The Mayor of Daddy Town: this is Victoria

The population of Daddy Town is ever-increasing since the release of “DADDY” by Victoria and Ashnikko. Hard, catchy, and dominant, the track combines Victoria’s production with Ashnikko’s infectiously bold bars, “Just for fun, I drain his life and then his bank account”. Set on awakening the daddy lying dormant in the feminine psyche with her production, Victoria’s development as a solo artist in the electronic music scene has been exciting, rapid, and intriguing. We had the chance to talk to Victoria about “DADDY,” her identity as an electronic music producer/DJ, Måneskin, and more. Read to get to know Victoria better in suspense for her upcoming Glamcult TV episode! 

How are you today?
I’m good, what about you? 

I’m also doing good! I’m excited to talk to you, so your song Daddy with Ashnikko just came out. How do you feel?
I’m really happy. It was so fun to make this song and I’m really happy about the collaboration with Ash, because I think she’s really cool. I had her in mind for a collaboration for a long time. I thought it would be cool to mix our two styles and sounds, and make her more aggressive, rapping to a sexy beat. So I’m really happy with the outcome and the process was really fun in general.

Amazing. I can really sense that, this is another font of your usual shake-your-ass and it’s exciting!
Exactly. This is a perfect description.

How was the production process?
I started by finding this little vocal idea for the hook, and then from there, I kind of developed the whole track. I think I found the bass line first, and worked on having it sound really hard. After that it was all natural, we really developed it together with Ash. She would come up with a different part of the track, and I would make the beat for it. So it was really, really natural. 

Lovely. That’s really nice. I know collaborations can be stressful. I’m curious about the title!
Initially, the little vocal sample I had found says, “daddy, I need a daddy,” in Japanese. I showed it to Ash and she basically said “fuck yes,” but concentrated on the concept of a daddy, and though it would be really cool to flip the narrative to, “I’m the daddy”. And then she wrote her whole part and went off. So she gave it a whole other meaning. And I love that. I love that there’s this little sexy, innocent vocal, and then her part has a tone of, “you freak, you like torture, you do whatever”. So I love the contrast between that. 

I think she sent a cool message because although it’s ironic, extreme, and whatever,  underneath it holds a message of inverting the roles and holding the power, which I think is very cool. And I love the way she did that.

I really see this subversion in the rest of your discography, and throughout your visual language as well. There’s a dominance that threads through your work. Is that intentional, and what does it mean for you if it is?
Yeah, I think it’s about empowering yourself, and taking back control over yourself, over your body, over the way you want to present yourself. I think, nowadays, it’s something that’s really badly seen, especially by men or in more conservative spaces, like Italy right now. I’ve been getting critiques and comments about this for so long, and I don’t know, it’s really sad to me. I wish people would open their minds, but till then, this dominance is a way of saying, “okay, fuck all these comments”. 

It’s not that I’m gonna do it less because of the comments, but I’m actually gonna do it

more, take control and do it for my own pleasure and for my own desire. I want to do it, and feel free to do it and not because I’m sexualised by somebody else. But I think people struggle to see this difference of choice. Many people are saying, “your tracks are sexualising women”, but it’s actually the opposite, because it’s not at all done for the male gaze or for men’s pleasure. It’s owning your own body and being free as a man can, as a woman. 

I’m glad to hear you put it in your own words, I think this a large area of concern that affects many non-male producers and DJs – beautifully said.
Thank you.

Okay, I want to break the timeline a bit. I’m really curious about your life after Maneskin’s Eurovision win. How did you deal with the intense spotlight?
I mean, of course, it was really crazy. It was a really big change in my life. But at the same time, I think I always kept my feet on the ground, especially being with the band – we’ve known each other since we were kids. And we’ve been working together since we were 14-15 years old. So when this big change happened, we really stayed together all the time and that really helped us be in a safe environment.

You hear so many stories, really sad stories nowadays of people that reach a certain success, and then get involved with really bad people in the industry or with a side that’s really dark and can be dangerous, especially when they’re young. But thank God, I must say that we didn’t really experience that. Of course, we experienced the working stress, the pressures and other aspects that come from this industry, but we didn’t experience all the other sides because we found a safe space between us. So even if we were going to crazy parties, meeting crazy, famous people, even though it was a bit weird we would always be safe between us. We would go back home and say, “Wow, this is crazy, we don’t want to be like that” – always keeping our feet on the ground. 

To be honest, I’ve never been attracted to that type of lifestyle, it doesn’t belong to me. I don’t know, I’m just myself, and it’s been really easy.

I’m curious about your rise as a solo artist and the hiatus of Måneskin, could you dive into this?
After we did the Eurovision we’ve been working nonstop for all those years, but even before that we were working nonstop in Italy. For a really long time we were under a lot of pressure. And we were constantly releasing music, it was a very nonstop schedule. So, we all felt the need for a little moment to chill and relax a bit and enjoy life, and also to welcome more spontaneous creativity. If you’re always under this pressure, or working to make the next hit, you constantly have to produce. It’s really hard to keep up with, to ensure that the creativity is flowing and you’re staying, living healthy throughout. 

