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EMELINE: 'I think I will always have a crush on Kehlani' | My Life In 20

20 March 2026, 11:02

By Sam Prance

To celebrate the release of her debut album Emotional Virgin, we asked rising star EMELINE to take a trip down memory lane and answer our 'My Life In 20' questions.

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20) What album could you listen to 20 times over and not get bored?

The Clearing by Wolf Alice. I love all of their albums but with their latest one I appreciate the depth of their thoughts and diversity of their musicality.

19) What topic could you talk about for 19 minutes straight without notes?

How understudied womens health is. I could talk for a long time about the things I had to teach myself that most people don’t know. I like to talk openly about my own experiences and de-stigmatise it as well.

18) What was the most important thing to happen in your life when you were 18?

I became politically active and voted for the first time. One of the highlights of my life was when I performed and spoke at the Women's March in Boston.

17) Who was your crush at 17?

Kehlani - specifically because of the 'Distraction' music video. I think I will always have a crush on her.

16) What can you remember about your 16th birthday?

I’m pretty sure I went ice skating with friends from my new high school. I’m from Rhode Island and my birthday is in March so sometimes I get a warm birthday but often it’s still cold. My mom got dough and everyone made their own pizza for dinner!

EMELINE - Against The Gates (Official Music Video)

15) What did you hate at 15 which you love now?

Fish - eating wise. My dad is a fisherman and growing up I would be the only one with a hot dog on my plate so I’m happy I grew out of that.

14) What TV show were you obsessed with at 14?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I love vampires, old shows and bad ass girls who stab bad guys.

13) 13 is unlucky for some. Do you have anything that you’re superstitious about?

I often embrace the things others call unlucky. I find myself honoured when a black cat crosses my path. I believe we can create our own luck.

12) If you could live the life of any other person for 12 hours, who would you be and why?

I think I would choose to be my partner. I’m in love with his mind. It would be cool to experience the way he thinks. It would be beautiful to get to know and love myself more through his eyes.

11) Who was your best friend when you were 11?

My friend Maddie and I loved their baggy masculine clothes. We were in a band together and looking back definitely wrote a lot of gay songs about the girls in our class together.

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10) Which bad habit do you hope to have quit in 10 years time?

There aren’t many habits I feel like I need to break but one that feels like I’ve been working on my whole life is giving too many chances after seeing the first red flag.

9) What was your biggest fear when you were 9?

I was scared of Scrooge from A Christmas Carol. But I ended up facing that fear and auditioning for the show and falling in love with theatre.

8) When you were 8, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a singer and performing on stage! I had this written all over my diary and drew lots of pictures of myself singing. It’s so cool to be living out my childhood dream now.

7) Which of the seven deadly sins are you most guilty of?

Pride for sure. I think it’s really positive and important thing to have for yourself to acknowledge your hard work and accomplishments.

6) You can invite six people to your dream dinner party, who would you invite?

Probably five of my closest friends already plus Miley Cyrus who I think I would just really get along with.

EMELINE - Emotional Virgin (Official Video)

5) Name five things you can't live without.

Confidence, music, a journal, chocolate, my mom.

4) Describe yourself in four words.

Creative, effervescent, ethereal, secure.

3) Your top three songs of all time.

Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Fiona Apple - 'Why Try To Change Me Now'
Frankie Valli - 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You'

2) Name two things on your bucket list.

To travel (and make/play music) in every continent, and also to write and direct films. I’ve gotten started with the tip of the iceberg of both of these dreams already but I can’t wait to watch them unfold for my future.

1) Who or what is your one true love?

If you couldn’t tell from my music…me!!! I am the only person who has always been and will always be there for me my entire life. I am my number one fighter and I am dedicated to self love.