Chloe Qisha talks new music, Addison Rae and what a ‘Modern Romance’ summer would look like

Picture this: you sit down to have a quick catch up with one of Rolling Stone UK’s Future of Music 2025 cover stars and the heavens quite literally open and bestow upon you 7 minutes of the potentially heaviest downpour of the year. This was the outcome when we met Chloe Qisha at London’s BST Hyde Park.

You were the cover star of Rolling Stone UK’s Future of Music 2025 list in March – what have you been up to since then? What has changed since that moment?

So much. I’m always shocked to think back to the Rolling Stone UK cover. I still have it pinned on my Instagram because it is my pride and joy. It’s a constant reminder every time I see it that so much has happened, obviously my first festival season has started. It’s been wonderful. [I’m] going through a lot of firsts, which has been nice and have just released an EP as well, which is great. I think you’re always writing for new music as an artist as well, so we’re also looking towards the future and, very soon, new projects will be in the world.

Are we looking at an album any time soon, or are we focusing on the EPs, getting to know people, what’s the vibe?

There is potentially a larger project in the works. I cannot confirm or deny at this current stage, but, yes, new music, nonetheless, is being written as we speak.

(At this point in the interview we both apologise for the rain, as if it is either of our faults.)

This is your first time first playing BST Hyde Park. You’re performing on the Rainbow Stage. I remember seeing The Last Dinner Party on that stage for the Lana [Del Rey] show.

Yeah, it’s quite a big stage…

It’s the one that catches people as they’re about to absolutely take off. Today’s BST Hyde Park day is an all-women line up – are you excited to be amongst so many amazing women?

It’s great, right? It is such a dream. We were just soundtracking earlier today. It’s a wonderful stage. I was just thinking when I was getting ready just now, like it’s so rare to have such an intimate artist area bit behind the stage and it’s all women, and it’s all like super talented, girl bosses, we are absolutely killing it in their sort of pop space. What a privilege and what a joy to sort of share this day with them, despite the rain. I think if there’s people to kill it in the rain, it would surely be a bunch of girlie pops.

We want to see Sabrina Carpenter perform ‘Espresso’ even in the rain, right? Speaking of Sabrina, what is your favourite Sabrina song?

That’s hard! Theres so many. Oh, you know what? I’m actually going to go with my OG. I got into Sabrina in the ‘Nonsense’ era. I just remember hearing ‘Nonsense’ and ‘Feather’ for the first time, and I was like, oh my God, she’s just like transformed. It was like the music was immediately so captivating and had such an identity. I’m such a visual artist and I think the visual, for me, was so strong. I still look back at that whole album [Emails I Can’t Send] like, ooh, it’s so beautiful, it’s so tight. Everything’s just wonderful. So, I’m going to go with ‘Nonsense’.

Song of the summer besides ‘21st Century Cool Girl’, because that’s my song of the summer.

Oh, this is also so difficult. I’m trying to think about like, what’s come up out. Anything Addison [Rae].

I knew you were about to say that!

I was literally just listening to her. I’m going to have to give it to ‘Diet Pepsi’ or what’s the other one I really love? Honestly, like that whole album, gorgeous. Elvira [Anderfjärd], Luca [Kloser] and Addison, you have just absolutely smashed it out of the park. It’s some proper magic I feel. Absolute magic, and then again, the visual is so beautiful. It’s translated to live perfectly as well. I love to see it.

OK, my final question – I’m trying to drag this on until the rain ends. You recently released your second EP Modern Romance. Inspired by last year’s brat summer what would a Modern Romance summer look like?

A Modern Romance summer? I don’t know, you know, it’s funny because I feel like she’s been out for ages, but then also she’s not been out like two seconds as well. I think I’m still living her and I’m still trying to see what she means. I know what she means to me, but I don’t know what she means to people yet, and I still am excited for people to explore and find her. But so far, it’s having a lot of fun, but also, taking time for yourself. Good breaks, make sure you book a holiday, take that annual leave, sweetie. We love an early night in bed with the cats early and just watching a good movie or Overcompensating.

You can read Chloe Qisha’s full Rolling Stone UK Future of Music cover story here.