MOLLY SANTANA: CREATING A WORLD OF HER OWN

PHOTOGRAPHY BISHOP ELEGINO - STLYING JULIET CHARLOTTE + NICOLE CARERI - WORDS MAISIE JANE DANIELS

Molly Santana is not just making music—she's creating a world of her own. The rising star has carved her own lane with a fearless approach to both music and fashion, blending raw emotion with undeniable style. As she prepares to release her highly anticipated album, Molly And Her Week of Wonders, she has her adoring fans eager for a slice of it (if you know, you know).

F Word had the pleasure of speaking with Molly about her journey from recording songs on wired Apple headphones to sharing stages with Don Toliver. Throughout our conversation, it became clear that Molly is more than just an artist; she's a storyteller, a visionary, and a force to be reckoned with. Her music speaks to growth, self-discovery, and the power of embracing your roots—all themes that are beautifully woven into her epic latest single and video to match, "2 Rich," and her upcoming album.

Our chat covered everything from her experiences growing up with a multicultural background, to the resilience she carries as a woman in the music industry, to talks of a tour where you can expect to have a load of fun, and maybe lose an eyelash or two - we can't wait!

Maisie Daniels: Hey Molly, thank you for talking with me today. Are you in New York at the moment?

Molly Santana: I’m in Georgia at the moment.

MD: Nice. What are you doing there?

MS: I’m just catching up with my family and just relaxing.

MD: l love your voice!

MS: I love your voice, literally, I love your accent. So much.

MD: Oh, thank you! Your first release was in 2021, but I want to know what was your journey leading up to that point?

MS: I made my first song in the car by myself, on some Apple wired headphones because I was too embarrassed to let anybody hear me record. But after I had uploaded it to SoundCloud, all my friends were feeling it, so I just started recording on Pro Tools. But at first it was just a hobby, I was just seeing what I could do. Because I always thought about doing music, and I always wanted to because I've always been obsessed with music, but at first I was just seeing what I could do, not really doing anything seriously with it.

MD: It must be amazing to see how far you've come. I remember those headphones as well, with the wires, they'd always get so tangled - nightmare!

MD: Okay, so your mum works at Universal Music in Japan. And so I was wondering, could you share with our readers the story that comes with that, with you translating lyrics?

MS: I mean, the thing is my mum doesn't work for them, she used to. She used to be a journalist too, so she would do interviews but she wasn’t heavily tied-in and hasn’t done work for them for years but she'll do some little projects sometimes, where she'll translate and she'll give me the work, but I don't know too much about it. She’s always talked about doing interviews before I was born and she used to interview Kanye in the '90s era - Snoop Dogg people like that.

MS:Wow, that's so cool.

MS: Yeah. I wish I could have been around during that time doing that. But, yeah, my mum has always been working. She's a teacher - mainly she teaches Japanese, so my whole life growing up she would always be focused on that, that was her main job. And then sometimes she would just get these little side jobs where she would have lyrics to translate for the label, or whatever. And sometimes she would be too busy, so she would ask me to help her, just write it out in English first. I would write out what I hear in English and, because I'm younger, I got the lingo and stuff that she couldn't understand. She’d asked me what does this mean? Like, what is this line? Because it'll just be, you know, some rapper, and the stuff that she doesn't understand because she's not from here. She's from Japan and English is her second language so I'd come in and help sometimes, or my brother, but yeah.

MD: Nice. And did you ever play a prank on her and translate the lyrics differently?

MS: No [laughs] I never. I've always been a follow-the-rules kind of kid.

MD: Had you not been around music in that capacity, do you think you would have still become a rapper?

MS: Honestly, probably not. Because, I feel like you really are a product of what you grow up around - you are interested in what you grow up with and I happened to grow up around two people who really love music…

MD: That makes sense. You also studied fashion in Tokyo, is that right?

MS: Yes

MD: How much of your fashion background influences the way you present your music?

MS: I think it influences it a lot, a lot. Even if you go back to my first EP, one of the songs on there is just named after a Number Nine shirt I really liked at the time, or, it's not even after a shirt, it's actually after a whole collection by Number Nine. If you notice, a lot of my old music I would rap about fashion a lot. I would just throw in designers and stuff in there. But I feel like fashion and music definitely go hand in hand. Especially for women too. A lot of the stuff is that we're looked at, physically too. Sometimes it matters more about the physical than it does the music. So, I don't know, being into fashion definitely helps me a lot with standing out, or just expressing myself better, because there’s only so much you can do with lyrics and music.

MD: For sure and work with your strengths! Your latest single titled "2 Rich" has dropped. I love the song, and the video l is so EPIC. How did it feel like starring in this? And were you cold?

