There are few artists who understand the power of feel-good pop quite like Pixie Lott. For almost two decades, she’s built a career on crafting infectious melodies and uplifting anthems, and with her latest single, “Dance Like No One’s Watching”, she’s reminding listeners exactly why her music has remained such a constant presence on playlists through the years.
The new release also signals an exciting new chapter. Rather than simply unveiling her next single, Pixie invited fans into the creative process from the very beginning, giving them the chance to shape the direction of her return and reinforcing the close relationship she’s cultivated with her audience throughout her career.
Speaking to CelebMix, Pixie opens up about the inspiration behind “Dance Like No One’s Watching”, explains why now felt like the right time to hand over creative control to her fans, reflects on how she’s grown both personally and creatively since the release of her last studio album “Encino”, and shares what’s next as she embraces this exciting new era…
Pixie, congratulations on the release of “Dance Like No One’s Watching” – it’s a real, feel-good anthem that’s already looking like a serious contender for the song of summer 2026…
Pixie: Oh wow, do you think? Thank you so much for saying that! It would be amazing if this song found its way to people, and became a little bit of a soundtrack to their summer. We’ve already played it live at a few of my festival shows, and the feedback I’ve been getting is really, really positive, so I’m super happy. I love that it’s striking a chord with people, and making them feel a little bit of joy.
How does the song make YOU feel?
Pixie: Free! I feel so free when I sing it, and I really hope that that translates to anybody who’s listening to it, because this track really is about freedom and letting go! We’re all so busy, we’re working hard, and doing our best to make something of our lives, to the point where we sometimes forget to have fun and enjoy ourselves. So I want everyone to put this song on, turn up the volume, and go out into the world and live their best life!
Let’s get liberated with Pixie Lott…
Pixie: (laughs) exactly! And why not? Life can be tough! Every single one of us has been through a difficult situation, or an experience that has changed us, and sometimes, when we come out the other side of a dark time, it’s hard to know how to find our joy again. As a songwriter, my goal is to always try to lift people up, and to bring them into the here and now, so that they can feel present in the moment. Life’s too short to worry about tomorrow, we have to live for today.
When you set out to write an inspirational pop bop like this, how do you get yourself into that positive, joyful headspace and then translate those emotions into something listeners can feel too?
Pixie: I think it’s all about finding, and knowing what makes you happy, and then tapping into that feeling when you’re in the studio. Which is not always easy to do… I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’m an over thinker, and like a lot of people, I can easily get caught up in things that really don’t matter. But luckily I have a creative outlet. Music and performing is something that really helps me to get out of my head, and escape away into my own little world. With this song, and every song I write, I hope I can give people that same sense of escape.
You co-wrote the song with Jacob Attwooll and Bryn Christopher, how was it collaborating with them on new music?
Pixie: It was fantastic! Working with Jacob is the best, we always so much fun writing together! I actually did my last two singles with him – “Coming Of Age” and “good wife” – which I love, so I’m happy that we’re continuing to collaborate on new material. Bryn Christopher is a master at what he does! He is such a talent, and he’s written some incredible dance / pop tracks… I actually went to school with him which is kind of crazy! When the three of us got in the room together, there was this amazing energy that came as soon as we started writing. We set ourselves a goal, and came up with two words that the song had to encapsulate – fun and free! And I think we made good on that. On the surface “Dance Like No One’s Watching” is a fun, upbeat, summer party track! But it has heart, and there’s a message that I’m trying to convey to people and that’s go out there, live your life for you and do things on your own terms!
DANCE LIKE NO ONE’S WATCHING
You let your fans help shape this release from the very beginning. Why did you decide to take that approach, and was it daunting giving up that much creative control?
Pixie: That’s a good question… was it daunting? No, I don’t think so. I think I was just excited at the idea of giving everybody the chance, and opportunity to be a part of my decision making process. I’m making music for the people out there that want to hear it, so I felt like, why not get everyone involved and make these big decisions together! Social media gets a bad rep, and I thought this was a great way to show everyone that we can actually use all of these online platforms for good. So I put the question out there – what style of music do you want to hear from me? And we went from there. I’ve loved this whole process; I definitely want to do it again in the future.
Do you think involving your fans in this way has strengthened the bond you share with them?
Pixie: Aww yeah, I hope it has! Like I just said, I make music for my fans! I am where I am, and I have the career I have because of them, so of course I want them to feel included in what I’m doing. I always want to deliver, and give them what they want! So it’s been brilliant to use things like “polls” on Instagram and talk directly to them about and say “hey, what do you think about this song, or this lyric or this genre of music?” And again, like I just said, a great thing about social media is that us artists can now directly connect with our audience, in a way that we couldn’t before.
