Zolita’s “Fight Like a Girl” is a love letter to LGBTQ women

Zolita is the feminist musician we all need in our lives. Her newest single, “Fight Like a Girl,” is all about embracing feminism and fighting for gender equality.

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Growing up straight-passing but finding attraction towards women, Zolita felt like she could never truly express who she was. She didn’t grow up with many LGBTQ role models who were represented in the mainstream media, so she had to figure out a way to be her own role model.

Through a lot of confidence building and self-love, Zolita has achieved the status of absolute badass-ery, and she is definitely someone young girls (or girls of any age) can look up to, especially if they need help being confident in their identities.

How did you find your voice in a world that is heterosexual and male-dominated?

All of the brave female and LGBTQ artists and public figures that came before me really helped me find my voice. Watching other LGBTQ artists speak out and take up space was extremely influential.

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What is your idea of fighting like a girl?

To me, “fighting like a girl” means fighting with your mind and feminine magic rather than fighting with physical violence. Fighting like a girl means not stooping to the opposition’s level.

What were some times in your life where you felt like you had to fight for your existence?

I think the very act of being a female artist is a constant fight. People don’t want to listen, they doubt you, lump you in a single category with all other female artists, and try to control you. I feel like I’m either criticized for over-sexualizing myself or criticized for not being sexy enough. And as a hyper-femme gay woman, I feel like I have to constantly fight to be taken seriously by the LGBTQ community and by the general population around me.

What was your environment like growing up? Did you ever feel out of place?

I grew up in Calabasas. I definitely felt out of place in high school. The friend groups I was initially a part of revolved solely around boys and parties. And most of the photography and film work coming out of my classes was extremely hetero and sometimes blatantly misogynist. I was lucky though, because my parents are both in creative industries and really supported me and influenced my work. They’re not from America, so I think they felt a out of place in Calabasas too. Towards the end of high school, I eventually found a close group of friends I really connected with. I even came out to two of those friends before I left for college.

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What audience do you hope your music will reach?

I mostly hope that my music will reach young LGBTQ people around the world who feel like their identities are constantly being challenged and invalidated. I want my music to normalize their experiences, I want my music to empower them. But I also hope my music will be heard by people who are not like me, people who might feel uncomfortable with the subject matter. I hope my music normalizes and humanizes LGBTQ experiences for them too. I was recently in the south and played “Fight Like a Girl” for some women there who lean more conservative, and they all really loved it and loved the message. I’m hoping for more instances like that.

Where does most of your inspiration stem from?

My inspiration stems from a lot of places. It stems from my experiences as a gay woman, it stems from living in New York City, it stems from unrequited love, failed relationships, and successful ones. I’m also extremely inspired by all of the artists I collaborate with on my videos.

What are some tips on helping girls grow and be comfortable with themselves?

I struggled with self-confidence and body consciousness for a very long time. Any creative outlet- writing music, making videos, photography, dancing – always helped me because creating made me feel like I was doing something beyond myself. Another thing that really helped me, especially with body-acceptance, was kundalini yoga. I started practicing about two years ago and it almost instantly blessed me with a kind of body-love I had never had before. You don’t have to do kundalini to find this, but I’d say finding some sort of meditative practice is really helpful. Build self-reverence. And remember that no one else on this earth has the voice, the vision, and the mind that was given to you – so use it!

Where do you want to go from here?

I want to go on a world tour, meet all of my incredible fans, and make 100 more music videos!

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