Forget your “Blue Christmas”—we’re having a Bloo Christmas, baby!
NYC-based drag queen and rising pop princess Lagoona Bloo keeps us fed all year long, but she couldn’t let the holidays go by without slipping a little something special under our tree.
We’re talking about “Toys,” her new single, a cheeky ode to self-love that’ll make you break a sweat, which comes complete with English and Spanglish versions and quite possibly the sexiest lyrics video we’ve ever seen, featuring Fire Island hunk Nick Adams—cheeks and all.
It’s just the latest taste of her upcoming studio album, Underwater Bubble Pop, which promises to give us the candy-colored, Y2K, pop girlie fantasy we’ve been waiting for, loaded dance-floor-ready bop after dance-floor-ready-bop.
On top of that, Lagoona’s given us a peek at the upcoming Into The Bloo, a heartfelt documentary short coming next year that delves into behind-the-scenes footage and home movies to explore how the queen has overcome trauma to evolve into the superstar she is today. (You can watch the trailer below!)
We’re calling it now: 2024 is the year of Lagoona Bloo!
But before we blow 2023 one last kiss, we grabbed some time with Lagoona and invited her to be the latest guest in our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It. In our conversation, she opens up about the cinematic divas who helped her find her voice (literally), the thrill of releasing her most “salacious” song yet, and her strangest drag gig eve,
Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, video game, etc…—that you consider a big part of your own coming-out journey, or that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness? Why does it stand out to you?
Definitely! First and foremost will always be The Little Mermaid. I have always related to the story of not belonging and yearning for more, and definitely the aspect of being punished or shamed for being different. And very much like Ariel, I’ve taken giant leaps of faith to get where I am and not only discover but celebrate my queerness!
The next is Legally Blonde! Elle Woods is one of my favorite characters in cinema, and I was so struck by her determination to show everyone wrong and prove that she’s more than what meets the eye. So much so that I wrote a song about it! There have been many times in my journey in drag so far that have made me feel like an underdog, so my single “Elle Woods” became an anthem for me about overcoming that.
Your new song, “Toys” is such a bop, with very… evocative lyrics. Was it written with anyone—or anything—specific in mind? What can you tell us about the inspiration behind it?
Thank you! I am so excited for this song! And if I’m being totally honest, it’s a little thrilling to be putting out such a salacious song! I’ve never been so bold in my songwriting. I’ve been learning to love myself like I never have before, and physical self-love is one of the best ways to love yourself. I mean, we all do it and we all know what we like best, so “Toys” is all about owning the fact that I can make myself c*m harder than you can… so, what you got?
Fittingly, “Toys” also arrives in time to be the perfect gift this holiday season. With that in mind, what would you say is the most surprising/funny/emotional/memorable gift you’ve ever received and why. (If not that, as an alternative: What’s your personal favorite holiday season tradition?)
Oh my god, this is so silly, but my best friend Rosé got me a 30-inch icy blue human hair wig for Christmas last year and I literally began to cry. Listen, human hair is EXPENSIVE, okay!? And a few months beforehand I had mentioned to her how badly I wanted one. So, when I opened the box, I was beside myself. It’s one of my favorites!
From what we’ve heard thus far, your upcoming album Underwater Bubble Pop is going to be so major, and it all feels very inspired by a certain kind of buoyant, bright pop music we don’t get as much these days. What were some of your personal goals for the album, and do you see it fulfilling a niche music is sorely missing these days?
YES! I have always been inspired by bubble gum pop and Y2K pop! Recently, someone mentioned a genre to me called “Recession Pop” which references music from 2000-2010 which is ABSOLUTELY up my alley! I have always been inspired by the pop and R&B divas of the millennium. It was the music that got me through some of the hardest times of my life, so naturally it’s some of my greatest inspirations.
Of course, I’d love for my music to reach as many people as possible. It would be a dream for one of these tracks to really take off, go viral, and hit the charts (they say dream big, right?). We all have goals like that as artists. Personally, I want to make music that makes people feel good. I had one of the hardest years of my life last year and this album was a huge part of my healing, because I put my hurt into writing songs about loving myself.
I also want to make a statement with this album about what drag artists are capable of doing. I believe that I’m forging my own path, and one of my biggest goals in life is to build a bridge into mainstream music and represent my queerness and my Hispanic heritage.
What’s the worst/strangest/most interesting drag gig you’ve ever done. (Feel free to tell us a story here, but no need to get specific and name names!)
I’d have to say one of the strangest gigs I’ve ever done was a baby shower, but only because the mother was the ONLY person in the room who specifically liked drag. I got there expecting to sing, but they had no mic, so I performed a few lip-syncs to a ton of people who just didn’t get it. I remember landing the final pose of the last number of a mega-mix and looking around the room out of breath to absolute silence and nervous laughter from the mother-to-be. I don’t think I’ve ever bounced so quickly!
What’s the most difficult thing about dating as a drag queen?
You know, I think dating in general in New York City is difficult to begin with. Of course, drag has its annoying factors like schedule differences – and omg I miss growing out a beard – but I don’t have time to date right now! I’m so fully invested in this music project and, for the first time, I’m good on my own right now. Obviously, I would love to build a great relationship with someone, but I’m not interested in kissing a ton of frogs right now. I’ll just use my “Toys.” 😉
What’s one article of clothing/accessory/hair or makeup style Lagoona Bloo would never be caught dead in and why?
OOH! This is tough, but I think I no longer have space in my heart for synthetic wigs unless it’s super sculpted or specific to the look. In the last year, I have been falling in love with wearing human hair because of the way it moves when I perform! Your girl loves a hair flip, and those Synthias do not compare to the Humanas! I don’t feel like Lagoona Bloo without a human unit!
Who is a queer or trans artist/performer/creator that you think is doing really cool work right now? Why are they someone we should all be paying attention to?
One of my favorite artists is Kim Petras! Her music is such an inspiration and does what I aim to do with my music: it’s SO FUN and makes you FEEL GOOD! Her last two albums have been on repeat in my house!
Another artist who is absolutely crushing it right now is Bentley Robles. I am obsessed with his latest EP, Ugly Crier. His music is glossy and gorgeous, and it scratches all of my inner sad boy itches. He’s been making waves on the scene as an up and coming queer and Latin indie pop artist.
