Lily Lane Explores Escapism and Empowerment on “Higher!”

Lily Lane isn’t just a voice — she’s a movement. From soul-drenched ballads to cheeky pop anthems, the East Coast native brings depth, honesty, and sass to everything she touches. Her music speaks to the outcasts, the dreamers, and the unapologetically real — the ones just trying to breathe amid the chaos. With a past rooted in curve modeling and a present filled with powerful, story-driven songwriting, Lily has carved a space that celebrates body positivity, LGBTQ+ pride, and the art of owning your narrative — flaws, weed, glitter, and all.

Her latest single, “Higher!,” is a hazy, hook-filled anthem that ditches perfection and embraces peace. It’s a love letter to letting go — of expectations, of judgment, of the noise. “It’s a cheeky weed anthem, sure,” Lily explains, “but it’s also about mental clarity, about giving yourself grace when the world feels like too much.” The single wraps themes of escapism and empowerment in a Motown-tinted pop groove, proving that healing doesn’t have to be heavy — sometimes, it sounds like soul and smells like sage.

Serving as the final preview before her upcoming EP Domesticated (out November 28), “Higher!” feels like the calm before the storm — or maybe the calm inside the storm. In the same breath, Lily invites you to light up, chill out, and stop apologizing for how you cope. The single radiates the same bold energy that’s landed her sync placements on Netflix, HBO Max, and Pretty Little Liars — and that’s graced stages from Pride festivals to Madison Square Garden. Whether she’s singing an anthem or opening a conversation, Lily Lane is always pushing the culture forward with wit, warmth, and wicked vocals.

We caught up with Lily to talk about the inspiration behind “Higher!,” balancing rebellion with reflection, and how she’s redefining what it means to be Domesticated. From sync deals to self-care, nothing’s off limits — and she holds nothing back.

Exposed Vocals: “Higher!” tackles the idea of finding peace in the chaos. What inspired the song, and how does it reflect your personal coping strategies?
Lily Lane:
The song was inspired by me and all my friends feeling completely overwhelmed and discouraged by the state of the world. I kept ruminating on that line, “can any person take it all the time,” because honestly… can we? Can any one person live this life without going crazy or needing some kind of help or vice to just chill out? For me it’s weed and I know for other people it’s a drink or meditation or whatever. The point is not to punish yourself for whatever you need to stay grounded. We’re living in unprecedented times and everyone is just doing their best. “Higher!” is me admitting that out loud and giving myself permission to breathe.

Exposed Vocals: You describe the track as both an escapist weed anthem and a cheeky “touch grass” moment. How important is humor in how you express deeper themes?
Lily Lane:
Humor is huge for me, especially when I’m talking about heavier themes. I feel things really intensely, so sometimes the only way to get the truth out is to wrap it in a wink or a little bit of self-aware drama. “Higher!” is definitely an escapist weed anthem, but it’s also me telling myself to touch grass, breathe, and not take every single spiral so seriously. I think humor makes honesty easier to digest. It softens the blow without hiding the message. If I can make you smile and still make you feel something real, then I’ve done my job.

Exposed Vocals: With Domesticated set to release soon, how does “Higher!” fit into the larger story or vibe of the EP?
Lily Lane:
“Higher!” fits into the Domesticated era sonically because it has that same throwback type of beat and lyrically it reinforces the idea that not everything is perfect and put-together all the time even as a wife. The whole point of Domesticated is that adulthood and stability can look however you want them to look. For me, sometimes that looks like a joint and a moment to breathe before I deal with real life again. “Higher!” is part of the messy, honest side of being grown. It’s me admitting I still get overwhelmed and need my own way of calming down. It sits in the same universe as Domesticated because it’s all about choosing what works for you, not what the world expects an “adult” or a “domesticated woman” to look like.

Exposed Vocals: From “Cry Baby” to “Don’t Stop,” your music often embraces emotional complexity. Do you write songs as therapy, rebellion, or both?
Lily Lane:
Honestly, it’s both. I definitely write as therapy because I feel everything at full volume and music is the only place I can sort through it without judging myself. But there’s also a real sense of rebellion in it. Writing songs is my way of saying I’m not going to shrink myself, I’m not going to pretend I’m fine, and I’m not going to follow whatever “rules” people think a woman should follow emotionally. “Cry Baby” was me owning my softness. “Don’t Stop” was me owning my confidence. Every song sits somewhere between healing and defiance. It’s therapy with eyeliner and a bit of attitude.

