A breakout metal star with a difference, Hannah Collins (aka Scene Queen) is the innovator behind "bimbocore" and has been pulling no punches with recent singles 18+ and Pink Push-Up Bra highlighting tackling issues of abuse and sexual misconduct in the music industry.
Currently on a sold-out tour of the UK, Hammer caught up with The Queen herself to talk horny British TV, wanting to hang out with Juggalos and what it really means to be a bimbo...
You’ve tweeted about the many quirks of British culture – especially the unintentional innuendos in our food names, like squirty cream. Have any other elements of British culture shocked you?
“So when I won the Heavy Music Award earlier this year [for Best International Breakthrough Artist], I said in my speech that I didn’t realise how sarcasm and tasteful nudity are intertwined with British culture. I was watching TV in the hotel and there was just full-on nudity on regular cable. I was like, ‘Wow, OK, they’re very saucy over here… maybe that’s why they like my music.’”
So what’s your favourite thing about the UK?
“My favourite thing about being in the UK is people will say, ‘Are you OK?’ and I’m like, ‘Um yeah, OK is kind of a mid-level emotion to be feeling, I would at least hope I’m OK.’ But then everyone started saying it and I didn’t know it was such a regular thing to say or if everyone thinks I’m depressed! Ha ha ha!”
You recently got to DJ with one of your influences, US electropop band Millionaires, who emerged during the MySpace era. How was that?
“What’s funny about that is when I first teased Pretty In Pink on TikTok as my first Scene Queen song to introduce people to Bimbocore, people immediately tagged [Millionaires vocalist] Melissa Marie Green and were like, ‘This is wannabe Millionaires.’
Well, she responded and was so nice, which is always what happens when people pit me against women – they’re always so nice to me! We followed each other back on TikTok, then a while ago she DM’d me like, ‘Oh my god, I love you, we have to go out and get a drink sometime.’ I was like, ‘No way! Do you know Pink G-String is a direct reference to a Millionaires’ song [I Like Money] with the ‘bling bling’ chorus paying homage to you! I love you!”
What’s your weirdest ambition?
“I want to do a Gathering Of The Juggalos [annual Insane Clown Posse festival] set, so badly! They’re gonna either love me, because they’re gonna get the ridiculousness of it, or they’re gonna throw beer cans at me which, like… I deserve it. You know? I need to be painfully humbled or have the greatest experience of my life.”
Could you walk us through the rules of being a Bimbo metalhead?
“Bimbos do not care about math but they do care a lot about human rights and politics – that’s important. Bimbos dress however the hell they want but, ideally, they dress insanely extra. Bimbo rules are quite literally to do and say anything as long as it’s beneficial to your mental health and the greater good of society. I feel like glitter and rhinestones are extremely necessary to my project.
It’s OK to be materialistic. Honestly, we’re all slaves to capitalism anyway, so you’re allowed to like to spend money egregiously if you feel the need to. Get a sugar daddy if you want one – you can be a girl boss and a sugar baby at the same time.”
It feels strange that we aren’t hearing a Scene Queen song on the Barbie movie soundtrack. If you had written something for that release, who would have featured on it?
“Oh, well, I mean it already happened! They have Nicki Minaj on it [with Barbie World]. You have to have Barbz on the Barbie soundtrack, for sure. Her or Ashnikko, I feel like we could make a very chaotic Barbie song, and also in general that’s just like a dream collab of mine. Probably something about expensive cars and stealing money.”
What’s your favourite memory of touring in the UK?
“I still, to this day, think about this one specific girl. This was the first time I played Reading and Leeds festivals, the first time I got to play Pink G-String to a big crowd. I asked people to open up the Twerkle Pit and immediately this girl kicks her leg and just drops into a split. I was like, ‘Thank God for the people in the United Kingdom, God save the Scene Queen.’ It was honestly so incredible.”
