Ivorian Doll: “I want to be a big international artist – I want to be a pop star”

From YouTubing her life stories to getting the crowd pumped with her viral drill hits, north London’s own Ivorian Doll has had quite the unusual journey to her festival debut on the Radio 1xtra stage yesterday. With the crowd being “so bubbly”, as she puts it to NME, there was no doubt that her time here has been memorable.

As well as Reading Festival, she’s been endorsed by dig dogs her DJ mate Tiffany Calver (known best for being Drake’s resident DJ on his last London tour) and even the queen of grunge, Courtney Love, who called the German-born, UK-based rapper “beautiful and cool” on Instagram. On being given the opportunity to showcase her love for rapping, Ivorian Doll says: “It’s amazing to get so much support. It keeps me going. It makes me really happy. It makes me feel like, ‘Okay, this is why I do it.’ It’s for people who support you and it’s for people to enjoy.”

And IVD has always been bigging up her fellow female peers, especially since they’re who truly inspire her with – she says her music sounds like a mix of “Nicki Minaj with Cardi [B], and a little bit of Megan [Thee Stallion]”. She wants to see all women win and declares that she “supports all women” – but don’t box her in as another ‘female’ rapper, since she’s more than that, and indeed is more than drill. Ivorian Doll has dreams of being ”a big international artist” and a “pop star”.

Her new music to come is, says, “very pop mixed with bashment slash drill – all in one. I think it’s very bubbly music, very fun.” But in true artistic fashion, she doesn’t want to give too much away on her next endeavours: “More shows, travelling the world. I also got more things than just music coming, so everyone should look out for that. Just expanding the brand. Some TV things… I can’t speak too much.” Watch this space.