Isa doesn’t restrict herself to being either one or the other. Under the name Purity Princess, she produces music that is both soft and intense, influenced by both trap and ambient. These contrasts also become evident in the collages she makes or her appearance as a model. The latter she confidently showed in the shoot of our new VENUS collection. Describing herself as bouncy but disciplined and embracing both feminine and masculine energy, Isa invites us into her world in the interview below. 

Could you describe yourself as your (real or fictional) lover would? 
I can lose myself in the passion of another, like if you’d tell me you like something I’d go out and get it for you. So I think my partner would describe me as sweet, but also as someone who needs to indicate her boundaries. I’m also very bouncy and happy, but I’m also disciplined and always try to be number one. 

You produce music under the name Purity Princess. Could you tell me a bit more about the name?
I’ve been making music for 3 years started out with music that’s quite rebel-ish, a bit bad but also fairytale-like. Because I’m half Surinamese, my skin is caramel coloured so somebody named me Caramel Princess. Then I found a plug-in called Purity, which is often used by producers and lead to the name Purity Princess, which I gave to myself. Afterwards, it became a symbol for purification - which music is to me. 

Many of your tunes clash dark sounds with more ambient notes, the rebel with the fairytale as you said. Why combine these different sounds?
I started out by making trap because that was done in my surrounding. It’s a very male-dominated industry which can be very intimidating. After I while, I noticed I was more attracted to calm sounds, more ambient music. I also realised I had to switch from making music for others to making music for myself. Now my music translates how I feel, I made some pretty angry music during a hard time. But, I found more peace and am now attracted to creating calmer music. 

Could you translate your music into words? 
I’d describe it as a soft bed, something sneaks up on you and pampers you. I’m currently working on a release that’s meditation-like, something that calms but simultaneously touches by being intense. 

What does femininity mean to you, personally? 
I see femininity as a power. I believe we have masculine and feminine energy - which doesn’t mean that you are one or the other. Especially within the male-dominated music industry, I used to feel weak within my femininity. But I see now that embracing it only made me stronger. Binary gender is also a very western or Cristian thing, there are so many other religions in which it’s more normal to have multiple genders. In certain Surinamese religions, you get energy from your ancestors, which can be both masculine and feminine, allowing people to embrace both. 

And what role does fashion or appearance play in your expression of femininity?
If I feel more feminine, I’ll dress more feminine and the other way around. So my choice of clothing is dictated by how I feel, but I prefer to not dress according to gender altogether.

You also share yourself and your work on Instagram, what do you think of the platform as a space for self-expression? 
It brought me a lot of good things, allowed me to find my own group which I otherwise wouldn't have. But the lockdown puts so much pressure on presenting yourself on social media. I spend hours on my phone, and I don’t think I’m the only one. We’re too focussed on creating an image of ourselves, we’re so worried about how we present ourselves. The way Instagram is positioned now it’s almost like LinkedIn. I wouldn’t be so worried about it if the algorithm wasn’t built on likes, interactions, etc. I just want to post what I want to post and have my friends see it without having to push likes.

Do you have any offline self-care rituals to get yourself through the lockdown?
I’m working on a yearly planning, not a specific day-to-day thing, but a broader month-to-month planning. It may sound lame, but it gives me control over myself and allows me to properly get some rest. If I can plan moments of rest, I can fully rest in those moments without feeling guilty.  

Photography: Sascha Luna
MUA: Samuel
Model: Isa