With A Night at the Ballet: Act I arriving this week, Izza is opening the curtain to her biggest and boldest showing yet. The singer-songwriter, producer, and creative director has built a world where classical ballet, high fashion, and modern pop collide, transforming stories of heartbreak, ambition, and self-discovery into something cinematic.
Drawing inspiration from her background in dance, classical piano, and fashion studies at Central Saint Martins in London, Act I unfolds like a theatrical production. Singles such as “Swan Lake” and “Criminal Behavior” showcase Izza’s ability to blend elegant orchestration with glossy, emotionally charged pop, while exploring the complicated realities of dating, friendship, and finding power in your twenties.
When Breathepop caught up with Izza, she opened up about turning ballet into a metaphor for modern relationships.
Breathepop: A Night at the Ballet Act I feels much more than an EP. What inspired you to build the project as a full concept driven narrative rather than a traditional collection of songs?
Izza: I kind of pick out a specific theme for each of my projects. The last theme was all about my origins as an LA native called Confessions of a Valley Girl. During that time, I was revisiting a lot of past versions of myself and experiences I had growing up. One of those was being a dancer and I re-fell in love with dance. So, I decided to make a whole project about it
BP: What about your experience as a dancer influences the sound and visuals of Act I?
Izza: I’m so inspired by all types of art. I grew up playing piano too, so I’m so inspired by classical music and classical dance. I love the visuals and how elegant it all is. I wanted to mix that with my artist persona and make it more modern.
BP: “Swan Lake” uses ballet imagery to tell a story about modern dating and heartbreak. What made that classic ballet the perfect metaphor for your own experiences?
Izza: To me, ballet is such a beautiful art form, but there’s a lot of pain in it as well. Exploring those two parallels between the beauty and pain was inspiring. In “Swan Lake,” I have a lyric: “It’s pretty and it’s fake,” basically saying how love is a beautiful thing, but can also be heartbreak. You experience all of these emotions and have to figure out what’s real and what’s just a reaction. It’s about exploring those parallels.
BP: Was there a specific story arc you wanted listeners to experience from “Swan Lake” through “Another Lesson”?
Izza: They were the first two songs I wrote for this project. Those are two heartbreak songs and that’s how it starts. Throughout the story is about regaining your power. In “Prima Ballerina,” you’re feeling yourself and try to be the boss. It’s about that journey of healing yourself through the pain.
BP: You talk a lot about heartbreak and healing. Does this story come from personal experience?
Izza: It’s all things I experienced. I like mixing the fantastical story telling elements of like “Swan Lake” to tell an exaggerated my experience. It’s all very personal and real.
BP: You’ve previously expressed a distaste for AI on your social medias. Do you feel pressure as an artist in the wake of artificial intelligence?
Izza: I feel like with AI, it’s one of those things that around but I’m not super aware about how it is being used. I find that very scary, but I am just continuing to do what I do. To me, what’s fun is coming up with the ideas myself and spending hours working on it. It’s the process. So having something skip that process, what’s the point?
BP: The EP drops on July 17. What comes next?
Izza: Act II will be released next. That’s very exciting. I’ll also be putting out more visuals for this project that I think is awesome. I love creating a world for my fans to be immersed in.
BP: Will Act II dive deeper into the ballet theme?
Izza: Yeah, for sure! I kind of explored different parts of myself in my previous project but am starting to find my own sound and identity.
BP: Were there any risks did you take on this project that you might not have taken earlier in your career?
Izza: I am always trying to push the envelope and be ambitious with my visuals. It’s like how do I push it further? I think im allowing myself to pursue any idea and just go with it.
Pre-save A Night at the Ballet Act I here!
