SUPERKNOVA

Superknova: Splendor Dysphoria

GENRES: Synth-POP, Queer Pop

SuperKnova, Ellie Kim, is a transgender artist from Chicago.

She produces and mixes all of her music by herself. Her onstage presence consists of looping and live instrumentation combined. “Splendor Dysphoria'' is introduced with so, mued monophonic guitar strums until it comes to a halt with a simple bass pluck, making way for a clear fairytale-like, nostalgic feeling to ll your ears for the rest of the song. The airy vocals of the chorus give the audience time to let go of their stresses and just sink into the depths of their subconscious. The lyrics of this song express feelings of dysphoria and the challenges of accepting your true gender identity.

And even after the long journey of love and acceptance within yourself, there will be people in the world who hate you for being you. Is it because of their own internalized transphobia, jealousy, or a mixture of the two?

We do not know for sure but all we can do is live for ourselves and not others. As SuperKnova says it, “And I don’t wanna hate you today / I just wanna live my ways / I know I’m gonna pay / But you can’t have me, any other way.”

INFLUENCES

What inspired you to name the album, as well as the song, “Splendor Dysphoria”? Were there other album names you were considering?

"The name as you might guess is a play on the term “gender dysphoria”. It was written during a time when I was still guring out who I was and struggling with internalized transphobia. I wanted to write songs that helped me to feel proud of who I was, take the negative feelings and make them good. Splendor Dysphoria was born from that place and I named the album after it because I saw it as the thematic guide for the whole album."

The song is very guitar-centric, containing beautifully calculated solos and licks between verses. What does the relationship between you and your guitar mean to you?

"I’ve been playing guitar since I was 10 and majored in jazz guitar performance in college so guitar has always been a big part of my life. When I think about music and musical concepts, it’s always through the lens of guitar. However, since I’ve spent so much of life playing guitar, I actively try to write with other instruments and unique sounds. Sometimes, though, the two worlds blend together really well. Splendor Dysphoria is a good example of that in my opinion."

What would you consider your biggest influence when it comes to creating music?

"Two of my biggest inuences as a songwriter are Mitski and Wilco. Even though my music doesn’t really sound very similar to either of them. I’m very inspired by how they’re able to create beautiful pop songs that don’t t into a standard mold. Everything feels very unique to them and doesn’t feel packaged for anyone other than the people it was made for. I strive for something similar in my music; to write for people who are similar to me and not think about how relatable it will be to a general audience, how many streams it will get, etc. I always strive to make music that feels authentically me."

IMPACT IN THE TRANS/QUEER COMMUNITY

How does it make you feel knowing you’ve helped trans/queer people through their own journey with dysphoria through your music?

"As an artist, it’s the greatest honor to hear that your music has been able to connect with someone else or help them in their lives in any way. Partially because that’s what music has always been for me: a source of condence, an escape from reality, a comfort in dark times, permission to be whoever you want to be. Messages from queer and trans people or anyone who’s struggling who feels like my art has helped them in some way are what keep me going in this wild, turbulent industry."