"Time is so valuable. One of the most amazing things that somebody can give you is their time." 

The wise words of 25-year-old pop artist Fletcher resonated throughout the Clive Davis Theater on Saturday morning where the GRAMMY Museum's 5th Annual Bulova Brunch began. The exclusive event, which honors the official partnership between The Recording Academy and Bulova, began with a lively introduction from Bulova Managing Director Michael Benavente, who disclosed some exciting new changes in this year’s programming. "We wanted to mix it up [with a young artist] this year because of the [new] Bulova ‘Tune of Time’ program," Benavente announced enthusiastically. He went on to explain how the ‘Tune Of Time’ program, which runs in conjunction with Universal Music Group, is about breaking young artists and reaching out to new audiences of the next generation. 

And mix it up they did, with fiery surprise guest artist Fletcher, taking the stage to wow the audience with her dynamic presence and compelling voice. Fletcher, who first gained attention in 2015 when her debut single “War Paint” topped Spotify charts, spent six weeks on Billboard’s ‘Hot 100’ in 2019 with her latest single "Undrunk."

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Scott Goldman, decade-long host of the GRAMMY Museum’s Public Programs Series, sat down with the Jersey-born star for a one-on-one conversation about how she got her start in the industry, the contrasting inspiration behind her two EPs, and her unique relationship to the company. "I have a very personal connection to Bulova," Fletcher shares. The inviting young artist, who warmly introduces herself as ‘Cari’ to attendees, went on to explain how she inherited a Bulova watch from her deceased Uncle Gary, whom she was named after. ”I have his watch, and it literally just comes with me everywhere I go.” 

Long before she got her start, Fletcher has been involved in music in one way or another. She began classical vocal training at age five, and by high school she was a Disney Princess and celebrity impersonator for kids’ birthday parties. “I had to go to pancake houses and be in a literal mermaid tail while people were eating bacon,” she disclosed with a smirk. Fletcher, who also had to impersonate Taylor Swift at these parties, shared her recent experience meeting Swift.  “[All I could think was] God, my wig didn’t look as good as your hair does right now.” 

Fletcher’s demeanor matched her music: raw, real, and expressive, with touches of unexpected dry humor scattered throughout her otherwise profound statements. When asked what makes her a good collaborator, Fletcher replied, “I think what makes anybody a good collaborator is being a good listener."  Fletcher shared how her first EP was created in collaboration with Nashville producer Jamie Kenney. “It is really where I found my legs as a songwriter."

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Fletcher draws inspiration from the audacity of artists like Madonna, David Bowie and Joan Jett, whom she describes as being "so boldly and unapologetically themselves." She explains that, as a queer woman in pop, she wants to color outside the lines of what it means to be a pop star and be the role model that so many girls need. “For the people who are lucky enough to have a platform…if you’re not using it to better the world in some capacity, what’s the point of even having it?”

Fletcher enchanted the audience with an acoustic performance of several singles, including "If You’re Gonna Lie" and "Undrunk." At the end of her set, English singer-songwriter and new Bulova ambassador Calum Scott joined Fletcher on stage to sing a duet cover of the 2020 GRAMMY-nominated hit “Someone You Loved” by current GRAMMY nominee Lewis Capaldi, with whom Fletcher is going on tour in the spring. 

After the performance, a sunny midday meal of mushroom tortellini and braised short rib was served on the GRAMMY Museum’s fifth-floor terrace where event-goers were invited to indulge in a decadent brunch amidst equally decadent views of Downtown L.A. On display in the terrace, the entryway was the GRAMMY-inspired watch collection by Bulova, which attendees took turns admiring well into the afternoon. Guests in attendance at this year’s Bulova brunch bash included Madame Gandhi, as well as representatives from multiple Bulova partnerships including Universal Music Group, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, Ultra Music, and Windows of Hip Hop. 

On the opening track of her second album, FLETCHER reveals that she's been called a sick, permanently numb, narcissistic crazy b—. And FLETCHER has one thing to say about that perception: "maybe I am."

It's a stark contrast to the narrative that opened the pop singer's debut LP, 2022's Girl of My Dreams ("Cause lately I've been feeling kinda lonely/ Kinda like nobody knows me anymore," she sings on "20 Something"). But it also highlights the growth evident on FLETCHER's new project, In Search of the Antidote.

While the freshly 30-year-old artist has never been afraid to pour her heart out and speak her mind (see her 2019 breakthrough "Undrunk" or her viral Girl of My Dreams hit, "Becky's So Hot"), In Search of the Antidote is FLETCHER at her most assured. Across 11 guitar-driven tracks, she embraces everything from the harsh realities of fame ("Doing Better"), to the pain of letting someone go ("Two Things Can Be True") and the rush of new love ("Joyride"). 

"It's the most f—ing unhinged and chaotic s— I've ever said, and also, the most healed," the singer, whose birth name is Cari Fletcher, tells GRAMMY.com of the album. "With growth and change comes evolution, both as a human being and as an artist. I've always, always, always sung from my heart, but every time it gets to be a deeper dive, because I get to know more of me. And the music just evolves with that." 

