Pop star Slayyyter is reflecting on the biggest tour of her career, and on the unexpected kindness she received from one of her longtime idols.
The 29-year-old singer, who has built a devoted LGBTQ+ following since her breakout in the late 2010s, spent her summer opening for Kesha and Scissor Sisters on the high-energy Tits Out Tour. The trek marked Slayyyter’s first time performing in major arenas and amphitheaters, and she says the experience was transformative both personally and professionally.
“It was so amazing,” Slayyyter told People in an exclusive interview published Wednesday. “Everyone was super kind. It was a really, really wonderful tour. I felt extremely grateful to be on that lineup. It was definitely the biggest tour I had ever been a part of.”
The tour also served as the live debut for “BEAT UP CHANEL$,” her first major-label single since signing with Columbia’s RECORDS imprint earlier this year. While the stages were bigger, the reception was just as enthusiastic as her club shows and festival appearances.
“I felt really welcomed with open arms by Kesha fans and Scissor Sisters fans,” she said. “People who didn’t know me before were still into the performance. I’d get comments from people on TikTok saying, ‘Wow, I didn’t know her before, but this was so crazy and so cool.’ That just felt really special.”
Behind the scenes, the atmosphere proved just as positive. Though touring at that scale can be stressful, Slayyyter said the headlining artists made the environment supportive and collaborative.
“Kesha and Scissor Sisters were lovely,” she said. “I felt really grateful to have such good energy and positive vibes from everyone.”
Slayyyter even joined Kesha onstage several times to perform their collaboration “ATTENTION!” But she said some of her most memorable moments came offstage, especially during her early interactions with the Grammy-nominated singer, whom she has long cited as a formative musical influence.
“The first time I met her was after the Forum show in Los Angeles,” she recalled. “She was so sweet, and we talked, and I was freaking out just because she’s completely directly impacted my music since I even started. It felt super full circle.”
Slayyyter shared that Kesha remained warm and encouraging throughout the run, checking in via text after performances.
“She was so lovely, so kind, so open,” Slayyyter said. “She would text me after and be like, ‘How are you feeling about everything? Oh my gosh, you’re doing amazing.’ It meant so much.”
Her admiration for Kesha stretches back more than a decade, particularly for the 2010 track “Sleazy,” which she described as “my national anthem.”
“I would listen to that over and over and over again on my iPod in middle school. I felt so cool. I learned all the raps [on the ‘Sleazy 2.0’ remix with André 3000, Wiz Khalifa, T.I. and Lil Wayne]. I felt like the s—, and I still do when I listen to it.”
Now, several months after wrapping the Tits Out Tour, Slayyyter is shifting focus to her third studio album. The project will include “BEAT UP CHANEL$,” as well as her recent singles “CANNIBALISM!” and “CRANK.”
Last month, she performed all three tracks at Grindr’s Pleasure Ball in New York City — an environment where she says her music feels most at home.
“That is the space where my music lives and thrives,” she said. “I feel grateful to always perform in those spaces.”
