Feature: Robert Baxter - PARTYANIMAL
Audacious, uncompromising and steadfast in their creative instincts, it’s impossible to put Robert Baxter in a box, and that’s what they find the most liberating. Flaunting their engmatic flare on latest release PARTYANIMAL.
No matter how anyone tries to categorise their art, Robert has never felt more secure in their popstar persona, their creative community, the music they’re making, and PARTYANIMAL is proof.
Making their most club-forward music yet, PARTYANIMAL bridges the “unapologetic gay, sexy, sweaty” energy of a night out and the vulnerabilities that linger on the comedown.
“It’s the animalistic play between needs and desires — the production is all ferocious and headbanging, but the lyrics contain another side to the animal if you listen,” they reveal.
Robert treats vulnerability, desire, and humour as the same material, worked and reworked until the line between sincerity and irony disappears, as a way to process the ups and downs of young adult life.
Raised on Yorta Yorta Country before relocating to a city where they now sell out their own headline shows, the now far-reaching support system they’ve built inspired ‘SKY CITY’, whereas ‘NAMELESS’ relishes in the anonymity of nightlife on the other side of the world.
More personally, ‘I <3 GIRLS’ came from an experience of being told
“you’re so beautiful, but I don’t like girls”, transformed into a love-letter to all the girls in their life.
“Everything I do is for the girls; we would have no culture without the Trans girls, no pride without the queer girls, no life without the mothers,”
Robert shares. Focus track ‘BRB’ – the hard-hitting opener to PARTYANIMAL – is a clap-back to people who try to undermine your success.
"There was this person in the music industry being kind of rude to me, and I was like, whatever, it's okay; not everyone has to like me,”
Robert explains.
“But then I hear they've been hitting up the producers I work with, photographers, like, I'm on the moodboard. Maybe they were trying to play it cool, and that's why they were being rude, but either way, good luck trying to be me.”
Balancing that same duality between playfulness and vulnerability in the lyrics, ‘BRB’ is a reminder to know your worth and back yourself, but also, sometimes it’s not that serious (“No Kim, I'm the one they're keeping up with!”).
With their diverse catalogue Robert Baxter is carving out their own lane in Australian pop, their latest release PARTYANIMAL EP is out now, buy/stream it HERE.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH BRB