MS: Yeah, I mean I’m so cold no matter what. I'm always cold. I think I'm genuinely anaemic or something. I'm from Southern California so I'm just not used to anything below 60 degrees. I spent the whole last month in Wyoming, and it got to negative 20 degrees, which is super cold for me. Unbelievable. I have never even been in that but I spent a whole month out there in snow. Snow every single day, it was freezing cold. And now I'm like, 60 degrees feels good to me. Finally, I can wear shorts and not be freezing and wear a t-shirt and be okay.

MD: Did you enjoy starring in your video? It looks like a lot of fun but I can imagine tough at times as well.

MS: Yeah, it was so fun. I mean, it's definitely my favourite video so far. But it was very hectic. It was two days of straight shooting, in the snow. I literally had to carry a towel with me for my nose every five minutes because it was so cold. I had no idea what I was signing myself up for, especially with the helicopter - I thought it was going to be cute! Like oh, it's snow in the sky, flying up... so cute. But no, it hurts so bad. I remember literally, at the end of the day, my hands were just purple, like bruised. I think some cells literally died.

MD: Wow! I mean the end result is sooo good! No pain, no gain. Aside from the helicopter moment, there was also the beautiful horse that featured throughout it. Was there any symbolism with that choice of animal?

MS: Honestly, the horse wasn't even my idea. I really wanted elk in the video. They have a lot of elk out there, but we settled for the horse. The horse was really cute, l love horses. I honestly love all animals.

MD: You’re also wearing your iconic black grills. Could you talk me through the background of these and the link to your Japanese heritage.

MS: Yeah, so, they go back, really, really, really, really way back I think to the emperor age of Japan. But they used to be used as a symbol of your status, or your wealth, or they're just a symbol of beauty as well. But I always thought it was interesting because I'm half black, half Japanese, and I really love the colour black. I think it's such a beautiful colour. And in our society over here, I don't know about y'all over there, but we tend to look down on black as a dark colour, a kind of evil, or you know, just white is light and dark and black are bad, or whatever. And I just think that it's cool that my Japanese side looks at black as a colour of power and it resonates with me really deeply.

MD: That's really cool. I love that you're reclaiming that colour through your heritage. What do you hope your fans take away from "2 Rich".

MS: That song was really just a sneak peek into where we're going, honestly. 2 Rich was just for concerts too. Like, yeah, that's for a tour. Get ready for a tour. We're gonna have some fun, and the album is going to be insane - go crazy at the shows, type of songs. But also I'm looking to elevate the visuals a lot more too. So that's really what I was trying to communicate.

MD: Yeah, it really looks like you're creating your own Molly universe. Speaking of the album, you've teased the title on social media: Molly And Her Week of Wonders. Can you tell us why you chose that name?

MS: It’ after a movie. My last album  cover was based on the Joker, obviously. My friend Stan - he’ a really cool creative - he's just cracked out, he's just crazy, but I mean that in the best way. I think all of the best creatives are cracked out. Stan had sent me a list of a bunch of movie names that was just for inspo, for the next album name, and he had sent it a while back, probably, half a year almost a year ago, but that one just, like, stuck with me and my team for this whole time. And I was really thinking about it, and with that one it just made sense and I've been watching a bunch of movies recently and I just love the name because there's so many different ways to describe it.

MD: On this topic - if Molly And Her Week of Wonders was turned into film, what genre would it be and who would play you?

MS: That's crazy. Honestly, some fiction, but it's non fiction - some Allice in Wonderland type vibe.

MD: Ooo I can see that. Who will play you?

MS: This girl named Aubrey Plaza. She’s monotone and uninterested-looking in everything. And I feel like that's kind of how I come off to people. I feel like she would be fire as me.

MD: I love that. Okay, so what were the inspirations behind the album?

MS: Just what I'm going through at the moment, honestly, it's just real raw emotion. And all of my musical interests have been inspiring me a lot, like everybody around me, and all the producers I've been working with have been the ones who really inspire me to be honest.

MD: Do you feel you've evolved since your last album, and if so, how? This could be sonically, personally, both?

MS: Yeah, I think I've grown a lot sonically and personally - it's been a year. I feel like I've definitely changed a lot in the way that I go about recording music and what I write about now is definitely different, because just the stuff that I've experienced in the past year has been really different than the year before, especially, business wise, too. There's so much stuff that I'm learning, and now I'm just maturing.

MD: That’s cool that you've got this body of work that represents your growth. I want some more teasers about the album! So if the album was a colour, a taste and a temperature, what would they be and why?

MS: Honestly, if it was a colour, I think it would be gold. A taste, a dark cherry for real. And temperature, hmm, it's like, humid - what it feels like to be in the womb or something.

MD: Ooh, okay,  I've got a good visual there. How do you go about writing a song? Does it change?

