Christine & the Queens Spills On Performing With Madonna & Writing For Rihanna

Christine & the Queens poses for the cover of Time Out London‘s latest issue, available now.

Here’s what the 30-year-old singer, writer and producer had to share with the mag:

On performing with Madonna: “I didn’t even know if Madonna was human or in a godly form. I surrendered to her. When I was on stage with her what I noticed was the charisma. But it’s really a dominant thing – you have to submit. Also as a feminist I was fascinated, I was like oh my god she’s going to eat us all. We love it. She’s actually I think the only woman in this industry that is threatening but owns it and people love it. I think it’s quite rare to achieve as a woman because we’re often mean to feel sorry for it or be cute – be powerful but cute. And then I watched a lot of documentaries and interviews with her and she’s really smart and badass. For example, Erotica, today would still be scandalous. So it also makes me depressed because I’m like things are not changing. But it was quite…I don’t know I was surrendering to Madonna. It feels good. It feels amazing.’

On writing a song for Rihanna: “My team were like ‘Rihanna is searching for you.’ I was like, ‘What?!’ Then I wrote something but of course she didn’t take it, because I think it was really sad and depressing! Actually I love the song but I think it was too weak for her, it’s transparent skin, weak, feeble love song. It was about sending nudes. I liked the song but I think she’s too fierce for it. It’s okay to be rejected by Rihanna, I’m down with that. It was validating in a way, I was like, ‘Yes, reject me – I’m not worthy!’”

On conversations around gender and sexuality: “Even between the first and the second record, I feel the difference. For example when I released Chaleur Humaine in France in 2014, I said pansexual and some people actually asked me if I invented the word. I was like: ‘Wow. No.’ Now it’s maybe more a conversation but the other thing that worries me is that in four years it’s becoming a glossy marketing thing. When the second record came out people were like ‘Really nicely done marketing for you to be like that.’ I was like, ‘It’s been my life forever, I’m just talking about it because I don’t want to hide it.’ Sometimes queer is just digested in a capitalistic perspective, like, ‘ten queer artists to watch!’ And you’re like actually, that’s just reduced it again, when you want to express your freedom. So I’m always a bit wary of that. The conversation is definitely happening, I just want to be sure it’s happening in the right way.”

For more from Chris, read Isabelle Aron‘s full article on TimeOut.com.