Below, FLETCHER details the personal deep dive that helped her create In Search of the Antidote, and why this album is "the bridge of where Cari meets FLETCHER."

"[In Search Of is] a beautiful integration of me as a human being and me as an artist."

The difference between Girl of My Dreams and In Search of the Antidote was the headspace that I was in. I had taken quite a bit of time off last year to navigate some things with my health, and it forced me to get still and get quiet — outside of, you know, the shows, and social media, and just this constant inundation of validation from an external world.

While I was on this healing journey with my health and with my body [FLETCHER was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2023], I was creating this music at the same time. And because I didn't have the energy to be able to put on any sort of facade or any sort of character, I ended up getting the truest music from my heart.

Having that space allowed me to sonically go elsewhere, vocally go elsewhere, conceptually, thematically. Obviously with the through line of it always just being me, but this music came from a different place in my heart.

I think people can only meet you as deeply as you've met yourself. So the version of me that's existed on previous records was just the level of depth within myself that I was able to access at the time. But as we grow, and we evolve, and we have life experiences, we reach these new levels of our awareness, and our consciousness, and the depths of who we are and our own emotions. 

This album is, like, the bridge of where Cari meets FLETCHER. In the past, Cari's always been there, but there's just been more of a beautiful integration of me as a human being and me as an artist in this project.

"F—ing question absolutely everything."

I have a song on my album called "Doing Better." It's a deeper reflection into this idea of the notion of fame, and when you start to achieve some of the things that you've wanted for so long — and then looking at all the ways that it doesn't necessarily feel like you thought it was going to. And then, navigating things with your health and your mental health [on top of that].

When all of that is sort of just compiling into one moment, you are absolutely forced to really do a deep dive and look at yourself in the mirror, and f—ing question absolutely everything. This album is an answer to a lot of those beckoning, deeper questions that I was sort of in search of the answer to.

There's a song that opens my album and it's called "Maybe I Am," and that song was written as a response of, What if we believed what everybody else had to say about us? And then all the ways that that forces you deeper into yourself, like, Who am I? What is my intention? Where is my heart? Why do I do the things that I do? What place am I acting from? 

All of that pushed me deeper into myself and into exploring and knowing myself. All of it — the platform, everything that came from the last era — deeply informed the rest of how my journey has gone over the last year. And this record is a response to it.

"Chaos is feeling all your feelings."

I think people have this perception that once you embark on some sort of healing, transformational journey of working on yourself, that everything's all good, and it's all love and light. But actually, the magic in all of it is the integration of the messy feelings, the chaotic feelings — giving voice to all of the parts of you.

There were moments on this album where my ego really needed the microphone — even while knowing that some of these things that I'm saying are not coming from my healthiest, happiest, healed version of me. We have to let all of these other things arise [in order] to be to be felt and to be seen. 

The FLETCHER brand has become synonymous with the word chaos. And I would like a redefinition, folks. Please. [Laughs.] 

I don't know that I necessarily think [the "chaos" label] was a negative thing. It's a perception it's a lens that people have viewed me through. But I'm all of it, you know? That was the thing, even with "Maybe I Am" — like, "Yeah, maybe I am f—ing crazy b—, what would you say then?" 

To me, chaos is just, like, feeling all your feelings. It's both the beauty and the absolute heartbreak that it is to be living a human experience. We get to feel it all. 

I get to be the fullest expression of myself through my music. To have that, and then to be able to share that, and give someone else permission to just be in all of it, that's why I do it. 

"I just have more acceptance for the process."

On Girl of My Dreams, there's a lot of narratives about other people. And while there are on this record, too, it's me learning about myself through other experiences. With "Doing Better," I'm poking fun at myself in those verses, and even through that, I was able to find myself in a different way. That is the exploration of love in all of its infinite manifestations, which just shows up as every feeling. And when I say love, I don't just mean romantic love or self-love. It's a universal love, and the world just being in such a need of that. 

This is an album for little Cari to feel all the ways that she felt, like, not paid attention to, or her feelings were too big or too scary. FLETCHER gets to wear them on her sleeve now — through a reclamation of all of the parts of me that society wants to tell us are too much. Just being it all and not shying away from it. 

It f—ed me up for a minute, and then I was like, "Wait, wait, wait — who are we?" And that's the thing — you start to learn your own internal navigation system, and the truth of who you really are. And I just am like, "This is what I want to say, and this is how I want to show up." It's always a refinement. I get to show up in this way with this album, and who knows how I'll show up next.

I just have more acceptance for the process and knowing there's no end goal to reach. I think there was always this version of me in the past that was like, When I achieve this accolade, and this amount of money, I'll be good, I'll be happy, and everything that I've been stressed about will just go away. And that's just not true. 

When you really get to fall in love with the richness of you and who you are, then everything else just feels like an addition, and feels fun. I think that's where I'm at now. I feel excited to go play shows, and see my fans, and scream these songs together without an attachment on what it has to do or who I have to be. Just more of me loving me, and getting to be with this music in a way that feels really present.

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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."

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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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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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