Therefore, we all felt the need to slow down, then Damiano started his own project, and I started my own project – we’re all doing our individual things, which I think can be very healthy and good. We’re all doing something quite different that we, of course, couldn’t have done with the band, because we have a specific identity that is a product between the four of us. I think it’s also right to respect that and only do things that feel authentic and true to the band. But, of course, we grew up a lot since we started – developed our own desires and got inspired by different influences that we couldn’t express through the band. So, for me, it’s something fun that I’m enjoying, but it’s also incredibly different – it’s not even comparable to the band. It’s just two different, completely different worlds. But I also can’t wait to be back with the band; I’m looking forward to playing bass and making rock music again!

That’s really cute! So, obviously, you wanted to lean into your own spontaneous acts of creativity – what pushed you to electronic music and DJing?
It’s actually something I’ve been doing for longer, even when I was with the band; every time we would do an after party for our gigs, I would be DJing. I’ve always loved electronic music, and since I was 16, or around that time, I have been going clubbing. I slowly grew really, really fond of it, and started learning more on my own and through friends who were DJs and producers. So it was a world I was genuinely interested in for a long time. 

That’s why I felt the desire to pursue it also, it was a very organic development. It’s not something that emerged as I was sitting saying, “Ok, what can I do now?”. I was already doing it before, but I was doing it just for fun because I was working with the band. Of course, I didn’t even have the time to make it a serious job. But it’s been a world that I’ve always been involved in, and so many of my artists and producers that I love and listen to, come from this world. And I think the club community is so beautiful, it’s a really a beautiful place; when it’s the right party with the right crowd, you feel incredibly safe in the space – it’s a feeling that’s really rare to find elsewhere, I think. Especially when playing super big gigs, there’s so many people in the crowd, and it’s really hard to create that sense of community, family, and safety. But when there’s these small clubs that really make an effort into having people that are really there for the vibe and that are really open, then it creates such a beautiful bond and energy on the dance floor. That is something really unique that I fell in love with and was drawn to from the first moment I went clubbing. These aspects of club culture also had an impact in me pursuing electronic music as a creative outlet. 

I love that, there’s something incredibly special about nightlife and what DJs do. Do you remember any party that stuck out to you where you felt the beauty you eloquently describe? Or where you thought, “shit this was one of the best nights of my life?”
When I was growing up, around the ages of 15-16 in highschool, the first parties I started going to was by this collective in Rome who were throwing raves in squatted buildings. It was really cool, and was my first entry into electronic music. When I went I didn’t know anything about electronic music or techno. I didn’t know anything at all, and that was my first approach. But from there, I started going to a lot of parties. Now, of course, Berlin has so many, so, so many good clubs. I mean, I’m basic, but Berghain, Club Ost. I was also at a party called Pornceptual that was really cool a few years before.

I loved playing in Latin America, they go so crazy. They have this huge energy.

They’re all dancing, going crazy. And that’s what I really love. I hate when everyone is just filming or staying still at a party, I love to be in the moment with people. And it brings a whole other energy to you – connecting with the crowd’s energy lets you feel like you’re playing for them and with them, while when everyone’s just staying still and filming you, it feels very isolating, you feel distanced from the crowd. You still play stuff you love and it’s still cool, but when there’s that extra energy it really makes a difference.

I played in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and those were all amazing gigs, some of the best. And now I just played in Copenhagen in this club called the Denensio. It was amazing. I loved it, there was a no phone policy, so no one was on their phones and everyone was going crazy. It was so fucking insane, I didn’t expect it to be that cool – one of the best gigs.

Phenomenal.
Yes. Sorry, I said a million, but it’s really hard.

Oh, no, please. It’s a pleasure to hear about your relationship to your crowd. Have you ever wanted to connect this part of your world now, DJing and electronic music production with rock?
Could be cool. But, I think, the identity I found within electronic music is a bit far away from that. There’s some really cool tracks out there where they mix rock energy or even instruments with electronic music, which I really love. But it’s not really what I’m doing at the moment. So I don’t know if it could possibly fit at some point, but for sure, it’s something that would be super fun to experiment with.

I understand! Okay, moving forward, do you resonate with the Italian music scene?
Yeah, I think there’s some cool parties. I think people think it’s not so great, but there are some really great clubs, especially in Rome. After growing up there and getting to know everyone, now I know even when there’s a tiny party and it’s usually the best stuff.

Can you give me top three songs that you’ve been listening to yourself?
Ooh, okay. I think one track that I love and I’m listening all the time is called “Sobadera-South” by Aleroj and Sapphir22. Then let me think. I really love Tokischa at the moment. I’m really obsessed with her music, and I love the track she made with NATHY PELUSO and Skrillex, “DE MARAVISHA”, I think it’s called. And for third I’ll say “Daddy” and do some self promo.

Yes, as you should. What’s next for you?
I’m working on so much music at the moment, so I don’t even know what’s next.
But, I know there’s going to be a lot of music coming out for sure. And that’s also what I love about this project, that it’s so spontaneous – I can work on a million tracks, then decide what to put out at the last minute. I’ll just feel what feels right in the moment. But, for sure, more music, more touring, and never stopping. 

Amazing. Well, thank you so, so much. It was lovely to talk to you about “Daddy” and about your artistry in general.
Thank you.