Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with POLINA

Singer-songwriter and musician POLINA was born to be an artist. From familial roots in music and art in Russia, POLINA has steadily made a name for herself in the U.S. and U.K. As a creative, she’s worked on “Legacy” from Eminem, “Party All Night (Sleep All Day)” from Sean Kingston, and written for Katy Perry and Rihanna.

Now, she’s released her new single “Faena”. We chatted with POLINA about her career, “Faena”, and what’s on the horizon for her.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
POLINA: I grew up in an artistic family. My mom is a Russian pop singer from the ’90s. I started with classical piano and then got into writing, singing, and producing my own songs at fourteen.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
POLINA: At first, it was my mom. I was backstage at her shows from an early age. That left such an impression on me. At sixteen, I moved to the US alone. I knew I had to move in order to grow and develop as a songwriter and artist.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
POLINA: Every DJ collaboration that I had or any song that went #1 that I had a part in creating. Those are all special to me. One moment that stands out is when my entertainment lawyer Elliot Resnik called me and said, “Congrats! You’re now on a Grammy Award-winning album!” That was MMLP2 by Eminem. I had co-written and was featured on “Legacy”. I ended up being on an album with Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and of course Eminem. That was so surreal. I grew up watching the Grammys.

PC: You’ve written for some of music’s biggest artists. What have you learned from those experiences that you’ve been able to apply to your own artistic projects?
POLINA: I got to write and make records with artists like Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Felix Jaehn, Sean Kingston, and many, many others, as well as tour and play festivals with some of them. It’s given me a chance to see different parts of the world and see how music has an effect on fans. It’s one thing when you’re in the studio creating it and another when you’re standing on the main stage at Ultra Music Festival in front of 100,000 people. You really understand what works and why. All these experiences help shape my own sound and artistry.

PC: You’ve got a new single out now. Tell us about “Faena” and the inspiration behind the song.
POLINA: I stayed at Faena in Miami in May this year and was really struck by its vibrant beauty and story (the original Faena was built in Buenos Aires). It’s one of those places that has an effect on your interactions with people and your experiences when you’re its guest. I remember standing on the balcony in my room on my last day there and I just started singing, “I left my heart in Faena.” The verses came to me right there and then, and I wrote the rest of the song on the plane back to Europe. It was one of those true inspiration moments.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
POLINA: I’m such a ’90s kid. When I look for inspiration, I go to some of the records that inspired me when I was first discovering music, like Sade, Seal, Sting, Depeche Mode, and Elton John.

PC: First album you bought?
POLINA: Sade.

PC: First concert you attended?
POLINA: Michael Jackson.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
POLINA: George Michael’s Older. At fifteen, I was at a crossroads. I was trying to choose between a career as a classical pianist and a singer-songwriter. Somehow this album ended up in my hands and I listened to it and was like, “This is what I want to do!” And so instead of going to a music conservatory, I ended up at Berklee College of Music.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
POLINA: I want to headline Coachella.

To keep up with POLINA, follow her on Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Photo Credit: Maksim Serikow