Caly (pronounced like the shortened term for California) Bevier is cool, calm, and collected when we meet at the bustling NeueHouse shared workspace in Hollywood on a Wednesday evening. Entertainment industry professionals are holding meetings, drinking coffee, furiously typing away on their laptops or smartphones, but Bevier remains chill.

She arrives with her boyfriend, Sam, in tow, and is rocking the perfect shade of pink hair. At 19, the rising pop artist has just released her second single, “Hate U Sometimes”–the follow-up to 2018’s anthemic “Head Held High”–and has just released the coinciding music video for the single. She’s also currently finishing up songs for an EP expected later this year, working with a notorious roundtable of who’s who of songwriters – Bonnie McKee (Katy Perry, Britney Spears), Mike Green (5 Seconds of Summer, Gwen Stefani), and Joe Garrett (Zayn) to name some.

It all might sound like the culmination of years of hard work, but Bevier is not a typical 19-year-old pop star on the rise. She’s a stage three ovarian cancer survivor who was diagnosed at the age of 15 and found her shot at fame because of it.

“I really tried to stay as strong as I could,” says Bevier on receiving her diagnosis. “It definitely changed me as a person. I have this whole very positive outlook on life.”

After her touching cover of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” for a friend’s benefit event went viral, she got a call to appear on the “Ellen” show and then an invitation to audition for “America’s Got Talent.” Bevier wasn’t expecting all the opportunities she’s had since then.

“I never thought I would make it in the music business,” says Bevier, sitting comfortably and effortlessly stylish in jeans and a zip-up windbreaker. “Everything that you hear when you’re younger [about chasing your dreams] … people tell you not to go after those dreams.”

Bevier also never thought she’d win the compliments of Simon Cowell, one of the fiercest critics in reality television and one of the “America’s Got Talent” judges, or that she’d go on “Ellen” and perform with Platten. But she did.

And now, with the release of her first music video for “Hate U Sometimes,” Bevier is informing the world of who she is, what she believes in, and who she continues to fight for. The video features her boyfriend, Sam, who recently transitioned from female to male.  

In an interview with the Recording Academy, Bevier chats about her new single, how her life was forever changed at 15, the meaning behind the “Hate U Sometimes” music video and more.

“Hate U Sometimes” is out now. How did this song come about?

So, I was actually pitched this song. Sarah Barrios and Jake Torrey [and Nicki Adamsson] wrote it originally. They sent it to me, and I was lucky enough to really connect with it. I think as people are listening to it, a lot of people are connecting with it. Then I went into a session and we finished the whole song. I helped write the bridge and we did some lyric tweaks. Originally, they used the word “boy” a lot and I wanted to keep the song kind of gender-less, so we switched that up.

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What connected you with the song?

I was talking to one of my friends, and they were like, “Who would you relate this song to?” Sam and I were about a year and a few months [into our relationship at the time,] so obviously, we [had] our little tiffs here and there, [but] there’s not really moments where I would ever use the word “hate” for Sam. But, [I talk] to my mom on the phone, constantly. … I think picking the best person to relate this song to is my mom and me, honestly.

Your mom has played a significant role in your life and career.

Originally when I started coming out here, she was almost like my manager. Our relationship has gotten so much stronger since she took the mom role on fully instead of trying to do both.

Going back a little bit, your life totally changed at age 15. It was summertime, you were on vacation, you discovered this lump on your stomach that had been there for a while. You go to the doctor, and you learn it’s cancer. During this time, Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” becomes your anthem. Do you remember hearing that song for the first time?

I couldn’t tell you the first time I actually heard that song. But the moment that it clicked for me was on my way to my first chemo treatment. “Fight Song” came on and I really took my time to listen to the lyrics while we were driving and I was like “OK, everything’s going to be fine. I got this.” So, I think hearing that song on my way to my first chemo was kind of like the reason I was able to be so strong the whole time.

What was it that made you think, “I’m not giving up?”

