{"id":1900389,"date":"2026-04-24T10:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T07:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1900389"},"modified":"2026-04-24T10:57:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T07:57:00","slug":"the-stage-is-my-ring-natanya-is-bringing-wwe-energy-to-pop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1900389","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The stage is my ring\u2019: Natanya is bringing WWE energy to pop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1177\/0-0-1177-784\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443939.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/70139\/1\/natanya-sza-approved-singer-approaching-pop-like-wrestling-london\" data-article-id=\"70139\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-portrait-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img no-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.71\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"F_25-02-2026-22-44-38 (1)\" class=\"img\" height=\"1648\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1177\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443939.jpg\" width=\"1177\"><\/span><\/span><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-04-24T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>\u2018The stage is my ring\u2019: Natanya is bringing WWE energy <span class=\"nowrap\">to pop<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As she releases explosive new single \u2018DON\u2019T ASK!\u2019, the north London singer talks creative reinvention and turning performance into <span class=\"nowrap\">a sport<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-24T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-04-24T10:57:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"24 April 2026\"><span class=\"month\">April<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"24\">24,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/KimiZarateSmit\">Kimi Zarate-Smith<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In the green of Hampstead Heath on one of March\u2019s phantom spring days,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/n4t4nya\/?hl=en-gb\">Natanya<\/a>\u00a0gives me a pep talk. The 23-year-old, north-west London-born songwriter and producer lets me in on some advice she\u2019s given herself: \u201csing like a pop star, perform like a movie star, and train like a wrestler\u201d. \u201cWrestlers and musicians have to do the same thing, and really do it for themselves,\u201d she explains. \u201cFirst, it\u2019s about the brand \u2013 how well can you sell the fantasy? Then, you also have to be really competent, in a very physical sense.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Natanya has had a stellar run over the last few years: she\u2019s supported PinkPantheress, Ravyn Lenae and FLO on tour, collaborated with fellow rising London stars like Unflirt, and most recently, featured on Jim Legaxcy\u2019s latest single \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69983\/1\/best-new-music-2026-cameron-winter-grace-ives-jackzebra\">idk idk\u201d<\/a>. If the stage is a wrestling ring, as Natanya herself insists, then she is a mixed martial artist, dancing between velvety, soul-bearing R&amp;B and propulsive pop ballads that hark back to the early 2000s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Her affinity for nostalgic classics, blended with an internet-native charm, can be traced back to her upbringing: growing up, she trained in classical jazz piano and singing, absorbed her father\u2019s love for Michael Jackson and gospel, while combing through YouTube to discover the trailblazers of 2010\u2019s indie, R&amp;B and pop \u2013 artists like Tyler, The Creator; SZA and Doechii, all of whom she has now received co-signs from on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"yTYltE6GCGs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yTYltE6GCGs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Natanya, while completing her English Literature degree at UCL, released her first EP <\/span><em><span>Sorrow at Sunrise<\/span><\/em><span> in 2023.\u00a0<\/span><span>Her distinctive approach to world-building, however, truly shone on two-part EP <\/span><em><span>Feline\u2019s Return<\/span><\/em><span>,<\/span><span> released\u00a0 across 2024 and 2025. She\u2019s the type of artist to play <\/span><em><span>with<\/span><\/em><span> music \u2014 be it guitar riffs born out of classical R&amp;B, her old-school palette of ad-libs and backing phrases, or the jerk beat on \u201cDangerous\u201d that invokes the spirit of UK rap \u2014 and reorganise her sound track by track.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cI\u2019m chipping at this rock every day in any way I can,\u201d she tells me. \u201cCreativity is much more expensive than perfection.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, as Natanya releases her latest single \u201cDON\u2019T ASK!\u201d, the first from her soon-to-be-announced project, we sit down to unpack this new era in her career, capturing life in motion and her love for WWE.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cDON\u2019T ASK!\u201d feels like a statement of intent. What sparked it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s about confidence, asserting your identity or vision, not being ashamed and not standing last in line waiting to see if someone will let you in. Instead, it\u2019s about bashing the door down, smashing the ceilings. I wanted to start off this new process by just going as crazy as possible and not holding back anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>With a new project on the horizon, how does this next chapter build on what you\u2019ve done so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>This new project is going to be fifty billion times \u2013 okay, maybe don\u2019t write fifty billion down \u2013 but more than ten times better than whatever I\u2019ve done, a graduation from what\u2019s already happened. There is so much power, like a home run. I had a lot of fun with the creativity in <\/span><em><span>Feline\u2019s Return Act II<\/span><\/em><span>, but now I\u2019m taking a left turn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"5335b2b0-63b4-42b7-a7b7-b4350120c112\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443936.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.71\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\" Natanya\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443936.jpg\" width=\"2143\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Natanya<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Are you working with anyone new?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m working with [PinkPantheress collaborator and songwriter] Oscar Scheller. After [Natanya\u2019s 2023 album] <\/span><em><span>Raining Tomorrow<\/span><\/em><span>, he DM\u2019d me about wanting to work together. To be honest, I can be a little bit specific about how I do things, so, I said \u2018not right now\u2019. We finally had a session in London last year. Oscar doesn\u2019t impose any of his ideas; rather, he lets them live for themselves. It\u2019s a good sign when I can just make a noise with my mouth and he knows exactly what sound to get. \u2018DON\u2019T ASK!\u2019 was the first song I made with Oscar. It really sounds like the start of our chemistry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You released <\/strong><strong><em>Sorrow at Sunrise<\/em><\/strong><strong> and jumped straight into <\/strong><strong><em>Feline\u2019s Return<\/em><\/strong><strong> while finishing your degree. What did that experience teach you about the reality of pursuing music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>That you really have to want to do it, because it\u2019s a lot of, quote unquote, \u2018sunk cost\u2019 and \u2018wasted time\u2019. When you&#8217;re trying to create something bigger, you have to dedicate a lot. You also have to give it your all when you have the chance. I could\u2019ve imagined moving forward with my degree by taking a related job, but I knew from that point onwards I wouldn\u2019t have been able to sustain both or excel in both.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>When did you realise that you\u2019ve entered a new phase creatively?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>I know something new is coming up because I\u2019m gaining more perspective. When I read [Michael Jackson\u2019s autobiography] <\/span><em><span>Moonwalker<\/span><\/em><span>, he spoke about how he decided to dress differently for <\/span><em><span>Thriller<\/span><\/em><span>. There wasn\u2019t a plan. Sometimes, you just become disenchanted with the previous rules you\u2019ve made for yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Has your relationship to your influences changed as you\u2019ve grown?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>My family would play Janet Jackson in the house, but I\u2019ve developed my own relationship with her music, dance and visuals. So, my relationship with icons does change. I\u2019ve started comparing my young adult life to those of people I\u2019ve loved. I\u2019m interested in the mundane. I\u2019ve loved Amy [Winehouse] for so long, but I\u2019ve become more interested in the similarities of our north London upbringings. When I was a teenager, I\u2019d go to a lot of the same parks or record stores as her. I\u2019d read bits of her diary and think, \u2018Oh my God, I\u2019ve hung out there!\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"JjGa3fRrgf8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JjGa3fRrgf8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Who are the female figures that shaped that perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>I love pop girls who have this kind of sport-like approach to the way they make music and form their brand. Gwen Stefani\u2019s [rock band] No Doubt is so sporty, so are Nelly Furtado, Janet Jackson and Beyonce. I love how they train, and the way that they choose their aesthetics. They pull from the most random things and translate that through fashion and world-building. Expanding these worlds is like a sport to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve compared wrestling and music before \u2013 what makes them feel so similar to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>Yes! They\u2019re two of the most similar things, wrestling and music. In popular culture, wrestlers and musicians have to do the same thing, and really do it for themselves: firstly, it\u2019s about the brand \u2013 how well can you sell the fantasy? Then, you also have to be really competent too, in a very physical sense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s your WWE bias?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>AJ Lee. I really love the Attitude era. I love this idea of a character that isn\u2019t specifically bad or good, integrating those two parts of yourself, and presenting that to the world. Wrestling is actually super important to this project. I think I\u2019m approaching it like a wrestler.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How does that wrestling mindset shape the way you approach performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>You know Wrestlemania? The stage is my ring. Performing is like a match. You\u2019re combining the things you have trained in \u2013 singing, dancing, communicating \u2013 and you can actually see your fans\u2019 faces. That is where I am most genuine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is it like to receive recognition from artists you once looked up to?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>Very beautiful, especially with Tyler, I cried at one point. <\/span><span>In the midst of everything, you can become really desensitised to the importance of so many of these opportunities. You have to stop and remember what it felt like to be the person who once had no clue how to do what you\u2019re doing right now. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I thought back to a version of myself at 13, dreaming of seeing these artists in concert (because I wasn\u2019t allowed to go), and watching them online. Now, not only can I go and watch them live, but they know who I am, and not only do they know who I am, but they\u2019ve shared my music with people who listen to them. I was once a person who listened to them, so when they shared it, someone else would have been influenced. <\/span><span>And that cycle is crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cDon\u2019t Ask\u201d is out now.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1035-688\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440627.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">The secret history of Black British music<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70096\/1\/silvana-estrada-bad-bunny-is-my-hero-but-latin-america-is-a-continent\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Silvana Estrada for Dazed&#039;s Spring 2026 Issue \" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/104-0-1072-713\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443428.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 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data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"JustinBieberCoachella-HERO\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-84-1156-769\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443309.jpeg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Stop calling Justin Bieber\u2019s Coachella set \u2018lazy\u2019<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>In the green of Hampstead Heath on one of March\u2019s phantom spring days,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/n4t4nya\/?hl=en-gb\">Natanya<\/a>\u00a0gives me a pep talk. The 23-year-old, north-west London-born songwriter and producer lets me in on some advice she\u2019s given herself: \u201csing like a pop star, perform like a movie star, and train like a wrestler\u201d. \u201cWrestlers and musicians have to do the same thing, and really do it for themselves,\u201d she explains. \u201cFirst, it\u2019s about the brand \u2013 how well can you sell the fantasy? Then, you also have to be really competent, in a very physical sense.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Natanya has had a stellar run over the last few years: she\u2019s supported PinkPantheress, Ravyn Lenae and FLO on tour, collaborated with fellow rising London stars like Unflirt, and most recently, featured on Jim Legaxcy\u2019s latest single \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69983\/1\/best-new-music-2026-cameron-winter-grace-ives-jackzebra\">idk idk\u201d<\/a>. If the stage is a wrestling ring, as Natanya herself insists, then she is a mixed martial artist, dancing between velvety, soul-bearing R&amp;B and propulsive pop ballads that hark back to the early 2000s.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Her affinity for nostalgic classics, blended with an internet-native charm, can be traced back to her upbringing: growing up, she trained in classical jazz piano and singing, absorbed her father\u2019s love for Michael Jackson and gospel, while combing through YouTube to discover the trailblazers of 2010\u2019s indie, R&amp;B and pop \u2013 artists like Tyler, The Creator; SZA and Doechii, all of whom she has now received co-signs from on social media.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"yTYltE6GCGs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yTYltE6GCGs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Natanya, while completing her English Literature degree at UCL, released her first EP <\/span><em><span>Sorrow at Sunrise<\/span><\/em><span> in 2023.\u00a0<\/span><span>Her distinctive approach to world-building, however, truly shone on two-part EP <\/span><em><span>Feline\u2019s Return<\/span><\/em><span>,<\/span><span> released\u00a0 across 2024 and 2025. She\u2019s the type of artist to play <\/span><em><span>with<\/span><\/em><span> music \u2014 be it guitar riffs born out of classical R&amp;B, her old-school palette of ad-libs and backing phrases, or the jerk beat on \u201cDangerous\u201d that invokes the spirit of UK rap \u2014 and reorganise her sound track by track.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u201cI\u2019m chipping at this rock every day in any way I can,\u201d she tells me. \u201cCreativity is much more expensive than perfection.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, as Natanya releases her latest single \u201cDON\u2019T ASK!\u201d, the first from her soon-to-be-announced project, we sit down to unpack this new era in her career, capturing life in motion and her love for WWE.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cDON\u2019T ASK!\u201d feels like a statement of intent. What sparked it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s about confidence, asserting your identity or vision, not being ashamed and not standing last in line waiting to see if someone will let you in. Instead, it\u2019s about bashing the door down, smashing the ceilings. I wanted to start off this new process by just going as crazy as possible and not holding back anymore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>With a new project on the horizon, how does this next chapter build on what you\u2019ve done so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>This new project is going to be fifty billion times \u2013 okay, maybe don\u2019t write fifty billion down \u2013 but more than ten times better than whatever I\u2019ve done, a graduation from what\u2019s already happened. There is so much power, like a home run. I had a lot of fun with the creativity in <\/span><em><span>Feline\u2019s Return Act II<\/span><\/em><span>, but now I\u2019m taking a left turn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"5335b2b0-63b4-42b7-a7b7-b4350120c112\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443936.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.71\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\" Natanya\" class=\"img\" height=\"3000\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443936.jpg\" width=\"2143\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Courtesy of Natanya<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Are you working with anyone new?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m working with [PinkPantheress collaborator and songwriter] Oscar Scheller. After [Natanya\u2019s 2023 album] <\/span><em><span>Raining Tomorrow<\/span><\/em><span>, he DM\u2019d me about wanting to work together. To be honest, I can be a little bit specific about how I do things, so, I said \u2018not right now\u2019. We finally had a session in London last year. Oscar doesn\u2019t impose any of his ideas; rather, he lets them live for themselves. It\u2019s a good sign when I can just make a noise with my mouth and he knows exactly what sound to get. \u2018DON\u2019T ASK!