Exposed Vocals: You’ve had some amazing sync placements—Netflix, HBO Max, Pretty Little Liars. How does it feel to see your music woven into pop culture like that?
Lily Lane:
It honestly feels unbelievable and unexpected every time. I do not take placements like that for granted. Seeing my songs woven into ads or shows on Netflix or Peacock or even Pretty Little Liars still blows my mind. I wrote so many of those early songs in my bedroom just trying to survive my own emotions, and then suddenly they’re part of a story so much bigger than my own, part of pop culture and meaning something different to each person who hears them. The fact that something I created can live in those worlds and add color and emotion to them and reach people who would’ve never found me otherwise is wild and really validating. It’s one of my favorite parts of being an artist. I recently got a sync on the show Married to Medicine that had my song playing under a montage of Kamala Harris in DC — it feels like being part of history in some small way.

Exposed Vocals: You used to model with Wilhelmina as a Curve model—how has that experience shaped your confidence as a performer and songwriter?
Lily Lane:
Modeling with Wilhelmina as a Curve model definitely taught me a lot and introduced me to some of the most inspiring women I know and love to this day. It taught me how to be confident in rooms where I didn’t always feel confident. It showed me how to take up space even when my brain was screaming not to. And it gave me a really early education in rejection, resilience, and knowing my worth outside of what anyone thinks I “should” look like. As a performer and songwriter, that experience made me bolder. It taught me that vulnerability and confidence can happen at the same time, and that the most powerful thing you can do on stage or in a song is show up exactly as you are. It made me trust my instincts, trust my voice, and stop waiting for permission to be the main character in my own work.

Exposed Vocals: Your performances range from West Hollywood Pride to Madison Square Garden. How do you channel your energy for such different stages and audiences?
Lily Lane:
For me it is all about the set list and tailoring my energy, my look, and the whole vibe to the audience. It is still me, but it is the version of me I know they can receive and feel safe with. At Madison Square Garden, singing the national anthem for the Knicks, that meant keeping it traditional and not doing too much. People want to get to the game, and there are families and viewers of all ages watching, so I dressed a little more modestly and focused on delivering something clean, respectful, and strong. At WeHo Pride, it is the complete opposite. That is where I put my most danceable, joyful songs in the set and skip the darker ballads. It is about being fun and wild and free so everyone there to celebrate their sexuality and their freedom feels like they can do the same.

Exposed Vocals: Your lyrics and persona are very body-positive and LGBTQ+ inclusive. What role does advocacy play in your artistry?
Lily Lane:
Advocacy is built into who I am, so it naturally shows up in my artistry. I live in a big body, and my experience in plus size modeling and entertainment, along with the amazing people I met in those spaces, shaped me. They inspired my art and gave me the love and confidence to know my work deserved to be heard no matter what I looked like, not even but especially if I didn’t look like everyone else. Every time I perform in queer spaces, I’m surrounded by people who make me feel safe, celebrated, and understood, so being body positive and LGBTQ+ inclusive isn’t something I put on. It’s who raised me creatively and who I am. My job as an artist is to make people feel seen, not judged. If my lyrics or my shows give someone even an inch more confidence or comfort in their own skin, that means everything to me. I want my world to be a place where everyone is invited to show up exactly as they are and be celebrated for it.

Exposed Vocals: Musically, who are your biggest influences—either growing up or right now?
Lily Lane:
I grew up on a mix of classic soul pop powerhouses. The vintage side of my taste came from listening to a lot of Motown and 60’s era music so voices like Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, and Nancy Sinatra shaped me early on. And then I was that kid belting along to the 2000s vocal queens — Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Kelly Clarkson — anyone who wasn’t afraid of a big emotional chorus. These days I’m really drawn to artists who fuse soulfulness with sharp, modern storytelling. Amy Winehouse will always be a touchstone for me, and writers like Amy Allen and Julia Michaels have influenced the way I approach honesty and conversational lyrics. I also take a lot of inspiration from artists like RAYE and Olivia Dean.

Exposed Vocals: What do you hope fans take away from “Higher!” and from Domesticated as a whole?
Lily Lane:
With “Higher!” I hope people feel permission to breathe. It’s a song about admitting you’re overwhelmed and giving yourself grace instead of judgment. If it helps someone feel less alone in their coping mechanisms or a little lighter in the middle of the chaos, that’s all I could ever want. With Domesticated as a whole, I want people to realize that adulthood, love, stability, and “having your life together” can look however you want them to look. There’s no one right way to be grown. There’s no perfect version of being settled. It’s messy and personal and shaped by whatever keeps you grounded. This is how I adult, and I support you in however you do.

Whether she’s performing for thousands or writing alone in her bedroom, Lily Lane shows up with heart, humor, and a little hell-yeah energy. “Higher!” may be a stoner anthem on the surface, but at its core, it’s about release — from expectations, judgment, and the need to have it all together. With Domesticated on the way, Lane continues to challenge outdated definitions of womanhood and adulthood, trading perfection for presence. And that’s the kind of elevation we could all use.

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