Diana Vickers returns to music after 12 years with ‘sexy’ single, Ice Cream: ‘A love letter to the gays’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The singer-songwriter, who last released music back in 2013, drops Ice Cream today (22 August)
By Callum Wells
Diana Vickers has announced her return to music with Ice Cream, her first single in 12 years.
The former X Factor star, who last released music in 2013, drops the track today (22 August). She describes it as “a musical love letter to the gays and the girlies”, after years of focusing on acting, comedy and podcasting.
“It feels very satisfying and exciting and the right time,” Vickers tells Attitude. “I’ve been away for a long time but I did a gig a couple of years ago and it just reignited this fire in me where I was like, I just love being on stage. I thought, ‘You know what, I think there is an audience for me still there.'”
“I get a say on everything and it feels really, really nice” – Diana Vickers on becoming an independent artist
Ice Cream marks her first release as an independent artist, having previously been signed to Simon Cowell‘s Syco and indie label, So Recordings. “It feels really exciting,” she says, “I’ve never done it this way before. I’ve been with a major, so it just feels… I’ve been obviously having to be really hands on. I get a say on everything and it feels really, really nice.”
Vickers says the inspiration came quickly, remembering: “It literally just the first line that came out of my mouth, I just remember just going, ‘Hi, I’m back… Did you miss me?’ It just felt really sexy. The minute I wrote it, I had so many visuals coming to my head,” Diana gushes. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can see the video. It’s everyone snogging ice creams.’ It’s sexy. For me, it feels like the liberation of anyone that’s feeling sexually frustrated or sexually sort of scared just to sort of let loose and just be free.”
The singer also spoke warmly about her LGBTQ+ fanbase, gushing about her love of performing for the community – something she’s excited to have done a lot of, lately. “I just want to do a sort of like musical love letter to the gays and the girlies,” she says. “From when I was 16, my first makeup artist and my tour manager were queer. That’s where I feel happiest and feel really loved and accepted. From there, I just surround myself by a lot of queer, fabulous people. It’s just where I feel my most happiest, really.”
“I just want to drop a gay pop banger every so often” – Vickers on her love for the LGBTQ+ community
While there are no plans for a full album yet, more singles are likely. Vickers teases, “My plan is that I just want to drop a gay pop banger every so often and not feel the need to be restricted. There’s definitely another song that I’m super excited about.”
The musician, who reached fourth place on The X Factor in 2008, went on to score a number one with her debut single Once in 2010 and a top 10 album with Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree.
A follow-up record, Music to Make Boys Cry, arrived in 2013 before Vickers stepped back from music to take on other projects – including lead stage roles in I Wish You Well: The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical and The Rocky Horror Show, as well as comedy and podcasting endeavours like Ki & Dee: The Podcast and Just Between Us.
Diana Vickers’ new single, Ice Cream, is out now.