Talk to me about the reaction the songs had so far…
Pixie: Oh the reaction has been incredible – both online and in real life! In the comments I’m seeing a lot of people say how much they’re enjoying having a fun, new dance track to party too, and then at my live shows, I’m seeing audiences really get lost in the music. For someone to have an emotional reaction to an uptempo song is very rare, so I’m super, super happy to see that people are connecting with the song on so many different levels. I’m so thrilled we’ve gone in this direction, and created such an uplifting party track, because I just think it’s perfect vibe to explore at this time of year. Honestly, I was beside myself when the vote came in and I knew we were heading back to the dance floor, I’ve missed having a boogie on stage (laughs).
This September marks two years since the release of your critically acclaimed fourth studio album “Encino”. What do you think you’ve learnt most about yourself and the industry in that time?
Pixie: Wow, I can’t believe that!.. 2 years? That’s crazy! Making the “Enicno” album changed everything for me, it was such a special time in my life. I’ve learnt so much about the business in the last couple of years, maybe more than I have throughout my entire career! Which I know is a crazy thing to say when I’ve been doing this (making music) for as long as I have, but because I’m now more hands on, and playing an active role in aspects of my work, I’m seeing first hand all of the things that it takes to “make it” in this industry. I’m having conversations and taking meetings that I was never a part of before, which is understandable because I was so young, but now that I’m older and I have more of a voice, it feels great to have this real sense of ownership over my career. But going back to your question, what have I learnt most about the industry? (Laughs). Gosh, I think maybe the fact that artists themselves have way more overall control nowadays. Back in the day I’d be in the studio, writing all of these songs and working to a set motif, but it was never my decision what songs went on my album or when the music was release. Sometimes you could be waiting around for years for things to happen… and as I’m not a very patient person, I found that quite hard. Nowadays though, I can write a song that I feel captures a moment, and I can release it whenever I want! I love having that freedom, it’s much more creatively fulfilling.
All of the material featured on “Encino”, and your releases since, have been incredibly personal – you’ve developed this beautiful way of telling heartfelt stories through song. How do you feel your writing style has changed since “Turn It Up”?
Pixie: I definitely feel more confident in my writing now, and I think that confidence comes with age – the older you get, the more experience you have, the more you have to say, and the confidence to say it! Collaborating and working with other writers also really helps you to find your style and your process, but at the end of the day you have to believe that what you’re bringing to the table is worthy of being heard. I’ve always liked to write songs that have a message, and I always will, but moving forward I find myself wanting to explore the idea of writing lyrics that are a little bit more directly reflective of where I’m at in my life – topics and situations that feel really real to me.
“Coming Of Age” and “good wife” are great examples of that…
Pixie: Ahh thank you, I love those songs! They’re very different in style, but lyrically they each tell a part of my story. It’s always a cool thing when you write a song that connects the magic of pop music and real life. I think most songwriters aim to share the things they’ve learned in their own lives as a way to connection with people, because really, that’s what music is all about, connection. There are no rules anymore! Nobody can tell you what’s going to land, nobody can predict what’s going to go viral, and that’s the fun of the music industry now, the unknown! So you just have to do what’s right for you, focus on the positive, continue to keep in tune with your audience, and be happy!
As you’ve previously said, your music has always been a reflection of your life, and because of that you’ve spent the last 17 years creating this wonderful musical scrapbook, that will forever tell your story. As you continue to grow and evolve both personally and artistically, how would you best describe this current chapter in your life? And what do you hope its legacy will be?
Pixie: An artists career will always be made up of different chapters and seasons. The mood and vibe of those chapters just depends on the style of music they’re making and releasing at that time.If you look at my discography so far, it really is a reflection of my life, and I love that! Writing “Encino” was a real turning point for me creatively, everything kind of fell into place, and I really began to understand who I wanted to be as an artist moving forward. This next chapter will hopefully just continue to reflect my journey. I’m a wife and a mother now, family will always be my number one, but I’m still a creative person who has dreams and aspirations! I know a lot of people in my situation will feel the same, so I want to empower everyone out there to not hold themselves back and make themselves as priority, in the same way they do their family and loved ones. I always think to myself, what do I stand for? What do I want my story to be? How do I balance family and a career? On some days I have the answers to all of those questions, and some days I don’t, and that’s okay. That’s just life, and we all have to take things one day at a time. There’s still so much that I need to learn, and so much that I don’t know. But I’m feeling empowered by all of the knowledge I’ve gained, and I’m excited to keep things moving forward.
Download / stream “Dance Like No One’s Watching” here
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