First of all, I didn’t inform myself [completely of what was going on with me.] I would go to my treatment, I would do everything that I could do on my part to try and get better. But I didn’t know all the numbers and percentages of my survival rate. I just wanted to live as much as I could. My dad told me, you can either be sick and be sad and negative about everything, or you can be sick and be happy and positive and live your life to the fullest. Either way, you’re going to be sick. So why make it worse with being negative and being down on yourself all the time? So, I think when my dad told me that, that’s also one of the reasons I got through everything with my head held high. Why be sad? I was sick, it wasn’t going to change.

So, from there, you record a cover of “Fight Song.” You perform it at a benefit. And then Ellen sees it, and you fly to L.A. to be on her show. Then “America’s Got Talent” comes calling. Can you summarize what the last three years have been like for you?

They’ve been everywhere. I’m very go-with-the-flow. That’s something I tell everyone. I’ll do these events. I travel. I’m just kind of living it. I don’t think about it too much. But there are moments when I’m sitting there waiting to perform. That’s when I have time to think about how lucky I am. I came from this small town in Ohio to now traveling all around and living this dream. It’s just been crazy. I don’t know what other word to put to it. It’s been a whirlwind.

So the music video for “Hate U Sometimes” is out today. It’s so beautiful. How did your boyfriend, Sam, get involved with your music video?

We were throwing a bunch of ideas around. We talked about him being in it before, but it was just a passing thought. And then my manager was like, the team at BMG thinks it could be a good idea for Sam to be in the video. And I was like OK well let me ask Sam. I’m down if that’s their idea and they’re happy with that, let’s do it. So, I asked him, and he was more than happy to.  

Normally, Sam is taking photos and video. So, seeing him in front of the camera was cool. Him going through this whole transition was a big part of it. It was cool for me to be able to watch him be confident.

Do you think that this video is going to be one where you’re really kind of open about your relationship?

Oh yeah, for sure. I don’t think I’ve actually had an opportunity yet to really show a different side of me other than the inspirational cancer side. So, with this whole “Hate U Sometimes” video I get to show the love side of me. I get to show the part of me that’s in the LGBTQ community. I get to open up so many more doors for myself, and it’s so amazing. I’m really happy that I finally get to take a few different paths.

As a teenage cancer survivor, you’ve already inspired so many. But this story that you’re going to tell in this video opens up a whole other community.

By showing someone that’s transgender in the music video, I hope that a lot of other transgender people see it and think, “Oh, I can be in a music video on TV?” I don’t know how else to say it.

How do you think this relationship and this music video will speak for you specifically as an artist? How is it shaping you and the story you want to tell?

It obviously shows I’m part of the LGBTQ community, I’m pansexual. I am an ally for the trans community and for any other group in the LGBTQ community. I want people to know that. I want people to know that I’m here for them. I’m on their side. And then it also helps show who I am as an artist and my music. This song is really close to the lane that I do want to go down in the future.

Do you have a message for people celebrating Pride Month?

Be unapologetically yourself.

Switching gears, you released “Head Held High” last year. That sounds like your own personal fight song.

That’s pretty much why I wrote that song. So I could have my own personal “Fight Song.” It was the first song I ever wrote in a session in LA. We went in and were like, OK let’s write about your story because it’ll be a good song to release for your first single after everything you’ve been through. We wrote it from my perspective. The whole time I had my head held high; I was very positive. It’s crazy because someone DM’d me on Instagram the other day and they were like, “Did you know that when you were eliminated off [‘America’s Got Talent’] Simon said to you, ‘You can leave this competition with your head held high.’” And I was like, are you kidding me? I had no clue. I don’t believe in coincidences but obviously that all happened for a reason.

Your lyrics are all so relatable. What do you think makes you relatable to people?

We all have relatively the same experiences in one way or another. Someone might hear a song and take it one way. And someone might hear the same song and take it a totally different way. But I just think I’m relatable because I’m just another human on the planet like everyone else.

In January you just posted a song that you were playing on the piano, “Really Love”?

Oh yeah, I was just writing in my room. Sometimes I’ll just play random chords and then write to them.

When did you start playing the piano?

I just taught myself. Anything that has to do [with music] other than singing I just started two years ago when I moved here. Before I always just liked to sing … But after “Ellen” and [“America’s Got Talent”] what was more of a dream turned into reality, so I had to really start working for what I wanted.

