BIZZY confirms that heartbreak ‘Tastes Like Shit’ in her latest pop-rock single
Released on October 25th via Big Loud Rock, BIZZY’s latest single, Tastes Like Shit channels both angst and vulnerability, taking listeners on a wild ride through the messy stages of heartbreak.
Fusing gritty production with raw, unfiltered emotion, BIZZY explores the mess of a breakup in her latest song as she’s left to pick up the pieces of her own broken heart. With sharp lyrics and beats of chaos and vulnerability, the singer offers an honest portrayal of the pain and resilience that follow getting dumped, which - as it turns out - tastes a lot like shit.
Marking a new chapter in BIZZY’s evolution, Tastes Like Shit offers a different perspective from her previous single, Default Setting, which examined the struggle to break free from toxic relationships. Shifting the focus inward, Tastes Like Shit is BIZZY’s reckoning with her own role in breakups.
“This song is me realizing I’ve been the bad guy before.”
Photo by Anna Azarov
A songwriter by trade, BIZZY established her reputation within the alt-pop community by writing for other artists before venturing into her own lyrical world, where she blends vulnerability and authenticity to create an intimate space for listeners to connect with her.
She’s the shoulder to lean on, the bold voice that expresses what everyone else is thinking, and the captivatingly candid friend everyone needs. BIZZY knows no strangers: she’s your biggest hype girl, your best friend and your closest confidante.
During the lead-up to her latest release, we talked with BIZZY all about her new single, discussing everything from cathartic studio trips to upcoming release plans and how to write songs unfiltered.
Would you like to introduce yourself?
“My name’s BIZZY, which is a childhood nickname I got from my dad that just kind of stuck and came in clutch when I was looking for an artist name! I got my first guitar when I was 12 and originally my whole world was in athletics and the swim team. I wanted to go to the olympics, which is crazy to say now but from 3-17, that was everything to me until I injured my back and couldn’t compete anymore at the same level. So, that was when music switched from being a hobby to making a career for myself and how I dove into it - no pun intended!”
How has your past in athletics informed the way that you work as a musician in the present day?
“The discipline is unmatched! Everything I learned from sports - especially swimming with the 4am and 6pm practices - ingrained in me a lot of discipline. You show up when you’re supposed to show up and do your best. Even though swimming is a solo sport, you’re still on a team and that showed me a lot about how to be happy for other people, have healthy competition and cheer people on in a sportsmanship-like way. Even now, I find things where I’m like, ‘oh damn, I got that from swimming.’ It just continues to pop up and help me be a better person.”
Can you remember a specific moment when you decided that music was something you wanted to pursue professionally?
“This is going to sound so cheesy, but I was at an Ed Sheeran on his Divide tour. He was playing at Merriweather Pavilion and I went for my sweet 16 because my friends had gotten me tickets! I was sitting in the crowd and his showmanship was incredible. He just played with his loop pedal and guitar and it was amazing.
He was like, ‘okay guys, I’m going to play a quiet one’ and he played 18, which made the crowd fall dead silent - literally thousands of people - to the point where you could hear a whisper from across the venue. It was just insane and I looked around the crowd and saw everyone feeling the song in different ways: people were crying, holding onto each other and everyone was just so locked into the song because it held something for each person. That moment is when I was like, ‘I’m sold, this is what I want to do’ - it was just so moving.”
How would you describe your music, and more specifically your song, Tastes Like Shit to someone who hasn’t yet listened to it?
“Genre-wise, I’d say it’s pop-rock! Vibe-wise, the concept was to put a really fun poppy beat with lyrics that are very much real and a little bit fucked up - I love doing that. My hope is that the song will reach both audiences of the people who listen to the melody and really want to vibe with it, as well as the people who focus on the lyrics and love the concept of the song - that’s my goal with it all.”
Tell us all about your songwriting process! Do you use notes apps and journals or work from melodies/lyrics first?
“Kind of all of the above - it just depends on when and where I’m writing! When I’m going into a session, I usually try to bring a concept that I’ve been thinking about recently or with something that’s been going on in my life in mind. Usually, I’ll set up a Google Doc and everybody kind of types away on it figuring out melodies and ideas.
In both cases, whether writing alone or with other people, the melody and lyrics usually come together for the most part. When I’m writing by myself, it’s usually just me mumbling into my phone. I write best when I’m in the car because I’m doing something without actually doing something which keeps me calmer.”
When writing Tastes Like Shit, was there a standout moment when the idea for the song clicked?
“It was kind of before we wrote this song that we found the hook. I was in a session and had just gotten my heart broken by this guy and it was definitely a humbling moment because the whole concept of the song is basically me being like, ‘oh how the tables have turned and now I’m feeling exactly what I’ve been doing to other people.’
