Syd puts Pharrell at No. 1, downplays remote grinding and praises therapy benefits

West Coast singer Syd has plenty to talk about these days. With her new album Broken Hearts Club officially in the books, she dishes on everything from wanting to really clock in studio time with Pharrell Williams to piecing together music after going through a breakup in a new Apple Music 1 interview with Zane Lowe.

There are ample gems in the discussion so until the full interview is available, check out a few of the key quotes below.

Syd Tells Apple Music About Going Through a Breakup During The Middle of Making of Her New Album...

I started the album in the middle of love. Like in love, that was probably the working title at first. And then when we first broke up, I couldn't listen to those songs. I did have to take a break and I took like six months off maybe and I had to heal. I was trying to write music from that painful place. I'm not the kind of artists who can do that. A lot of artists and creatives are able to create from pain, or better yet, better at creating from a place of pain. I've never been that person. I also suffer from depression. I'm the type like when I'm in pain, I can't get out the bed. Shout out to therapy. I was in therapy. Prioritize that mental health, man. Because it can all feel okay. It all has the possibility of feeling okay. And it's not easy, but yeah. I found a therapist that I really like. And so I was actually in therapy when I went through this breakup. Thank goodness because it really helped. Honestly, by the time I finished it, the topic of conversation was kind of like an afterthought. And it's a lot more about the music now. So by the time I finished it, and also like this happened at the very top of the pandemic, this breakup. Which ultimately was for the best. It forced me to deal with it. I had no distractions. We were all at home. This is when we were scared to go outside, so I was at home. I was on my front porch reading books. I was like, "Yo, I can't listen to this album. I can't listen to this album." So it's been a long time. I worked on it for a long time. So by time I really finished it, like had masters, I was like, "Whew, I'm glad I still like it.

Syd Tells Apple Music She’d Love To Collaborate With Pharrell and That He’s Reached Out...

Pharrell's at the top of my list, man. When I think of someone whose career I've really studied the most, it's probably him because I wanted to be a producer. I wanted to be a producer for everybody. I forget because I only produce for myself now which was a conscious decision. Recently. I got a couple beats off and I thought I could write better songs than the songs that were written to them. He's been offering his help to me for a long time and I've just been so scared to take it.

Syd Tells Apple Music About Creating During The Pandemic…

The pandemic wasn't that hard for me because I been working from home for 10 years.I'm like, oh. So now y'all know what it's like.

Syd Tells Apple Music About Initially Not Wanting To Be an Artist...

I didn't really even want to be an artist… I wanted to be behind the scenes. So I wrote Fin. I probably told you this then, I wrote Fin as like a demo tape to show other artists, here's what I can write for you and you and you. And they were like, "Let me get a feature though." And I was like, "So I got to get in the booth?” I guess there's a plan. There's always an ultimate plan. And it's funny because sometimes people ask me like, "Yo, did you always see yourself being successful?" And I'd be like, "Yeah. Doing this though? No.” I never thought I would be an artist, but I'm so grateful for it. There's so much freedom in it and control.

Syd Tells Apple Music About Max Martians Helping The Internet Forge Their Identity…

I mean it's tough out here. People will put you in whatever box they want to put you in. If you don't know who you are, they'll try to tell you who you are or who they think you should be. Before I get a chance to say, "I don't know," Matt was like, "Y'all, ain't finna tell us. Y'all, I don't care." And nowadays he says it a lot more calm, in a lot more calm manner, but we needed that. I needed that. Not only that, but he also just instilled this confidence in me from the get go that nobody else was there to instill in me.

Syd Tells Apple Music About Her Friendship with Quinta Brunson…

It drives me. It inspires me. Me and Quinta are finsta friends to this day. Sometimes I get a little sneak peek of what she's working on before she's working on it and it inspires me. And as an artist, as a creative, I think everybody can agree like inspiration, you got to keep inspiration around. I'm most inspired when I see somebody I like do something I like.