You’ve mentioned “Ellen.” I’m curious what went through your mind when you got the call?

The first call happened, and I was at school, and they called my parents. My mom texted me and was like, “Oh my god, your dad’s on the phone with Ellen right now.” My heart kind of dropped, but I didn’t want to take it too seriously. So, I left class, went to the office and I was like what is going on? And they were like they saw your video and they want to put it up on
“ellentube.” So, I was like OK, awesome. I was super excited about that. I never thought I was going to be on the show.

Then I got the call and [the “Ellen” producer] was like, “Do you want to come to the show?” And I thought it was just to be in the audience. And then we flew out, and the day before the show she calls and was like, “Well I hope that you’re ready because you’re going to sing ‘Fight Song’ on the show.” And I’m like you’re kidding me. And at this time, I felt fine I was feeling healthy, and then I woke up the day of the show and I felt so sick. I couldn’t breathe. And I called and was like how am I going to sing? And she was like we’ll do anything we can. … They made me feel a little better, and I got to sing with Rachel Platten.

Did you know you were going to sing with Platten?

I had no clue.

What was it like when you saw her walk out onstage?

Everyone asks me what I felt like at that moment, and I don’t really know. It was just like [I was] floating like in a dream. I still think about it and it’s like did that happen for real? It was crazy.

Kind of like on “America’s Got Talent” when Simon immediately sent you to the live show.

Yeah, it’s the exact same thing. … I grew up watching “American Idol” and “Ellen.” Those two things starting my whole career pretty much is a dream, literally.

How do you think music has played a role in getting you through these difficult periods?

I think music is a form of therapy. If you’re sad, you’re going to have your sad music that you always want to turn on to make you happy. And if you’re happy you’re going to have your happy playlist that keeps you going. I just think that music is medicine.

How do you think you can use your music to inspire teenagers or people in general who are going through cancer treatments?

I think through the lyrics. If anyone can find any bit of inspiration through lyrics that’s great. I want to show people that there is life after your sickness.

What do you think the biggest lesson is that you’ve learned over the last three years?

Just finding positivity in everything that you can. I think it’s very important to always look on the bright side.

What’s been the most memorable moment of your career so far?

I will never forget recording the music video. Just looking out into the hills and everything around me and the beauty and I stopped and was like, “I’m recording a music video for my song. This is so crazy.” And then I just performed “Head Held High” at a halftime show for the Houston Dynamo. It was the first time I performed my own song in a stadium. I’m just so grateful for every little thing that I’m doing.

What do you think we’ll see from you in the next five years?

I think you’ll definitely see tons of music. I just want to be an artist that people know. And when they hear me on the radio [they’ll think], “That’s Caly.” That’s what I hope.

 

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Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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James Corden may have jokingly made a video for Harry Styles' "Daylight" in three hours, for $300, but that's not the end of the story — Styles has finally finished the job.

On July 19, the three-time GRAMMY winner  — including Album Of The Year at the 2023 GRAMMYs, for his blockbuster third album, Harry's House — unveiled a full-fledged music video for "Daylight."

In the clip, Styles strolls around a traveling carnival — a complex of cherry-red structures — and interacts with its quirky denizens. Midway through, he even takes flight on black and yellow wings, and eventually finds himself astride a horse. At video’s end, Styles walks a tightrope against an azure sky.

Read More: 5 Takeaways From Harry Styles' New Album Harry's House

This is the fifth video from Harry's House, following "As It Was," "Late Night Talking," "Music For a Sushi Restaurant," and "Satellite."

The “Daylight” video arrives just three days before Styles’ final show of his long-running Love On Tour. He’ll close out the nearly two-year trek — which included 15 sold-out nights at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden — in Reggio Emilia, Italy on July 22.

Along with touring, Styles has co-starred in the psychological thriller Don’t Worry Darling and romantic drama My Policeman since the release of Harry's House. He also expanded on his fashion ventures, co-releasing a Gucci collection with fashion designer Alessandro Michele in Nov. 2022.

Check out the new video for "Daylight" below and keep checking GRAMMY.com for Harry Styles news!

