Caity Baser, Gen-Z’s new voice with no filter.

It’s not even been a year and a half since Southampton-born singer-songwriter Baser dropped her debut mixtape, Lil CB, and her name is already in a lot of people’s mouths. Immediate comparisons surrounding the rising star drew to Lily Allen due to her ability to sing in a British accent and working closely with Future Cut, who produced a number of songs on Allen’s debut album. While Baser has an identity of her own, if there’s one thing that she and Allen also have in common, it’s their no-fucks-given attitude and their confidence to sing about topics that others are cautious to preach about.

Comparisons aside, Baser’s material has been speaking for itself. In fact, it has been speaking to today’s young generation of teens who feel very connected to her music. On TikTok, where many first discovered her, she is not far off from half a million followers and has already gained over 11 million likes from her posts. Some of her most noteworthy tunes include “STD,” a song where Baser calls out an ex who cheated on her with multiple women while singing over a reggae-infused beat, and “Friendly Sex,” a catchy whistle number where she confesses to falling for a friend who she had regular hookups with. Her most recent offering, “X&Y,” hears Baser questioning why she ever put up with an ex who she never wants to hear from ever again.

The 20-year-old is not just an online sensation, though. Her debut appearance at Reading and Leeds festival this past summer brought in the biggest crowds on the BBC introducing stage that whole weekend, which was swiftly followed up with a completely sold-out UK tour. Just last week, she performed two special shows at XOYO, both of which sold out in five minutes.

With this much success so early on, it’s inevitable that Baser’s popularity is only going to keep growing. As one to clearly keep a close eye on, 1883 caught up with the singer to discuss the crazy past few months, her next single, and where she hopes to see her career in the following years.

I guess an obvious question would be, how’s life right now? The past few months have been crazy for you.

It’s been like a dream. It’s unreal. Like, it doesn’t even feel real. I keep saying, I keep thinking like someone’s gonna be like… ‘Kidding! That was all a prank!’ It’s been great. I’m loving it. The best thing ever.

You are gearing up for the release of your new single, “Kiss You,” on November 25, and performed the track for the first time at your recent two sold-out shows at XOYO. How did you feel about the crowd’s reception to the song?

IT WAS AMAZING! The room was literally buzzing, I felt like I was floating. It was a dream. I even kissed someone during it, I got so excited.

What inspired you to write this song?

It’s basically about not being in love with someone but just having this lust to want someone so bad and just wanna kiss them. Like stop talking please and just kiss me!

Production-wise, it sounds like one of your biggest to date. Who did you work on this song with

AHH! It’s with my boys Charlie and Joe from The Nocturns, they’re so so sick! We had so much fun recording it as you can probably hear! I can’t wait for everyone to listen and love it as much as I do.

A lot of the music your fans have grown to love has been produced with Future Cut, who have a history of making hits. How did you come to meet and work so closely with them?

Well, it was after I posted one TikTok video that blew up. I then met my manager through that and then I went to meet my management and they were like, ‘Oh we’re gonna put in a studio with these guys called Future Cut.’ I had my first session with them and never left basically. I’m with them today, actually!

You write songs from personal experiences and have previously said that the people you’ve written songs about know it’s about them. This is a bit of a geeky question, but, in “STD,” are the people your ex-boyfriend cheated actually called Molly, Libby, and Sophie, or did it just rhyme?

Well, it kind of rhymed and it felt good. Do you know what I mean? [laughs] Future Cut was like, ‘Oh like Linda and Sue’ and I was like ‘Who the fuck is Linda and Sue?! No one is called that!’ I said Molly, Libby, and Sophie and they were like, yeah, that’s sick.

Your most recent singles, “X&Y” and “Friendly Sex,” have become some of your most popular on streaming services. Can it be addictive watching and analysing the numbers?

When I first release a song, I would be refreshing my artist profile every single 10 minutes just to see what was going on. And then after it gets to like a month since I’ve released it, I kind of relax on it a little bit. I still look at how many people are listening right now and what are my top countries. It gets addictive, of course I want to know.

You can also see what playlists people have made and included you in. That’s super cool.

Yeah, my favourite one I got added to it was like, “Fuck the world, you’re a bad bitch.”

Mine are so boring, they’re literally just the name of seasons and whatnot.

Mine are so specific for the certain moods that I have. I’ve got one called “Crying over a boy I haven’t met yet.” [laughs] And then I’ve got another one called “Wine drunk and shaking my ass.”

With all this new music that you’ve been putting out this year, does that mean they are going to be a part of a much bigger project? 

I don’t know… Maybe… very potentially, but also maybe not really. Who knows?

Are there songs you have purposely been saving for another project?

See the thing is with me, if I had it my way, I’d have released all my songs already. Do you know what I mean? I think if I do release an EP or something, I won’t think, ‘Oh yeah, these should just be album songs and these should be singles’ because I just love them all so much. I won’t release a song that I don’t feel super passionate about. But, there are a few songs that I’ve been working on while I’ve been in the studio every day over the past three weeks and I have made some absolute bangers.

Do you find that most studio sessions are successful where you get a lot out of them? Or are there times when you have a week where you don’t really feel like you’ve come out with much?

Yeah, a hundred percent. I sometimes feel like I’m shit at music and question why am I even doing it. And then I will come in the next day and make three songs in three hours, do you know what I mean? It’s just different. Because I’m now a lot busier, I only really work with the people that I’ve worked with before and the people that I know, which is cool. They all just kind of know me now and it’s no bullshit and super easy.

How did you feel about the reception of your debut mixtape, Lil CB? After attending your live shows, it was amazing to see how fans have really resonated with the record and learned the words of every song.

Oh my god, yeah. Even now when I do my shows, ‘m just like, ‘What are all these people doing here? You’re not here to see me! And then I’m like, ‘Wait, nobody’s coming out after me. You’re all here to see me!’ The fact that people know every word of my songs as well literally blows my mind. It’s so ridiculous. And they’re all nuts. My fans are just crazy.

Quite early on you drew comparisons to people like Lily Allen likely because of the Future Cut connection and the fact that you both sing in a British accent, hailing you as the Gen-Z Lily Allen. Who would you personally say are your biggest influences?

I have a few like The Carpenters because of their harmonies and structure and stuff. I also love Etta James, Billie Holiday, Luther Vandross, and that sort of shit. And then I also love Rizzle Kicks, Lily Allen, Kate Nash, and The Streets. I love techno, I love anything that makes me feel ‘WOOO!’ I try to get that feeling into my music, whether that’s a British accent or a funny lyric kind of thing.

And lastly, what is the ultimate pop star dream? Are you dreaming big?

Yes! Why wouldn’t you?! I wanna be the biggest superstar in the whole wide world ever, that’s my dream. I want my face to be absolutely everywhere and for everyone to know my songs.  I want people to look at me and think they can just come up to me and think of me as their mate. I wanna have the biggest, most successful arena-selling tour ever.

Maybe your press release should say you are the Gen-Z Adele instead!

Yes, thank you! That’s a really good one.

X&Y and Friendly Sex are out now, follow Caity Baser via @caitybaser

Interview Fabio Magnocavallo

Live photos at XOYO by Jack Beadle