MS: Usually, I'll sit there for an hour and write. I'll pick a loop, and then I'll write for an hour, sometimes two, if I'm really stuck. Then I'll just go in with my engineer and we’ll do a lot of layers and just mess with my voice, like, using my voice as an instrument. Usually I'll go back in and clean stuff up and do it there. I’m a finish it there type of girl. Then you come back and make small changes on the production, the beat or something. But, yeah, I try to just nail it for the first time.

MD: When you write a song, are you on your phone on a Notes app, or do you write in a notepad?

MS: It’s definitely on my phone in the Notes app, because I switch words too much to work on actual paper.

MD: So if we cracked open your notes app, what would be the most unexpected idea that made it onto the album.

MS: Honestly, I couldn't even tell you yet.

MD: That’s fair enough!

MS: That’s literally what I was just talking about. I don't think I've made something weird enough yet. We're still in the last stages where I'm needing sessions to see, like, what else can I get out. The finishing touches.

MD: Do you enjoy the collaborative process when you're working with producers?

MS: Yeah, I love it, because it's like I'm performing for them, so it makes me feel like I have to do my best. Rather than when I'm alone. I love being alone, too. I haven't recorded alone in a really long time, so, yeah, I'm actually about to try that tonight.

MD: Is there a track you're most proud of, and why?

MS: Honestly, I'm proud of all of them. Equally, they're all great representations of where I'm at right now.

MD: You've been named one of COMPLEX magazine’s 25 rappers to watch in 2025 - congratulations. Does that make you feel pressure, or does that fuel you?

MS: It just makes me feel appreciated and seen. I don't feel any pressure, I just felt thankful for it.

MD: We have International Women's Day coming up. Who is the woman that has inspired you the most, and why?

MS: I would definitely say my mum of all the people in the world. I feel like a lot of women would probably say that because nobody knows your story, or you can relate to their story more than like your mum. Especially with my mum, she's Japanese. She came here to America to have me, have her family, and I just think that's so brave, because I tried to go and live in her country, and it's so different. It's honestly so admirable to me that she can adjust to such a different lifestyle so easily, just for her family. I think Asian women especially are so perfect in my eyes, they're really hard workers, and they're so beautiful on the inside and and the outside. They’re so kind and sweet, but they're so tough on the inside. I really just look up to my mum. She's a great role model to me.

MD: That’s such a beautiful answer. Is there anything you'd like to see change as a female in the music industry?

MS: I just would like to see more - I hate to use this word - but  fellowship. Or just real friendships, real relationships because I feel like a lot of men, they have their groups, they have their books, and they have their people that they ride or die for. But I feel for a lot of us women, we are kind of just all holding our ship up on our own, just navigating stuff on our own. You know, I just wish I could see more women having each other's backs.

MD: Do you have any advice for female rappers wanting to make it in the industry?

MS: Don’t listen to men more than to yourself. And always keep it sweet. Always keep it professional and and always keep it down to earth. Don't, don't get too caught up in all the ego, lights and stuff. Stay humble.

MD: You've recently wrapped up your opening tour slot on Don Tolliver’s Psycho tour last year, so how was it - any wild stories?

MS: I mean, I wasn't doing anything wild. I remember one of the last nights and the whole production had two buses and I was parked next to them in my little Sprinter van. It was like a SpongeBob episode, they were literally having so much fun in there but it was so loud. It sounded like when you went on YouTube and searched up "frat party sound" effects, that was literally what was going on in there. I was like, damn, that's what I'm supposed to be doing, and I'm not doing that. And I just felt so lame, but I had so much fun on the tour. That was enough for me…

MD: There’s always got to be a party bus! What do you ask for in your Ryder?

MS: I always ask for Mountain Valley water, fruits, and obviously tea…  but I don’t really drink tea too much, so I’ll really just be drinking water and eating fruit snacks and potato chips, for real.

MD: If you had to describe the vibe of your live shows in three words, what would they be?

MS: My live shoes are loud. Rached (and I mean that in the best way ever) - if you’re gonna be coming to my show, you gotta be ready to leave missing a shoe, or some nails, an eyelash… you got to be ready for that! For the third one, I would say friendly. It’s cosy - I always talk to everybody in the concert, and connect with them. I come down and see what’s going on in the crowd. It’s very homey.

MD: Cute! What does the rest of 2025 have I stall?

MS: Definitely my own headline tour. The album is going to be fucking insane. That’s really all I’m looking forward to! Everything else can come after, honesty.

MD: Any final words for the fans?

MS: I love them. And I hope that this album makes them proud to be a fan.

MD: This is F Word magazine - what’s your favourite F - word?

MS: Right now, I would say “faith”.