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It's rare that a genre can be traced back to a single artist or group, but for funk, that was James Brown. The Godfather of Soul coined the phrase and style of playing known as "on the one," where the first downbeat is emphasized, instead of the typical second and fourth beats in pop, soul and other styles. As David Cheal eloquently explains, playing on the one "left space for phrases and riffs, often syncopated around the beat, creating an intricate, interlocking grid which could go on and on." You know a funky bassline when you hear it; its fat chords beg your body to get up and groove.

Brown's 1965 classic, "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," became one of the first funk hits, and has been endlessly sampled and covered over the years, along with his other groovy tracks. Of course, many other funk acts followed in the '60s, and the genre thrived in the '70s and '80s as the disco craze came and went, and the originators of hip-hop and house music created new music from funk and disco's strong, flexible bones built for dancing.

Legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins learned the power of the one from playing in Brown's band, and brought it to George Clinton, who created P-funk, an expansive, Afrofuturistic, psychedelic exploration of funk with his various bands and projects, including Parliament-Funkadelic. Both Collins and Clinton remain active and funkin', and have offered their timeless grooves to collabs with younger artists, including Kali Uchis, Silk Sonic, and Omar Apollo; and Kendrick Lamar, Flying Lotus, and Thundercat, respectively.

In the 1980s, electro-funk was born when artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, and Egyptian Lover began making futuristic beats with the Roland TR-808 drum machine — often with robotic vocals distorted through a talk box. A key distinguishing factor of electro-funk is a de-emphasis on vocals, with more phrases than choruses and verses. The sound influenced contemporaneous hip-hop, funk and electronica, along with acts around the globe, while current acts like Chromeo, DJ Stingray, and even Egyptian Lover himself keep electro-funk alive and well.

Today, funk lives in many places, with its heavy bass and syncopated grooves finding way into many nooks and crannies of music. There's nu-disco and boogie funk, nodding back to disco bands with soaring vocals and dance floor-designed instrumentation. G-funk continues to influence Los Angeles hip-hop, with innovative artists like Dam-Funk and Channel Tres bringing the funk and G-funk, into electro territory. Funk and disco-centered '70s revival is definitely having a moment, with acts like Ghost Funk Orchestra and Parcels, while its sparkly sprinklings can be heard in pop from Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, and, in full "Soul Train" character, Silk Sonic. There are also acts making dreamy, atmospheric music with a solid dose of funk, such as Khruangbin’s global sonic collage.

There are many bands that play heavily with funk, creating lush grooves designed to get you moving. Read on for a taste of five current modern funk and nu-disco artists making band-led uptempo funk built for the dance floor. Be sure to press play on the Spotify playlist above, and check out GRAMMY.com's playlist on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora.

Say She She

Aptly self-described as "discodelic soul," Brooklyn-based seven-piece Say She She make dreamy, operatic funk, led by singer-songwriters Nya Gazelle Brown, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham. Their '70s girl group-inspired vocal harmonies echo, sooth and enchant as they cover poignant topics with feminist flair.

While they’ve been active in the New York scene for a few years, they’ve gained wider acclaim for the irresistible music they began releasing this year, including their debut album, Prism. Their 2022 debut single "Forget Me Not" is an ode to ground-breaking New York art collective Guerilla Girls, and "Norma" is their protest anthem in response to the news that Roe vs. Wade could be (and was) overturned. The band name is a nod to funk legend Nile Rodgers, from the "Le freak, c'est chi" exclamation in Chic's legendary tune "Le Freak."

Moniquea

Moniquea's unique voice oozes confidence, yet invites you in to dance with her to the super funky boogie rhythms. The Pasadena, California artist was raised on funk music; her mom was in a cover band that would play classics like Aretha Franklin’s "Get It Right" and Gladys Knight’s "Love Overboard." Moniquea released her first boogie funk track at 20 and, in 2011, met local producer XL Middelton — a bonafide purveyor of funk. She's been a star artist on his MoFunk Records ever since, and they've collabed on countless tracks, channeling West Coast energy with a heavy dose of G-funk, sunny lyrics and upbeat, roller disco-ready rhythms.

