Lloren Breaks Down “The Lonely Hearts Club,” Her Anti-Valentine’s Anthem

Though it’s dropped just in time for the holiday, Lloren knows her new single, “The Lonely Heart Club,” isn’t your typical Valentine’s Day fare. If you’re not listening carefully, the song’s upbeat, hopeful sound could almost disguise its somber lyrics, but don’t let that fool you. This is not a love song. “The Lonely Hearts Club” is a deceptively danceable ballad about a woman trying to make the best of her loneliness.

The contrast of heavy emotional experiences with an upbeat sound is a signature of  Lloren’s catalog of dreamy, cinematic dance pop. The Voice UK finalist says she often writes with escapism in mind to help herself and other queer women navigate relationship troubles and major life changes. Perhaps that makes “The Lonely Hearts Club” the perfect queer anti-Valentine’s anthem, a celebration of anyone braving the holiday on their own. 

This week, GO caught up with Lloren to break down the meaning behind her new single and discuss what to expect in her new era of retro, sapphic dream-pop.

GO: What was your songwriting process like for “The Lonely Hearts Club?” What made you want to release an anti-love song for Valentine’s Day? 

Lloren: To be honest, I didn’t have Valentine’s Day in mind when I originally wrote the song. It’s just where I was at emotionally. I just had the lyrics hit me at first, and I had this sort of idea of the “lonely hearts club” carrying a double meaning—both the experience of being part of this very sad club of lonely people, but also being in a real nightclub. Because even when you’re sad, there’s something so joyful about the feeling of the lights and the music. Then much later, I was in the studio with my friend Charlie, and he was playing a little tune on the piano, and it just all came together.

You pull inspiration from a lot of places, including your time living in LA last year, Old Hollywood, and musical inspirations like Lana del Rey. What does it look like for you to incorporate your queerness into that aesthetic? 

I think with a lot of my influences, it’s from my life and my relationships. So, I guess who I am as a person is always going to come out. Although with art, there is always a slight separation, I think it’s just an exaggeration of who we are as people. So, for me, my art is just the natural progression of me as a person.

You identify your music as queer, dreamy pop. Even though queer aesthetics have always been foundational to pop, it feels like there’s been a real renaissance of pop made by and for queer people in the last few years. Who in that genre inspires you as an artist? 

I mean, I absolutely love Chappell [Roan]. I know everybody’s saying that moment, but I think that she is an amazing artist and creative and a role model on so many different levels. She definitely inspires me and makes me feel like I need to level up myself. Just watching her express herself, it’s such a beautiful thing as another creative to just feel like, ‘Wow, okay. I feel like I have a space now to maybe turn my stuff up. I’ve not really been speaking loud enough in this space.’

Speaking of turning your stuff up, what are some of your big goals, artistically or career-wise, for your new era? 

I have this slightly quirky, slightly exaggerated kind of version of myself, but I feel like I haven’t gone far enough with it. So I’m really excited with the new stuff that I’ve been writing, and I’ve been creating some really cool visuals to go along. That would be my next step. I made a really cool music video with a director friend last year. And I’d love to just step up even more and maybe go a little bit more theatrical.

Your next album, It’s Always Sunny in LA, is coming soon. What three words would you use to describe it? 

Anthemic. Neo-retro. Nostalgia.

You’ve been a major presence on some of our favorite TV soundtracks—Grey’s Anatomy, Love Island US and UK, and of course, The L Word. Where has been the most surprising—or exciting—place you’ve heard your music? If you could have a song on any other soundtrack, what would it be? 

Well, no one was more surprised than me when KAY Jewellers picked one of my songs for their latest advert! To go from previously being a self-confessed sad girl and singer of dark pop, it was really cool to see that my new more romantic lover girl stuff is landing and resonating with people!

I’d love to have a really cool, epic movie trailer. It would be a dream to just go sit in a movie theater with my cinema popcorn, getting ready to watch the whole thing and then having a big trailer. Maybe a Bond theme. That would be really, really cool.

Finally, you’ve already talked a bit about your goals for this upcoming era. But those of us stateside who are just now getting into your music, what can we expect from your new releases? 

More dreamy, euphoric, retro-inspired—but still quite contemporary—happy pop. Expect Lana Del Rey on happy pills. 

Stream “The Lonely Hearts Club” everywhere on Feb. 14, and keep an eye out for Lloren’s upcoming announcement of her new album, It’s Always Sunny in LA.