Ashlee Keating Reveals What Makes Her Shout ‘Yasss’ With New Song: ‘I Basically Say It Every Day’
Ashlee Keating has a brand new song, and that’s a reason to shout, ‘Yasss.’ She tells us what inspired the catchy track, who’d she LOVE to work with, and when we can expect her upcoming EP.
For all those feeling “so Beyoncé,” whether it’s your birthday or not, Ashlee Keating is here with the anthem that’ll make you say “Yasss.” The infectious dance track, which Ashlee says was written with her LGBTQ+ friends and family in mind, is an energetic burst of color for the body, mind, and soul. Bouncy like a tight pony when hitting a club, “Yasss” is a groovy slice of dance-pop that will make anyone feel so good, they’ll have to bring it to the runway and strut. One-half self-empowerment anthem, one-half dance club love-letter, “Yasss” is all fun.
“It came to me instantly,” Ashlee says to HollywoodLife of “Yasss” in an EXCLUSIVE interview over email. “I wanted to make a song that was uplifting, fun, me, and empowering.” During the convo, she also spoke about the last thing to make her say “Yasss,” if Cardi B and Ed Sheeran are her dream collaborators, and when fans can expect her forthcoming EP to hit. New music from Ashlee? Yasss, queen.
HollywoodLife: Was there a specific moment that inspired the song? Or was this a feeling that was building up over the years, and you finally just had to say “Yasss”?
Ashlee Keating: Pretty much! [laughs] That was my mood the day of my writing/recording session, and I’m always saying “YASSS.”
Was it hard to put this song together, or was “Yasss” one of those songs that seemingly wrote itself?
It definitely was an easy writing session that the song pretty much wrote itself. I was feeling myself that day with my ponytail and all, hence the lyric “I’m gonna flip my pony, okay bitch I slay”! It came to me instantly. I wanted to make a song that was uplifting, fun, me, and empowering so my fans can feel some type of way when they listen! Ironically, I kept saying “YASSS” with all these lyric ideas my co-writers and I bounced off of each other. We kept getting excited and decided, “Hey maybe we should just call it ‘YASSS!'”
You have a new EP coming out. You once described your music as “Sassy, fierce and authentic!” Does this next release stick to that aesthetic? Would you also add a new description to it?
Yes, for sure! It definitely will have all of those elements and maybe even some more! I’m still in the process of finishing up my EP, writing & recording, and perfecting it, so I can’t give you a full description just yet. I’m excited about it, though!
When last we spoke, you picked Ed Sheeran and Cardi B as the people you want to work with most? Are they still your dream collaborations, or has someone dethroned these two?
[laughs] Great question! I love both of those artists. To be honest, Lizzo is one of my all-time favorites right now! I would absolutely LOVE to collab with her! I feel like our energies in the studio would be iconic, and we could definitely write/make some fire together! I love what she stands for and her positive energy! She’s incredible! Cardi B is definitely still on the list also and everything I said about her!
What’s the most recent thing that has made you honestly say “Yasss”?
I basically say it every day, to be honest! The last time I really said it though, was at New York Fashion Week this month when I was living for certain runway looks and different outfits I wore that week! It’s always when I’m feeling some type of way about something or someone, and I’m just like “YASSS” –serving!
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“Yaas” is out now.