Her latest release is an upbeat nod to classic West Coast funk, produced by Middleton, and follows her February 2022 groovy, collab-filled album, On Repeat.

Shiro Schwarz

Shiro Schwarz is a Mexico City-based duo, consisting of Pammela Rojas and Rafael Marfil, who helped establish a modern funk scene in the richly creative Mexican metropolis. On "Electrify" — originally released in 2016 on Fat Beats Records and reissued in 2021 by MoFunk — Shiro Schwarz's vocals playfully contrast each other, floating over an insistent, upbeat bassline and an '80s throwback electro-funk rhythm with synth flourishes.

Their music manages to be both nostalgic and futuristic — and impossible to sit still to. 2021 single "Be Kind" is sweet, mellow and groovy, perfect chic lounge funk. Shiro Schwarz’s latest track, the joyfully nostalgic "Hey DJ," is a collab with funkstress Saucy Lady and U-Key.

L'Impératrice

L'Impératrice (the empress in French) are a six-piece Parisian group serving an infectiously joyful blend of French pop, nu-disco, funk and psychedelia. Flore Benguigui's vocals are light and dreamy, yet commanding of your attention, while lyrics have a feminist touch.

During their energetic live sets, L'Impératrice members Charles de Boisseguin and Hagni Gwon (keys), David Gaugué (bass), Achille Trocellier (guitar), and Tom Daveau (drums) deliver extended instrumental jam sessions to expand and connect their music. Gaugué emphasizes the thick funky bass, and Benguigui jumps around the stage while sounding like an angel. L’Impératrice’s latest album, 2021’s Tako Tsubo, is a sunny, playful French disco journey.

Franc Moody

Franc Moody's bio fittingly describes their music as "a soul funk and cosmic disco sound." The London outfit was birthed by friends Ned Franc and Jon Moody in the early 2010s, when they were living together and throwing parties in North London's warehouse scene. In 2017, the group grew to six members, including singer and multi-instrumentalist Amber-Simone.

Their music feels at home with other electro-pop bands like fellow Londoners Jungle and Aussie act Parcels. While much of it is upbeat and euphoric, Franc Moody also dips into the more chilled, dreamy realm, such as the vibey, sultry title track from their recently released Into the Ether.

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Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with Billy Idol about his latest EP,  Cage, and continuing to rock through decades of changing tastes.

Billy Idol is a true rock 'n' roll survivor who has persevered through cultural shifts and personal struggles. While some may think of Idol solely for "Rebel Yell" and "White Wedding," the singer's musical influences span genres and many of his tunes are less turbo-charged than his '80s hits would belie.  

Idol first made a splash in the latter half of the '70s with the British punk band Generation X. In the '80s, he went on to a solo career combining rock, pop, and punk into a distinct sound that transformed him and his musical partner, guitarist Steve Stevens, into icons. They have racked up multiple GRAMMY nominations, in addition to one gold, one double platinum, and four platinum albums thanks to hits like "Cradle Of Love," "Flesh For Fantasy," and "Eyes Without A Face." 

But, unlike many legacy artists, Idol is anything but a relic. Billy continues to produce vital Idol music by collaborating with producers and songwriters — including Miley Cyrus — who share his forward-thinking vision. He will play a five-show Vegas residency in November, and filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is working on a documentary about Idol’s life. 

His latest release is Cage, the second in a trilogy of annual four-song EPs. The title track is a classic Billy Idol banger expressing the desire to free himself from personal constraints and live a better life. Other tracks on Cage incorporate metallic riffing and funky R&B grooves. 

Idol continues to reckon with his demons — they both grappled with addiction during the '80s — and the singer is open about those struggles on the record and the page. (Idol's 2014 memoir Dancing With Myself, details a 1990 motorcycle accident that nearly claimed a leg, and how becoming a father steered him to reject hard drugs. "Bitter Taste," from his last EP, The Roadside, reflects on surviving the accident.)

