Paloma Faith answers The Big Questions (Picture: Getty/Rex/Starz)
Welcome to Metro.co.uk‘s The Big Questions, where we ask, well, the big questions (and the smaller ones too) and this week, we’re diving deep with Paloma Faith.
The singer is easily the naughtiest diva in pop but has become one of the most recognisable and multi-faceted stars out there since the launch of her debut single Stone Cold Sober in 2009.
She’s won Brits, turned her chair as a judge on The Voice UK, topped charts and become a hugely in demand actress.
In her next role, she’s starring as the suitably cheeky Florence, a ‘social influencer of the 17th Century’ as she puts it, in Lionsgate’s spectacular prequel to Dangerous Liaisons
The TV adaptation explores the origin story of Marquise de Merteuiland Vicomte de Valmont, following their time as young French lovers in the slums of Paris before rising to the top of French aristocracy through betrayal and manipulation.
Here, Paloma spills the tea on her bewitching character, shares an update on her highly-anticipated new album, and explains how she became an ‘honorary gay’.
Congratulations on the show, it’s so much fun! It perfectly sets up that world that we already know of course from the book and the films. So how does Florence fit into this story?
Paloma stars as the ‘TikToker’ of the 17th Century in Dangerous Liasons (Picture: Dusan Martincek)
Florence is a social influencer of that time – she’s basically the TikTok gen for the 17th Century.
She maneuvers her way in and gives us much more awareness of social status.
She has quite a lot of influence within the parameters of the fact she’s female in society, but people listen to what she says and she’s, I guess, at the height of fashion, very fashionable. She gives us another take on power, she’s confident, she’s manipulative and very directional.
She knows what she’s doing, where she’s going, how she’s going to get it. She’s not flailing about, like most of us mere mortals in humanity, worrying about whether we’ve done the right thing or not.
I think the first time I ever saw you on anything might have been on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and instantly that infectious mischief you had totally bowled me over.
She’s got it, hasn’t she?
In buckets! When you read this part were you like, ‘I need this one’?
The words on the page were always that she was quite manipulative and quite coquettish but where that really came out was working with the amazing directors on the show, and also my co-star and friend, Eloise, Catherine Wilder, because our chemistry together was quite amazing.
We’d not met before we gone on set, but she is absolutely hilarious so she made me even worse!
That’s what happens, that’s what the idea of that relationship is, it’s like people who are awful, are spurred on by those people around them, revving them up to be more and more awful and that’s the dynamic between those two women.
You’re known for having such spectacular style and every time she was in shot, Florence always has the most captivating outfit in the room. Did you have any involvement in the costumes?
I didn’t have any involvement in costumes, but the costume department was beyond amazing, like so unreal.
Every fitting was just a joy but most of my fittings involved some the head of costume coming in and going, “We need more! We need something more outrageous!”
I loved in this, particularly during the intimate scenes, the women have the power and are taking charge – when shooting those scenes did that power dynamic make filming them more comfortable?
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Yeah, I do. This is interesting when we do talk about female attitudes towards sex. I think that they do seem like they’re in power, but I also just think that there is a play on the fact that the difference between a man and a woman is, it’s much easier to fake it as a woman. So you might think you’re seeing someone enjoying themselves, but they’re not always…
You might have guessed I’ve never experienced that…
Of course, I can see the rainbow flag [on your T-shirt]! But power, influence and control are huge themes in this and in a time where women have so little power, so little influence, they take power where they can get it and sometimes that will be sexually so if she looks like she’s having a nice time, it doesn’t always mean she is!
And that goes for modern times too guys, I’m afraid.
You’ve been in the studio with some amazing songwriters such as Maverick Sabre, what direction is your next album taking?
Paloma is currently recording her sixth studio album (Picture: Paloma Faith)
Yeah, I’m writing a new album and I’m really excited by it.
I’m working with a lot of artists, Maverick, Liam Bailey, for Ella Eyre. I’m really excited, there’s lots of very different sounds and sounding stuff.
It’s been really fun, I’m excited for the world to hear it when it comes out.
A lot of artists are taking charge of their mental health by taking time out of touring, how have you coped with the demands of being an artist, especially when it comes to touring?
Well, I love being on stage and I think that that is a very different angle to come from the most musicians. I think most musicians are naturally quite introverted, naturally, all about the music, and most of them learn music by sitting in their bedrooms and are more studio based whereas I’ve always been the opposite. I come from a performance background.
As you know, I went to dance school, I wanted to be a performer so I basically do this job to tour.
I understand why people who aren’t performers naturally don’t want to do it, it’s awful, it’s not a good existence, you don’t even get a shower some days because you’re in a horrible place.
I’m aware more now, because I’ve got children, and I bring them on tour with me and I know that they don’t necessarily like it, but they have to come if mummy wants to!
But I do understand why that’s happening, it’s grueling. But for me, it’s also my favourite part of the job so that won’t be happening.
You recently headlined Brighton Pride and called it your ‘career highlight’ following the likes of Britney, Kylie, and now Christina – how does it feel to be accepted and celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community in the same esteem as those artists?
‘Headlining Brighton Pride was my career highlight’ (Picture: Hugh Wilton/REX/Shutterstock)
I can’t really believe it. When I met the guy who runs the festival and chooses everyone, I was like, “Why me?” But hopefully, I didn’t disappoint.
For me, it’s my career highlight. I keep saying it was the best moment of my career, probably a time when I needed it the most.
That feeling of, like your T-shirt says “everything’s gonna be okay” because it has been pretty dark times for people.
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This feeling of being embraced by what I would feel was my community because I often feel going out into the commercial world that I always feel a bit of an outsider and a bit alien.
But when I go into Pride, I don’t, I feel like I’m with my people. It feels wonderful to be accepted, it’s like being in school and wanting to be in with the cool kids and they love you back.
Have you always had that affection or affinity with the LGBT community?
Yes, I have, I feel like an affinity. I’ve always had an affinity with the gay community because I’ve felt… well, I mean, we can put all that into some twos and twos together and realise that I’m just always in drag.
I came out of that circuit, I performed in all the London haunts, I started in cabaret, I was doing all lip-synching nights.
I just recently got presented with the Attitude ‘Honouree Gay Award, but I feel like I’ve been an honouree gay my whole life.
It’s not necessarily something that I forced, it just is. It’s just my personality. It’s me.
Paloma Faith’s weekend On a Saturday, where would we find you?
I’m usually at the theatre or cinema in the evening, having a night off from parenting. During the day, I try to find as many things to keep the kids entertained as possible -a nature trail, the circus, a bike ride, a kids’ activity day.
What would be a perfect Sunday night for you?
On Sunday nights, I’m always home preparing for the week. I like to watch something, either a tv show or a film. My faves at the moment (as in I change my mind daily) are the series Better Things or the film Holy Mountain, produced Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Dangerous Liaisons premieres 6th November on LIONSGATE+.
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