Missy Elliott returned with a bang: her recently released “WTF” video has already racked up nearly 14 million views. The star followed up the clip with some press—first an interview with i-D, now a Billboard cover story. In the latest article, Elliott discusses the reasons for her hiatus and shares a few details about a possible next album. Read the full story here, and check out highlights below. Find out why the "WTF" video is classic and revolutionary at the same time.
On reentering a new pop landscape: “I have to be very careful. It’s different now. People are quick to be like, ‘You’re irrelevant, you’re a flop, you’re washed up.’ ”
On recording during her time out of the spotlight: “If I wanted to do The Missing Files of Missy Elliott, I have probably six albums just sitting there.”
On the reason for her break: “It was much needed. People hadn’t realized that I haven’t just been an artist, I’ve been a writer and a producer for other artists. When you’re writing that much, your brain is like a computer. You have refresh it.”
On her private in-studio process: “I never record in front of anybody. [Even] Timbaland has never seen me record a day in his life. It’s just me and my little Yorkies, Poncho and Hoodie.”
On her pre-Super Bowl nerves: “After rumors of the surprise began to circulate online, Elliott’s anxiety mounted. The night before the game, it metastasized into a full-blown panic attack: ‘Like, IVs in my arm, everything,’ she says. ‘Nobody knew.’”
On her next album: “I want to say 2016 but I don’t want to give a time. Nowadays you say a time, they’ll stone you.”