Although Idol and Stevens split in the late '80s — the skilled guitarist fronted Steve Stevens & The Atomic Playboys, and collaborated with Michael Jackson, Rick Ocasek, Vince Neil, and Harold Faltermeyer (on the GRAMMY-winning "Top Gun Anthem") —  their common history and shared musical bond has been undeniable. The duo reunited in 2001 for an episode of "VH1 Storytellers" and have been back in the saddle for two decades. Their union remains one of the strongest collaborations in rock 'n roll history.

While there is recognizable personnel and a distinguishable sound throughout a lot of his work, Billy Idol has always pushed himself to try different things. Idol discusses his musical journey, his desire to constantly move forward, and the strong connection that he shares with Stevens. 

Steve has said that you like to mix up a variety of styles, yet everyone assumes you're the "Rebel Yell"/"White Wedding" guy. But if they really listen to your catalog, it's vastly different.

Yeah, that's right. With someone like Steve Stevens, and then back in the day Keith Forsey producing... [Before that] Generation X actually did move around inside punk rock. We didn't stay doing just the Ramones two-minute music. We actually did a seven-minute song. [Laughs]. We did always mix things up. 

Then when I got into my solo career, that was the fun of it. With someone like Steve, I knew what he could do. I could see whatever we needed to do, we could nail it. The world was my oyster musically. 

"Cage" is a classic-sounding Billy Idol rocker, then "Running From The Ghost" is almost metal, like what the Devil's Playground album was like back in the mid-2000s. "Miss Nobody" comes out of nowhere with this pop/R&B flavor. What inspired that?

We really hadn't done anything like that since something like "Flesh For Fantasy" [which] had a bit of an R&B thing about it. Back in the early days of Billy Idol, "Hot In The City" and "Mony Mony" had girls [singing] on the backgrounds. 

We always had a bit of R&B really, so it was actually fun to revisit that. We just hadn't done anything really quite like that for a long time. That was one of the reasons to work with someone like Sam Hollander [for the song "Rita Hayworth"] on The Roadside. We knew we could go [with him] into an R&B world, and he's a great songwriter and producer. That's the fun of music really, trying out these things and seeing if you can make them stick. 

I listen to new music by veteran artists and debate that with some people. I'm sure you have those fans that want their nostalgia, and then there are some people who will embrace the newer stuff. Do you find it’s a challenge to reach people with new songs?

Obviously, what we're looking for is, how do we somehow have one foot in the past and one foot into the future? We’ve got the best of all possible worlds because that has been the modus operandi of Billy Idol. 

You want to do things that are true to you, and you don't just want to try and do things that you're seeing there in the charts today. I think that we're achieving it with things like "Running From The Ghost" and "Cage" on this new EP. I think we’re managing to do both in a way. 

**Obviously, "Running From The Ghost" is about addiction, all the stuff that you went through, and in "Cage" you’re talking about  freeing yourself from a lot of personal shackles. Was there any one moment in your life that made you really thought I have to not let this weigh me down anymore?**

I mean, things like the motorcycle accident I had, that was a bit of a wake up call way back. It was 32 years ago. But there were things like that, years ago, that gradually made me think about what I was doing with my life. I didn't want to ruin it, really. I didn't want to throw it away, and it made [me] be less cavalier. 

I had to say to myself, about the drugs and stuff, that I've been there and I've done it. There’s no point in carrying on doing it. You couldn't get any higher. You didn't want to throw your life away casually, and I was close to doing that. It took me a bit of time, but then gradually I was able to get control of myself to a certain extent [with] drugs and everything. And I think Steve's done the same thing. We're on a similar path really, which has been great because we're in the same boat in terms of lyrics and stuff. 

So a lot of things like that were wake up calls. Even having grandchildren and just watching my daughter enlarging her family and everything; it just makes you really positive about things and want to show a positive side to how you're feeling, about where you're going. We've lived with the demons so long, we've found a way to live with them. We found a way to be at peace with our demons, in a way. Maybe not completely, but certainly to where we’re enjoying what we do and excited about it.

[When writing] "Running From The Ghost" it was easy to go, what was the ghost for us? At one point, we were very drug addicted in the '80s. And Steve in particular is super sober [now]. I mean, I still vape pot and stuff. I don’t know how he’s doing it, but it’s incredible. All I want to be able to do is have a couple of glasses of wine at a restaurant or something. I can do that now.

I think working with people that are super talented, you just feel confident. That is a big reason why you open up and express yourself more because you feel comfortable with what's around you.

Did you watch Danny Boyle's recent Sex Pistols mini-series?

I did, yes.

You had a couple of cameos; well, an actor who portrayed you did. How did you react to it? How accurate do you think it was in portraying that particular time period?

I love Jonesy’s book, I thought his book was incredible. It's probably one of the best bio books really. It was incredible and so open. I was looking forward to that a lot.

It was as if [the show] kind of stayed with Steve [Jones’ memoir] about halfway through, and then departed from it. [John] Lydon, for instance, was never someone I ever saw acting out; he's more like that today. I never saw him do something like jump up in the room and run around going crazy. The only time I saw him ever do that was when they signed the recording deal with Virgin in front of Buckingham Palace. Whereas Sid Vicious was always acting out; he was always doing something in a horrible way or shouting at someone. I don't remember John being like that. I remember him being much more introverted.

But then I watched interviews with some of the actors about coming to grips with the parts they were playing. And they were saying, we knew punk rock happened but just didn't know any of the details. So I thought well, there you go. If ["Pistol" is]  informing a lot of people who wouldn't know anything about punk rock, maybe that's what's good about it.

Maybe down the road John Lydon will get the chance to do John's version of the Pistols story. Maybe someone will go a lot deeper into it and it won't be so surface. But maybe you needed this just to get people back in the flow.

We had punk and metal over here in the States, but it feels like England it was legitimately more dangerous. British society was much more rigid.

It never went [as] mega in America. It went big in England. It exploded when the Pistols did that interview with [TV host Bill] Grundy, that lorry truck driver put his boot through his own TV, and all the national papers had "the filth and the fury" [headlines].

We went from being unknown to being known overnight. We waited a year, Generation X. We even told them [record labels] no for nine months to a year. Every record company wanted their own punk rock group. So it went really mega in England, and it affected the whole country – the style, the fashions, everything. I mean, the Ramones were massive in England. Devo had a No. 1 song [in England] with "Satisfaction" in '77. Actually, Devo was as big as or bigger than the Pistols.

You were ahead of the pop-punk thing that happened in the late '90s, and a lot of it became tongue-in-cheek by then. It didn't have the same sense of rebelliousness as the original movement. It was more pop.

It had become a style. There was a famous book in England called Revolt Into Style — and that's what had happened, a revolt that turned into style which then they were able to duplicate in their own way. Even recently, Billie Joe [Armstrong] did his own version of "Gimme Some Truth," the Lennon song we covered way back in 1977.

When we initially were making [punk] music, it hadn't become accepted yet. It was still dangerous and turned into a style that people were used to. We were still breaking barriers.

You have a band called Generation Sex with Steve Jones and Paul Cook. I assume you all have an easier time playing Pistols and Gen X songs together now and not worrying about getting spit on like back in the '70s?

Yeah, definitely. When I got to America I told the group I was putting it together, "No one spits at the audience."

We had five years of being spat on [in the UK], and it was revolting. And they spat at you if they liked you. If they didn't like it they smashed your gear up. One night, I remember I saw blood on my T-shirt, and I think Joe Strummer got meningitis when spit went in his mouth.

You had to go through a lot to become successful, it wasn't like you just kind of got up there and did a couple of gigs. I don't think some young rock bands really get that today.

With punk going so mega in England, we definitely got a leg up. We still had a lot of work to get where we got to, and rightly so because you find out that you need to do that. A lot of groups in the old days would be together three to five years before they ever made a record, and that time is really important. In a way, what was great about punk rock for me was it was very much a learning period. I really learned a lot [about] recording music and being in a group and even writing songs.

Then when I came to America, it was a flow, really. I also really started to know what I wanted Billy Idol to be. It took me a little bit, but I kind of knew what I wanted Billy Idol to be. And even that took a while to let it marinate.

You and Miley Cyrus have developed a good working relationship in the last several years. How do you think her fans have responded to you, and your fans have responded to her?

I think they're into it. It's more the record company that she had didn't really get "Night Crawling"— it was one of the best songs on Plastic Hearts, and I don't think they understood that. They wanted to go with Dua Lipa, they wanted to go with the modern, young acts, and I don't think they realized that that song was resonating with her fans. Which is a shame really because, with Andrew Watt producing, it's a hit song.

But at the same time, I enjoyed doing it. It came out really good and it's very Billy Idol. In fact, I think it’s more Billy Idol than Miley Cyrus. I think it shows you where Andrew Watt was. He was excited about doing a Billy Idol track. She's fun to work with. She’s a really great person and she works at her singing — I watched her rehearsing for the Super Bowl performance she gave. She rehearsed all Saturday morning, all Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning and it was that afternoon. I have to admire her fortitude. She really cares.

I remember when you went on "Viva La Bam" back in 2005 and decided to give Bam Margera’s Lamborghini a new sunroof by taking a power saw to it. Did he own that car? Was that a rental?

I think it was his car.

Did he get over it later on?

He loved it. [Laughs] He’s got a wacky sense of humor. He’s fantastic, actually. I’m really sorry to see what he's been going through just lately. He's going through a lot, and I wish him the best. He's a fantastic person, and it's a shame that he's struggling so much with his addictions. I know what it's like. It's not easy.

Musically, what is the synergy like with you guys during the past 10 years, doing Kings and Queens of the Underground and this new stuff? What is your working relationship like now in this more sober, older, mature version of you two as opposed to what it was like back in the '80s?

In lots of ways it’s not so different because we always wrote the songs together, we always talked about what we're going to do together. It was just that we were getting high at the same time.We're just not getting [that way now] but we're doing all the same things.

We're still talking about things, still [planning] things:What are we going to do next? How are we going to find new people to work with? We want to find new producers. Let's be a little bit more timely about putting stuff out.That part of our relationship is the same, you know what I mean? That never got affected. We just happened to be overloading in the '80s.

The relationship’s… matured and it's carrying on being fruitful, and I think that's pretty amazing. Really, most people don't get to this place. Usually, they hate each other by now. [Laughs] We also give each other space. We're not stopping each other doing things outside of what we’re working on together. All of that enables us to carry on working together. I love and admire him. I respect him. He's been fantastic. I mean, just standing there on stage with him is always a treat. And he’s got an immensely great sense of humor. I think that's another reason why we can hang together after all this time because we've got the sense of humor to enable us to go forward.

There's a lot of fan reaction videos online, and I noticed a lot of younger women like "Rebel Yell" because, unlike a lot of other '80s alpha male rock tunes, you're talking about satisfying your lover.

It was about my girlfriend at the time, Perri Lister. It was about how great I thought she was, how much I was in love with her, and how great women are, how powerful they are.

It was a bit of a feminist anthem in a weird way. It was all about how relationships can free you and add a lot to your life. It was a cry of love, nothing to do with the Civil War or anything like that. Perri was a big part of my life, a big part of being Billy Idol. I wanted to write about it. I'm glad that's the effect.

Is there something you hope people get out of the songs you've been doing over the last 10 years? Do you find yourself putting out a message that keeps repeating?

Well, I suppose, if anything, is that you can come to terms with your life, you can keep a hold of it. You can work your dreams into reality in a way and, look, a million years later, still be enjoying it.

The only reason I'm singing about getting out of the cage is because I kicked out of the cage years ago. I joined Generation X when I said to my parents, "I'm leaving university, and I'm joining a punk rock group." And they didn't even know what a punk rock group was. Years ago, I’d write things for myself that put me on this path, so that maybe in 2022 I could sing something like "Cage" and be owning this territory and really having a good time. This is the life I wanted.

The original UK punk movement challenged societal norms. Despite all the craziness going on throughout the world, it seems like a lot of modern rock bands are afraid to do what you guys were doing. Do you think we'll see a shift in that?

Yeah.  Art usually reacts to things, so I would think eventually there will be a massive reaction to the pop music that’s taken over — the middle of the road music, and then this kind of right wing politics. There will be a massive reaction if there's not already one. I don’t know where it will come from exactly. You never know who's gonna do [it].

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