It was such a moment of realising that the people whose hearts I didn’t care for in the way that I should have had felt the same way that I did in that moment. I’d never felt it from the other way and this guy really shattered my heart so I was like, ‘damn, I get it now.’
I was in the session and explained the situation like, ‘gosh, I just got a taste of my own medicine and it’s so shitty’ and that’s when we knew it could be something, so we honed in on it.”
That must have felt really cathartic. Do you usually feel different when you’ve come out of the studio having made a song?
“So much, it’s literally my favourite feeling in the whole world. Its like that feeling of before you go into a work out and don’t want to do it, but when you come out of it you have all the happy endorphins and feel on top of the world. At the studio, it’s like that times ten because you walk in and sometimes I won’t feel like being there or diving into my emotions, but the second I do and really get something that feels honest and true and real, there’s such a weight lifted off. Its so calming and awesome to be able to freeze time and freeze a feeling within it.
Also, once its in a song, I can go back to that any time and get kind of a little present after its done because I’m then calm and settled in my emotions. I get to revert back and learn from those lessons because there’s been so many times where I’ll write a song about a different guy or situation, then two years will go by and I’ll listen to that song again, but it’ll still affect me even though I’m not going through that same thing anymore - it’s been a real testament of time.”
What we love about Tastes Like Shit is that the lyrics of the song are so sharp, honest and straight to the point. Was it difficult to be unfiltered or did that come naturally to you when writing it because of what the song is about?
“It came very naturally and I think its hard for my music to not be straight forward because then it feels like I’m not being honest with myself. When I go into the writing room, I try to write each song as if it were just for me as if I’m writing in my journal - that’s how I write honestly!”
We then asked BIZZY what music she’s been listening to lately and, of course, made a playlist of her recommendations:
How does it feel to be an alt-pop artist in a time where stars like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter are leading the way with bringing fresh, and more importantly, fun new music to the table?
“Its so freeing and its so freaking awesome that girls are taking over as they should, because its been a long time coming. You get Chappell who’s this amazing, Lady Gaga-esque drag performer doing whatever she wants and Sabrina doing the bubblegum, sparkly Glinda kind of look and it’s great that there’s such a broad stroke between them, but people love them just as much the other. It really opens the doors for every other pop artist to put out their music and kind of see what happens!”
We then had some fun questions to ask BIZZY…
Do you believe in karma, and can you think of any moments where you were like, ‘oh, karma does exist and she’s kind of a bitch’!
“I definitely do believe in karma and the feeling I had when writing Tastes Like Shit was the biggest one where it slapped me in the face. In general though, how you treat people always comes back! Especially in this industry, it’s so small and you have no idea where anyone will be in two years, so treat everyone kindly because we’re all humans and we should, but also because it’ll come back.”
If Tastes Like Shit were to be in the soundtrack of any movie, which would you pick and why?
“The first movie that comes to mind is ‘Freaky Friday’! I feel like it would fit the vibe, plus they’re making a second movie right now, so I’ll put that out there.”
Since you mention cough medicine in the song, what was your favourite flavour of it as a kid?
“Hot take, I loved grape - everybody hates it, but I loved it! The worst one though was when I had strep and it came in this orange bottle with red liquid but my mum would literally have to chase me around the kitchen to get me to take it. It was so bad that I’ll never forget the taste!”
Do you have any plans for Tastes Like Shit to be part of a larger body of work like an EP or album?
“I’d love for it to be part of a bigger project, but TBD on that! The biggest thing is that there’s going to be a tonne of new music and Tastes Like Shit is just the beginning of this big ramp up, so I’m really excited for people to hear the new sound! My songs used to be like 50% pop, 50% indie, but the new stuff is I’d say 70% pop and 30% indie-rock, so I really love it.”
Finally, do you have any advice for upcoming artists who want to make music like you, but might not know where to start?
“I always used to devour this information when I’d read other people’s interviews, so I’ll answer this as honestly as I can. The first thing is that I’m still learning and have no idea what I’m doing! It’s a lesson every day, but I think sitting in that and the unknown of ‘holy crap, what the hell am I doing?’ is so useful. In the music industry, we’re all guessing and no one really knows what they’re doing, so remembering that has really helped me a lot: labels, artists and songwriters and just trying our best and hoping to God that it works!
The second thing is just to be as honest as possible: be vulnerable and be yourself because that’s your only niche thing. You are your niche, because no one else is you!”
With her infectious energy and undeniable charm, BIZZY certainly makes being herself look effortless, and her latest single is no exception to that rule.
With her infectious energy and down-to-earth vibe, she makes it easy to sing, dance and find comfort within those all-too-familiar ups and downs. No matter where you are in your emotional journey, BIZZY's music is along for the ride.
To stay updated with her future releases, make sure to follow BIZZY on Instagram and head to Spotify to find the rest of her anthemic discography:
