QSC Aspiring Interview: VICTORIA on X Factor, Eurovision, ‘Pity Party’ and writing dark pop

Bulgarian music fans will immediately recognise singer and songwriter VICTORIA, who rose in popularity after participating in the 4th season of X Factor Bulgaria, before going on to become the 2020 Bulgarian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, with a song tipped as the favourite to win. The singer-songwriter catches up with Headliner to explain how her TV experiences have led her to trust her gut and make music her own way, why she always comes back to dark pop, and reveals the inspiration behind her new single, Pity Party.

What stands out to you in terms of your early memories of music?

I've loved music since I was young. I have a sister, and she used to sing when she was younger, and she's always been a role model for me; I've always wanted to be like her in some kind of way. She stopped singing because she had to move away from Bulgaria, and I felt really lonely when she moved, so I was like, ‘Maybe I should do something with music’, because I needed to fill this gap. I started taking music lessons and vocal-coach lessons. I didn't know if I could sing back then. But I was like, ‘That's my dream, and I want to do it’.

I was a really big fan of Hannah Montana when I was little, and I wanted to be like her. So I was like, ‘Why not try singing and see what happens?’ I started to enter some music competitions, and I started winning first prizes. Then I decided to go on the X Factor. I was rejected a couple of times, and the fourth time, they said yes, and I went on the show. That's how it all started. I understood from that moment that this was going to be my life. There was nothing else that I wanted to do.

Who is the first artist you can remember having an impact on you?

I was obsessed with Adam Lambert, Miley Cyrus and Christina Aguilera, and I was a big fan of Evanescence. I quite liked rock music when I was a teenager.

What was on your Spotify Wrapped at the end of 2024?

It was Benson Boone. I got obsessed with him last year. In the summer, I was listening to his album a lot. I went to his concert in Poland and I met him, and he was the sweetest, kindest human. It was very exciting to connect with such a big star.

Are you into any music that might surprise people, that’s totally different to the kind of music you make?

That's an interesting question. I actually don't listen to pop music that much, which is interesting, because I do pop music. I listen to funk, jazz and disco. I like instrumental music. Sometimes I like soundtracks from movies, because that's where I get my inspiration from.

Have any soundtracks stood out to you recently?

I really like The White Lotus. I haven’t seen the new series yet, because when I start watching a new season of something and not all of the episodes are out, I get very impatient! I prefer to wait until they upload all of the episodes. There is a Bulgarian actor in the new season too, which is exciting.

You mentioned your time on the X Factor Bulgaria. Did you learn anything about yourself, the music industry, or the music you wanted to make?

It feels like it was so long ago. The X Factor was the beginning of my career. I ended up in sixth place, but I learned what I wanted to be, and what I didn’t want to be, because they put you in situations where you have to sing songs that you don't really like sometimes. 

That's how I learned to stand up for what I want, and that helped me a lot, because you can get lost very easily because people will tell you, ‘You have to do this, and you have to be this type of person or artist’. Sometimes when people want to achieve their dreams, they will listen to these people, and they don't trust their gut. So I've learned to trust my gut.

What type of artist did they try to market you as on the show?

I was compared to Adele, and they were trying to put me in those shoes. I had to sing most of her songs. I was a big fan, so I didn't mind, but it's cool to have your own personality.

What direction did your songwriting take after leaving the show with a clearer vision of your own artistry?

In my country, it's really weird, because people don't teach you how to write your own music. I didn't know what kind of music I wanted to do. I just wanted to make music, but I didn't know how. 

I signed to a Bulgarian label after the X Factor, and they started writing music for me – they didn't really let me try to learn. Then I got stuck in a vicious circle. I was like, ‘I need to get out of here and do it by myself’. I needed to discover if I could write music and if I could be an artist. 

After the X Factor, I was just a performer, just a singer, and I wanted to be an artist. After I left the label, I started on my own with my manager. She was like, ‘I want to make you a star, and I will do anything I can to help you’. She wasn't in the business in general then. She had another business, but we were friends, and she was like, ‘Let's try it. We won't lose anything’. 

Because of her, I started writing my own music. I was invited to a songwriting camp in Bulgaria with Swedish songwriters and producers, and that's how my journey with songwriting started, and is how I started to discover myself as an artist and as a songwriter. I discovered what kind of music I want to make.

You were announced as the 2020 Bulgarian representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and your entry Tears Getting Sober was the favourite to win before the show was cancelled due to the pandemic. This doesn’t sound like what traditionally would be a favourite to win Eurovision, as it’s not the usual high energy, camp sound people associate with the competition; were you surprised it was a favourite to win?

I trusted my gut, and I was like, ‘I need to do something that’s me’. I can always do an upbeat song, but the show is full of these songs. It was interesting to see how people would react if I did something completely different. People were surprised when they saw me, which was the idea in general, for them to be surprised. 

I was also surprised that they really liked the song, but sadly, I couldn't perform it, and I had to write another song for the next year. It was very hard to write a song as good as the first one, and people were expecting me to do something quite similar to that.

2024 saw the beginning of a new direction for you as you started a creative shift, exploring darker themes, and a more alternative pop sonic direction with the release of Paradox. Would you say you’ve carried on with this darker theme?

I've actually always had this dark pop direction. I love it. I can't escape it. I always come back to this, whatever I do and whatever I try. I try to experiment with different sounds and different directions to see where I fit, but I can't get away from dark pop, because this is what I really love.

Your new single Pity Party was just used on Love Island. When did you find out it had a sync on the show?

That was so exciting. I actually found out last week, when I was in Stockholm. I was writing songs and my manager came into the room and she said, ‘You're gonna be on Love Island!’ I was like, ‘That's huge!’ I got so excited about it. It's amazing. I watched the episode with my song, and I almost cried because it was an emotional moment. It was very cool.

The song is about your dark inner world – the inner critic that keeps telling you that you’re both too much and not enough at the same time. It's also about how harshly we treat ourselves without even realising it, because we can get caught up in negative thoughts, and over time, they start to feel normal. What were you thinking about when you wrote this?

I was very anxious when I was writing the song. We brought it together with my team from Sweden and Maya Nalani, who’s a very good topliner and songwriter in general. She's also a good friend of mine, so she knows me very well, and whenever I tell her how I feel, she always knows the right words to put in a song. I was feeling very anxious back then, and I told her that I feel like everything I do, it's not enough. She was like, ‘Let's write a song about that’.

We came up with the idea of Pity Party. I really needed to express how I felt through the song. I always do that when I write music, because I'm an introvert in general; I'm not very into talking, because I feel anxious about it, so whenever I feel bad, happy or whatever, I like to express them through music and lyrics. I feel free, because when you put all of these feelings out there, it feels like therapy.

What do you hope people feel when they listen to it?

It's a bit cheesy, but I want them to feel that they're not alone. I want to create a safe space for people with my music, where whenever they listen to my songs, they can feel joy and happiness, or feel they are understood. I want them to know that there is somebody else that feels the same way. I think this one is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever written.

Is there a new EP or an album in the works?

Yeah, I’m working on it. It takes a lot of time to choose the right songs. I don't want to release an EP with a couple of songs – or an album. I want to create a whole story and make it perfect.

Away from music, what do you like to do?

I like vintage furniture, which is a bit weird. I like plants. I feel like a granny sometimes [laughs], but I just love a comfy space around me. I buy vintage furniture, I buy plants. I have five dogs. I love them so much. In Bulgaria we have a lot of street dogs, and whenever I can help, I help them. That's why I have five – I had seven, actually! But I had to find a home for them. I think it's the most beautiful thing to give a chance to these beautiful creatures to live a good life.

Do you have a go-to comfort tv show?

I'm watching Desperate Housewives. I used to watch it when I was little, but I didn't understand anything then! I started watching it recently, and I'm obsessed.

In terms of expressing yourself through music, what does the phrase Play out Loud mean to you?

It means to be true to yourself. There's a power in showing your emotions and not hiding them. I'm doing this with my music because before, I was afraid to show my emotions because I was thinking that it might be too much for people, or that it's none of their business to know about my feelings. 

But since I started expressing myself through music, I’ve felt more loved. I have felt joy from people around me. I have received a lot of messages from people that were going through the same problems as me, and they thanked me for my music, which is the most precious thing in the world.