Everything about Betty Who is outsized. Standing 6-foot-1 with a tuft of platinum blonde hair, the 22-year-old Australian freshman’s bold look is matched by her glittery synth-pop anthems. The singer, born Jessica Newham and now based in New York, broke out when her single “Somebody Loves You” soundtracked a viral YouTube clip of a dance-heavy marriage proposal, leading to an RCA deal and, in April, the top of Billboard‘s Hot Dance Club Songs chart. She followed that early promise with her excellent debut LP, Take Me When You Go, released Oct. 7. Katy Perry is a fan, recruiting Who to open the upcoming Australian leg of her Prism Tour, and there are lots of reasons you should be too.
1. She’s the life of the party: “I’m the first person to take over the boombox and put on Beyoncé and turn it into a dance party. Everyone’s like, ‘That’s not the vibe!’ and I’m like, ‘F— you!’ “
2. She works hard: “I have no space in my brain to think about showering, let alone my sophomore album. I’m literally touring until I f—ing die. I haven’t eaten real food in a week. I’ve been surviving on Thin bars and soy lattes.”
3. She’s nice — to a fault: “If you want to be the best, you’ve got to be a bitch sometimes, which sucks. I find that I don’t have that in me, and I’ve tried to avoid that path. But that’s how most people function, I think. It really stresses me out.”
4. She’s pop and proud: “I have been a pop music-obsessed person my whole life. I could listen to an old Britney [Spears] record on repeat all day.”
5. But there’s meaning behind her music: “I learned a lot about myself making this record, particularly my relationships and how I don’t love myself enough. I shouldn’t have to write sad songs because I should be having awesome relationships that make me feel good, but I keep putting myself in ones that make me feel bad. I finished writing the album and was like, ‘I get it now. I learned my lesson, universe.’ “