Zoom Date: Saweetie on Her New Music and Quarantine Beauty Routine

Welcome to Zoom Date, our feature series where we get up close and personal via Zoom screen with our favorite celebs. They’ll be giving us an honest peek into what their “new normal” looks like—from new rituals they’ve adopted since quarantine, to work projects in the age of isolation, to the beauty and health products they’ve been using to self-soothe.

The past three years have been a whirlwind for Saweetie, to say the least. The Bay Area-born rapper’s 2017 hit “Icy Grl”—a sample of Khia’s “My Neck, My Back (Lick It)”—put her on the fast track to superstardom. In 2018, she released her first major-label debut High Maintenance. And in 2019, she put out her sophomore project Icy. The EP’s standout track “My Type” has racked up 89 million views and counting on YouTube. With Platinum plaques under her belt, brand deals on her resume, and over seven million monthly listeners on Spotify, there’s no stopping Saweetie. 

Outside of her music, fans have also come to love Saweetie, the person. She is undeniably beautiful and fabulously fly. Her unfiltered realness and down-to-earth spirit made chatting with the rapper feel like a much-needed moment of girl talk. When we spoke, Saweetie’s latest single “Tap In”—which samples the classic Too $hort record “Blow The Whistle— had just dropped, and her vibrant energy radiated through the screen as we talked about her upcoming album Pretty Bitch Music. Saweetie also opened up about how she’s using her platform to make an impact, her beauty favorites, and how she’s been spending her days at home. Keep scrolling to see what Saweetie had to say.

With your music, I continue to see you grow with each record. How do you feel like Pretty Bitch Music stands out from your other two projects that you’ve dropped?

I was super hands-on because I had the time to, so I co-produced a lot of the tracks. I really had time to sit and fix lyrics that I wasn’t happy with. As a new artist, especially when you’re developing at the rate that I did, I was pressured to just release music even though I felt like I wasn’t ready. 

So, I feel like this past year, people said I took a hiatus. I don’t feel like I did. I just felt like I just went the traditional route of trying to have some artist development. So, I’m just excited to continue to grow because I know I have a lot of room for improvement.

I’m so excited for you as well. We talked about how your music is for the girls. It’s about empowerment and making us feel amazing. Who are some of the female rappers that you would love to collaborate with? Can we expect any female collaborations on this upcoming project?

Right now, I have a long list, so I haven’t confirmed all my songs yet, but I do have some collaborations that can make the project. But, a song that I really love right now is “Pussy Talk” by City Girls. I play “Tap In” and “Pussy Talk” every morning and it just makes me feel like such a bad bitch and I love what they talk about. So, those are definitely some girls that I put on my playlist.

Outside of music, what have you been doing during quarantine? Any hobbies you’ve picked up?

I actually got a volleyball. I was a year-round athlete in high school. My name is in the gym for being “Athlete of the Year.” I miss playing volleyball so I ordered one from Amazon and it’s actually right here next to me. So, playing volleyball is something I love to do lately.

Photos by Saweetie

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