies: An artist’s career will always consist of different chapters and seasons. The vibe and mood of those chapters just depends on what style of music they’re making and releasing at the time. If you look at my discography so far, it’s really a reflection of my life, and I love it! Writing “Encino” was a real turning point for me creatively, everything fell into place, and I really started to understand who I wanted to be as an artist going forward. This next chapter will hopefully only continue to reflect my journey. I am a wife and mother now, family will always be my number one, but I am still a creative person who has dreams and ambitions! I know many people in my situation will feel the same way, so I want to empower everyone out there to not hold back and make themselves a priority, the same way they do with their family and loved ones. I always think to myself, what do I stand for? What do I want my story to be? How do I balance family and career? Some days I have the answers to all these questions, and some days I don’t, and that’s okay. That’s just life, and we all have to take things one day at a time. There is still so much I need to learn, and so much I don’t know. But I feel empowered by all the knowledge I’ve gained, and I’m excited to move things forward.
Download / Stream “Dance Like No One’s Watching” here
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