How did this collaboration come about?



DANNY: “Super Natural” was my first attempt at writing real pop music. But I couldn’t just write pop music, it had to be my brand of pop music. I don’t remember when Carly came into the conversation — I just thought it was an L.A. thing, [the label saying] like, “This would be great for Beyoncé!” or “This would be great for Rihanna, or Ariana Grande.” Then it actually became real, and I realized it was not actually out of my reach. I kind of didn’t think the pop world was real, because it’s presented in an absurd way, but it is real. Basically, on my first go, I got one of my favourite pop stars ever to feature on the track, and I couldn’t really believe it.

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CARLY: The way I got wind of the whole PC Music scene was through my friend, Nate Campany, who's actually a co-writer to [“Super Natural”] as well, with Danny. I was in L.A., and Nate said, "You've got to come check this out, I promise you haven't heard anything like it." I met Danny and he was instantly charming, and all the things you want in a collab — just somebody who's very excited about the whole thing. He played me some stuff and the first feeling I had was, I've never heard anything like this! Today in music, that's such an exciting feeling.

Getting to come to [Pop City], and bring my parents, and see the whole world of it — I was taken aback by how almost Andy Warhol-ish [it was], the live art/performance art mixed with this kind of computer pop music. I just love the whole thing. There was one girl in particular [QT] who kind of [acted] the part for a soda drink, like Red Bull, and mimed and lip-synced her way through [the performance]. It's a different way of — not poking fun, but making a statement about the pop industry, and what it can sometimes become, and I really enjoyed that part of it. It was really thought-provoking.

The world of PC Music has some irony to it, but it’s also just ridiculous fun, right?

CARLY: Yeah! If you close your eyes and don't look at the girls blowing the bubbles and the guy in the mad scientist costume, and just listen to the song itself, it's actually quite musical in a different way than I've heard [before]. It's not quite EDM, but it's got elements of that. It's a lot more unexpected. Like, you don't just have the drop — it's a little more intricate than that. And then, on top of that, to go to a show and be immersed and see the people in costumes, and feel like you are in this different, underground place where you can be whoever you want to be — I think that's really refreshing.

What did your mom and dad make of it?

CARLY: They were so game to come: they had gotten all dressed up for their idea of what nightlife was going to be. [They were wearing] black everything. They looked very classy, it was very cute...I think watching them take the whole thing in was equally as enjoyable as the rest of the show for me. They were so fascinated by it all.