On Tuesday, October 27, Mollie Elizabeth joined members of the press for an 1824 virtual press conference to talk about her upcoming EP People Pleaser, the inspiration behind her music, and how her experiences have shaped her as an artist. Known for mixing whimsical sounds and fairytale-like storytelling with darker subject matter, Elizabeth has found a way to make difficult topics feel a little less heavy without taking away from their meaning. Following her 2025 debut EP Dirty Blonde and the success of “Run Rabbit,” which had surpassed 74 million Spotify streams at the time of the conference, she is now preparing to share a project that challenges beauty standards, conformity, and the expectations placed on young women. One of the biggest things Elizabeth touched on during the conversation was why she chooses to approach difficult subjects through whimsical storytelling. Her music often sounds light and almost magical, even when the lyrics explore experiences like abuse, medical dismissal, and self-image. She explained that writing about difficult experiences too literally once left her feeling sad and stuck. Finding a way to turn those experiences into something more fantastical gave her a different way to process them. “I feel like I'm a big advocate for romanticizing,” she said. “Things don't need to be heavy. They don't need to be so super sad.” Her love for classic Disney films, fairytales, and theatrical storytelling has played a big part in shaping that approach.
The idea behind People Pleaser also came from a major change in Elizabeth's life. After moving to Los Angeles in January, she found herself surrounded by billboards, advertisements, plastic surgery, and constant reminders of how society expects people to look and behave. She described that environment as a major influence on the project and its themes. The conversation also touched on how her relationship with her own music has changed. After spending years writing more somber songs about difficult experiences, she has started embracing the anger that comes with realizing she deserved better. “I think that I'm finding a lot of self-confidence and a little bit of a hint of wanting revenge,” she said. Elizabeth also talked about the importance of staying true to herself as her career continues to grow. She began making music on GarageBand using her laptop keyboard and eventually found herself working alongside other people in professional recording sessions. While she appreciated those collaborations, she said learning to speak up for her own ideas was an important part of finding her voice as an artist. “You really have to learn how to stand up for yourself and say what you want to make,” she explained. That same message carries into the EP's closing track, “Kiss the Ring,” which she described as the most anti-people-pleasing song on the project. As she put it, “You deserve to be pleased, not just the pleaser.”
Outside of the music, Elizabeth spoke about how special it has been to see people connect with “Run Rabbit” and create their own art inspired by the song. She described the experience as surreal, especially seeing how much listeners have made the track their own. At the same time, she admitted that it can be difficult knowing so many people relate to the song's heavier themes. With People Pleaser, she hopes listeners feel empowered to question the expectations around them and figure out what they actually want for themselves. As she prepares to bring the new music on tour, she promised performances that will be “kooky and weird and spooky.” If the press conference made anything clear, it is that Elizabeth isn't interested in fitting into anyone else's idea of what an artist should be. Instead, she is learning to make room for exactly who she wants to be.
- Ava Kellner Pence