\u2019 was the first song I made with Oscar. It really sounds like the start of our chemistry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You released <\/strong><strong><em>Sorrow at Sunrise<\/em><\/strong><strong> and jumped straight into <\/strong><strong><em>Feline\u2019s Return<\/em><\/strong><strong> while finishing your degree. What did that experience teach you about the reality of pursuing music?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>That you really have to want to do it, because it\u2019s a lot of, quote unquote, \u2018sunk cost\u2019 and \u2018wasted time\u2019. When you&#8217;re trying to create something bigger, you have to dedicate a lot. You also have to give it your all when you have the chance. I could\u2019ve imagined moving forward with my degree by taking a related job, but I knew from that point onwards I wouldn\u2019t have been able to sustain both or excel in both.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>When did you realise that you\u2019ve entered a new phase creatively?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>I know something new is coming up because I\u2019m gaining more perspective. When I read [Michael Jackson\u2019s autobiography] <\/span><em><span>Moonwalker<\/span><\/em><span>, he spoke about how he decided to dress differently for <\/span><em><span>Thriller<\/span><\/em><span>. There wasn\u2019t a plan. Sometimes, you just become disenchanted with the previous rules you\u2019ve made for yourself.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Has your relationship to your influences changed as you\u2019ve grown?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Natanya: <\/strong><span>My family would play Janet Jackson in the house, but I\u2019ve developed my own relationship with her music, dance and visuals. So, my relationship with icons does change. I\u2019ve started comparing my young adult life to those of people I\u2019ve loved. I\u2019m interested in the mundane. I\u2019ve loved Amy [Winehouse] for so long, but I\u2019ve become more interested in the similarities of our north London upbringings. When I was a teenager, I\u2019d go to a lot of the same parks or record stores as her. I\u2019d read bits of her diary and think, \u2018Oh my God, I\u2019ve hung out there!\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"JjGa3fRrgf8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JjGa3fRrgf8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Who are the female figures that shaped that perspective?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>I love pop girls who have this kind of sport-like approach to the way they make music and form their brand. Gwen Stefani\u2019s [rock band] No Doubt is so sporty, so are Nelly Furtado, Janet Jackson and Beyonce. I love how they train, and the way that they choose their aesthetics. They pull from the most random things and translate that through fashion and world-building. Expanding these worlds is like a sport to them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You\u2019ve compared wrestling and music before \u2013 what makes them feel so similar to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>Yes! They\u2019re two of the most similar things, wrestling and music. In popular culture, wrestlers and musicians have to do the same thing, and really do it for themselves: firstly, it\u2019s about the brand \u2013 how well can you sell the fantasy? Then, you also have to be really competent too, in a very physical sense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who\u2019s your WWE bias?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>AJ Lee. I really love the Attitude era. I love this idea of a character that isn\u2019t specifically bad or good, integrating those two parts of yourself, and presenting that to the world. Wrestling is actually super important to this project. I think I\u2019m approaching it like a wrestler.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How does that wrestling mindset shape the way you approach performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>You know Wrestlemania? The stage is my ring. Performing is like a match. You\u2019re combining the things you have trained in \u2013 singing, dancing, communicating \u2013 and you can actually see your fans\u2019 faces. That is where I am most genuine.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What is it like to receive recognition from artists you once looked up to?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span><strong>Natanya: <\/strong>Very beautiful, especially with Tyler, I cried at one point. <\/span><span>In the midst of everything, you can become really desensitised to the importance of so many of these opportunities. You have to stop and remember what it felt like to be the person who once had no clue how to do what you\u2019re doing right now. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I thought back to a version of myself at 13, dreaming of seeing these artists in concert (because I wasn\u2019t allowed to go), and watching them online. Now, not only can I go and watch them live, but they know who I am, and not only do they know who I am, but they\u2019ve shared my music with people who listen to them. I was once a person who listened to them, so when they shared it, someone else would have been influenced. <\/span><span>And that cycle is crazy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span>\u201cDon\u2019t Ask\u201d is out now.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/70139\/1\/natanya-sza-approved-singer-approaching-pop-like-wrestling-london&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1177\/0-0-1177-784\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/3\/1443939.jpg&#8221;] April\u00a0 24,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Q+A Music \/ Q+A \u2018The stage is my ring\u2019: Natanya is bringing WWE energy to pop As she releases explosive new single \u2018DON\u2019T ASK!\u2019, the north London singer talks creative reinvention and turning performance into a sport April\u00a0 24,\u00a0 2026 April\u00a0 24,\u00a0 2026 TextKimi Zarate-Smith In the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1900389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1900389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900389\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1900389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1900389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1900389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}