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Lily Lane isn’t just a music artist; she’s a whole vibe. Blending soul-soaked vocals with sprinkles of pop and a cinematic retro-noir flair, the East Coast native is creating her own lane (no pun intended) as a bold performer and unapologetic advocate for body positivity, women, and LGBTQ+ rights. A former Wilhelmina Curve model turned soul-pop powerhouse, she pairs glamour with grit, crafting songs that feel like late-night confessions wrapped in big hooks and bigger feelings. Her upcoming EP, Domesticated (out November 28), explores the fun, sexy, and sometimes frustrating realities of life after “happily ever after”. From the sultry, Y2K-inspired “Don’t Stop” to the Motown-meets-modern bite of “Reciprocation”, Lily taps into escapism, desire, and emotional honesty in a way that feels both nostalgic and current.

With her new single “Higher!”, Lily sings about burnout and the art of coming back to yourself. It’s lighthearted, self-aware, and just rebellious enough, capturing the playful edge that runs through her music and the world she’s building around it. StarShine caught up with Lily to talk about her evolving sound and the journey from teen tours to creative rebirth.

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How would you describe the sonic world of Lily Lane today compared to when you started?

In the beginning, during my “Nothin’ But Trouble” era, my sound was a bit safer and more contained. I was deep in my teenage feelings, but I held back in my vocal style. As I’ve grown, I’ve learned how to actually unleash my voice and show everything I can do. I used to be scared of doing too much. Now I know I’m too much for some people, and I fully lean into it.

Today the Lily Lane world feels bigger, richer, and more fearless. It still has that old Hollywood noir and retro Motown energy, but it doesn’t stay there. It moves between pop and soul and rock and dance. I don’t feel confined by genre or even by medium anymore. It all leads back to the music, but it isn’t just about the music. It’s the messaging, the visuals, the live performance, the storytelling, the whole universe. The sound feels deeper and more textured because it exists alongside the world I’m building around it.

What inspired you to pursue music professionally, and what moment made you feel like, “Okay, this is really happening”?

Honestly, I always wanted to pursue music professionally. It never felt like a question for me. It was the one thing that felt natural and meant for me from the beginning. It was never about convincing myself. It was more about convincing other people to let me do it and to take me seriously. Once I finally had the independence and opportunity to follow that passion, everything else fell into place.

My first real “OMG it’s happening” moment was when my music first took on a life of its own. I started writing just to get my feelings out and express myself, but when I got my first big sync—NBT was featured on Pretty Little Liars, a show I had literally been watching in high school a few years earlier—everything shifted.

Seeing my music help tell someone else’s story and then watching people from all over the world find it and connect to it made me think, whoa… this is it. It was the first time I realized my songs could live beyond me and actually matter to people I had never met. That was the moment it stopped feeling like a dream and started feeling real and feasible and like other people were agreeing this was what I was meant to do.

When you create music, do you typically start with the story, the mood, or the melody?

I’m super emotion-driven, so the mood shows up first and everything else follows. Sometimes it’s a line that comes to me that I write in a note on my phone and keep coming back to. Sometimes it’s a melody that feels like my mood in sound form or is already stuck in my head before I’ve turned it into something. But it always starts with the emotional temperature of whatever I’m going through. I try to be honest with myself because I think that makes the best songs.

Tell us about your new single “Higher!”

“Higher!” is about hitting that point where life, pressure, opinions, and your own brain get so loud that the only way out is up. It is a soul-pop record with retro energy that still feels very modern in the way it talks about burnout, self-regulation, and trying to stay grounded when everything around you feels chaotic. At its core, it is about giving yourself grace and not beating yourself up for whatever you need to do to be your best self. Sometimes rising above takes a little boost, a little breath, a little ritual that gets you back to center. “Higher!” is me admitting that and giving you the perfect bop to do the same.

Favorite Holiday Memory: “Going to see the Nutcracker at the Boston Ballet as a little girl.”– Lily Lane

What’s a lyric you’ve written that still hits you every time you perform it?

In “Nothin’ But Trouble”, “Even your friends say that I’m blind”. Every time I sing it, I still get that blush/secondhand embarrassment when you realize even HIS friends want better for you. It drives me crazy that at one point I didn’t want better for myself—I just wanted trouble.

Who were some of your earliest musical influences, and who are you feeling creatively inspired by right now?

Some of my earliest musical influences were the women I grew up obsessing over in that pop-soul, retro-leaning world. I was inspired by Motown and old Hollywood from day one, especially artists like Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, and Nancy Sinatra. And on the pop side, I loved the big vocal, big storytelling girlies like Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and Kelly Clarkson, and that whole early 2000s universe that was never afraid to be dramatic and emotional. More recently, I’ve gravitated toward artists who blend soul, pop, and sharp lyrical storytelling in a modern way. Amy Winehouse has always been huge for me, along with writers like Amy Allen and Julia Michaels who make honesty feel clever and conversational. And I love anything Raye does.

What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in the music industry, and how did you overcome it?

Probably the biggest challenge was getting dropped by everyone I was working with as a teen and having to start over. I went from touring with Big Time Rush and Cody Simpson to suddenly being back in college trying to figure out who I was without a team telling me what to do or who to be. It was a huge identity reset, but it gave me the opportunity to find myself—which I think everyone needs in young adulthood.

I had to figure out what I actually wanted, what my voice sounded like when no one else was shaping it, and who Lily Lane really was. Once I stopped chasing someone else’s version of me and started creating my own, everything clicked. That’s the moment I became the artist I am now.

Anything else we should look out for?

My EP, Domesticated, comes out at the end of November with some new music on there and lots of new visuals on the way, as well as performances. Get ready to see this project on stage because I’m going to be touring it in 2026!

What message do you have for your fans and future fans out there?

I want people to know they are welcome and appreciated in this world I’m building. My music comes from real feelings and real growth, and if it makes you feel seen in any way, that means everything to me. Also, you don’t have to connect with every song. I just want you to give the music a chance and find the era that feels like you. Maybe you’re a Queen of Hearts person navigating heartbreak with your besties, maybe you’re in your Domesticated era,

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