TOMMI AURA

Tommi Aura: I’m Not a Boy

GENRES: Experimental Pop, Electronic-Dance, Y2K

Tommi Aura is a femme-presenting androgynous artist and model.

Tommi uses pop, electronic and rock elements to give their audience gay anthems with each single drop. The LA-based singer has faced hate and misunderstanding due to their gender non-conforming identity. That has not stopped them from going into their music head fist, being a queer icon for those around them.

“I’m Not A Boy” is about being non-binary and androgynous. To feel like everything in between or nothing at all can be a confusing journey. Especially if you’re surrounded by transphobic people who will not try to understand your perspective on gender expression.

Aura keeps it simple by explaining that they are “cool.” They are not a boy or a girl, just cool. Sometimes that’s all you need to be. They feel cool in their own skin and that is all that matters.

My favorite lyric from this song comes from the first verse, “But what about the ones that fall in between? / Afraid to say that we are the real fantasy.” Gender expression is a huge spectrum and the power of androgyny allows us to live life authentically. Maybe we are the fantasy because we carry the essence of true self-expression.

INFLUENCES

Who or what would you say were some of your musical influences for “I’m Not a Boy”?

"Musically for this song, my producer and I took inspiration from the sounds of early 2000s pop icons like Britney Spears and Nelly Furtado. Specically with the violin inuence from "Toxic" by Britney Spears which is heard in the intro and throughout the song."

Has being openly non-binary/gender non-conforming helped you with your writing process?

"As a writer, I try to not bring binary terms into songs like "boy" and "girl" when talking about another person in the lyrics for example. I want to keep my songs open to listeners of all genders and sexualities. For "I'm Not A Boy", I wanted to make a commentary on my experience as an openly androgynous artist. What it's like to date, the criticism I get from others for simply being and the condence I possess as a result of being comfortable in my own skin. For someone listening to the song who is gender uid, that's the biggest message I hope to get across- be unapologetically condent in who you are."

What was the creative process behind the contortion/lyrical dance themes in the music video?

The e choreographer for the visual, Zantino Bustos, wanted to create something that felt modern, nostalgic and alien-esque. The visual for "I'm Not A Boy" is my journey of being in my "own world" as an androgynous alien and coming into the "real world" and how difficult it can be to be yourself as a fluid person in today's society. My friends in the video, who are also my fellow dancers, rescue me and we have this beautiful dance moment together. is is to symbolize the beauty of self expression and self acceptance. So I made it a big point that the choreography really had to reect that story and I think the choreographers did a fabulous job of doing so!