Cat Burns: ‘I want people to not feel so alone’

She might still be young enough to get into the Tate on the cheap, but south London pop star Cat Burns is a hell of a lot wiser than most twenty-somethings. And it’s no surprise, really, when you consider her journey so far. 

Since her breakout single go went viral on TikTok back in 2022 – eventually reaching number 2 in the UK music charts as a result – the 24-year-old Streatham native has experienced the kind of stratospheric rise that would force anyone to grow up quickly, reaching number four in the BBC Sound of 2023 polls, touring with Years & Years, Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran, collaborating with rapper ArDee and picking up three nominations at the 2023 Brit Awards. 

And at the same time, she’s been learning many of the same life lessons that your average twenty-something Londoner learns. She’s come out and fallen in love. She’s dealt with anxiety, learned to stop people-pleasing, and grown to accept her flaws. And she’s put all of that life experience into her debut album, early twenties. 

As she celebrates its long-awaited release, she chats to Time Out about everything she’s learned along the way.

It’s nearly four years since you released the first single from your new album, so it’s been quite a long time coming. How do you feel about finally putting it out into the world?

I feel very ready! It’s a nice way to end a chapter of my life. You write a song two, three years ago, and when it finally comes out you’re in a completely different space. I’m excited to move forward and see what new things I create, because I haven't been in the studio and written anything new in well over a year. I’m intrigued to see what I have to say. 

It’s called early twenties and it feels quite old-school as an album, in that there’s a real narrative and theme. Would you agree?

Yeah definitely, it’s about that time in your life and everything that comes with it; falling in love, heartbreak, introspection, healing, self acceptance. 

Another thing you touch on in the album, and something you’ve been quite vocal about recently, is your queer identity. What made you decide to be open about that?

I decided to be open about [my sexuality] because it's life and it's my reality. So I never want to not be authentic about my reality and how I experience life in my songs. I purposely make my songs genderless so everyone can listen to them, but if they’re love songs they will be about women, and there probably will be songs where that’s more obvious. I think it’s easier to just be truthful about your existence instead of shying away from it. I’m in a position where I have such a support system, and a safe space to be myself.

That’s something that pop music seems to have really embraced in recent years. 

Yeah, it feels like more people are feeling much more confident and comfortable with their sexuality, and with being open with that and sharing it. There's Kehlani, there's Syd from The Internet, obviously Billie Eilish, Renee Rapp, Fletcher, so many artists doing that. 

It definitely seems like we’re going through a moment in pop culture. Some people are calling it the ‘Lesbian Renaissance’. How does it feel to be releasing music into this landscape?

I think there has to be more conversation when it comes to Black lesbians. The ‘renaissance’ feels very white-led. There are people that are forgotten, I would like for more Black lesbians and Black queer women to be included within that conversation, like myself! I think sometimes I forget to talk about my queerness because it’s just so ingrained. My whole existence is through a queer lens, and maybe I forget to be more vocal about it. I can't lose sleep over it, but I think I should be included if we’re having more conversations about bloody lesbians. I’m here!

So you went to the BRIT School. People have this idea that it’s just full of precocious theatre kids who are desperate for fame. What’s it really like?

I can’t say it felt like a normal school, because it didn’t.  You get to do your craft, all day every day, which is just so unique, especially for a free school. It definitely did have a bit of a “Fame” type stage school element to it. People would be on tables in the cafeteria and stuff when they had a project they wanted to tell you about. But the biggest thing was the sense of community. If you need someone to film a video for you, you can go to the media strand and ask them. If you want dancers, you can go to dance class. There was someone for everyone.

You’re releasing a short film this week to accompany the album. Tell us a bit about it.

We shot most of it at a club called the Steel Yard, which is in the City, and then around bits of north London. It hones in on a friendship group based in London, and it’s really just about the reality of growing up here. 

You grew up in Streatham. Do you think London has had any particular influence on you and your music?

Yeah, I think being a Londoner is so different to being from other parts of the UK. There’s such a connection when you meet somebody that's also from London. You’ve just got the same humour, the same banter. Some might say we have a bluntness about us. It's unserious, but also straight to the point. And that's kind of how I wanted my music to be as well.

One of the themes on the album is anxiety, and how that sometimes manifests as wanting to avoid people. How do you reconcile it with being someone that’s in the public eye?

It's just masking. I'm just an autistic girl who's been used to masking her whole life. I need to recharge by myself after being around people, but I'm also accepting that as there is a part of me that enjoys connection and does seek connection with people, within reason. I like connection but I also need to just be by myself and not perceived by anything or anyone. So I think [my music] is a conscious effort to showcase, especially to other neurodivergent people, that you can be both.

There’s also a song about being a people pleaser.

I’m a recovering one, but back when I was a full fledged people pleaser, I think I just struggled to say no to a lot, and I was unable to set boundaries for myself. But I learned that being a people pleaser is kind of selfish on your part, because you’re not giving people a sense of autonomy by telling them the whole truth or being completely honest about what you want. I’m definitely a recovering one now that I’ve learned that it’s not a good thing.

Another theme in the album, and in your film, is dating apps. Have you done your fair share of, like, app dating?

The last time I was on dating apps I was 19 or 20 and I’ll never do it again! You get some crazies on there that say weird things, and make it feel like, ‘Why am I even on here?’ I think nowadays we’re all getting tired of it. People are craving connection in real life. Plus, the queer community is tiny and I would feel very perceived if I was on them now. So that’s not where I'm going to meet anybody, if I am to meet somebody. I think that was for a younger me.

You seem pretty self aware for someone who’s written a whole album about being in your early twenties. Where do you think that comes from?

I think just how I think, just how I was raised. I have an older sister who’s 30, and from when I was young, my mum always allowed me to participate in conversations, and find my voice. And there’s also something about being in a creative industry that ages you really fast. You have to be ok with rejection, and you have to have the determination to get where you want to go. I’ve been in this industry for four years now, around people that are older than me, and I’ve had to grow up very quickly. 

And for young people who might be struggling with some of the same things you talk about on the album, what are you hoping they take from it?

I just want people to not feel so alone, or to think that what they’re experiencing is just their experience. There’s comfort in knowing that even though you might be going through a really hard time, there are so many people also feeling the same. I wanted to showcase as much range as possible within the songs, so that whatever it is you’re experiencing, there’s a song in there for you. 

Cat Burns’ debut album 'early twenties' is out now. The accompanying short film is released on Thursday.