There’s a lot packed into “I Forgot,” one of two ambitious new songs Cara Delevingne is releasing today via Warner Records, officially launching her career as a major label artist. The track oscillates between unadorned balladry and wild bursts of hyperpop-warped energy. When Delevingne recorded it with collaborator BJ Burton (Charli “There was this desire for the real me to break through the phone, to try to break out of this version of myself that people knew or imagined or whatever. So it felt really good to let those moments of purity break through that industrial, processed sound.”
The song, which appears alongside the trip-hoppy “Out of My Head,” is also about getting used to how intense life has felt since Delevingne got sober around 2022 — “that dry, raw feeling you get when you’re unprotected and unmedicated and living as a sober person for the first time,” she says. “You think the danger-seeking behavior or rebellion is part of you – but underneath there’s actually this little child and this innocence. Rediscovering that felt scary. And also realizing that you’re not invulnerable and you can’t live a life where you don’t put your own health first – whether mental or physical.”
Sobriety was an “incredible catalyst” for Delevingne to finally pursue the music career that had always been lurking in the background. Her debut album, recorded with Burton, will be released by Warner at the end of the summer, and she will be on tour for six months starting in June – some shows have already sold out. “There was this part of me that always thought I would do this someday,” she says. “I just knew that I would be a little older and have had those experiences, that perspective, that belief in yourself.”
Years of musical roots
She has been singing, writing songs and playing drums and guitar almost her entire life. The milestones along the way: She wrote and recorded a song for the soundtrack of her 2017 film “Valerian,” appeared as a guest vocal on Fiona Apple’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters,” sang on St. Vincent’s “Pills,” and received a songwriting credit on Dijon’s “Baby” last year.
On Delevingne’s upcoming album, Apple returns the favor and co-wrote the lyrics to the club-friendly track “Need It.” “We wrote things on post-its and sent them to each other, which is really funny because we could have just sent the lyrics over,” she says. “I wanted to make a song that paid homage to her – to her impact on me as a person and as an artist. I think without the experience of going into the studio with her, I would never have felt like I could be myself, a bit like a child, without having to act like I knew what I was doing or pretend.”
As a teenager, Delevingne signed with Simon Fuller’s 19 Management, who wanted to mold her into a mainstream pop star – an idea she ultimately rejected. “They wanted to make me an artist that would be curated or designed by the people at the top, I think,” she says. “That was never an option for me in music. My favorite music has to come from places that maybe sometimes you don’t want to look at. And even if it’s harder to get there – that was the only way I wanted to go. But I just had to be patient with myself, be gentle with myself, let it happen, let it grow. It’s like a tree. It doesn’t happen quickly, definitely not.”
Club sound and dinner table truths
“Out of My Head,” which explodes into drum-and-bass madness halfway through, was originally called “Talking Heads” — but Delevingne didn’t want people to think it was a reference to the band. “It was inspired by the visual idea of sitting at a dinner where everyone is talking but no one is telling the truth,” she explains. “And that kind of human condition that sometimes people prefer to keep up appearances – when you know someone’s having an affair and someone has a drug problem – no one says the real words. That’s where it comes from.”
The two songs are also part of a short film directed by “Severance” cinematographer and director Jessica Lee Gagné. “I always wanted to do a double video, which I didn’t tell Jessica at the time,” Delevingne says. “But I was lucky that she had the exact same idea.” The film is full of wild, elaborate special effects: “My taste is a little expensive for a new artist,” she adds with a laugh. “But I can handle it myself.”
A more conventional pop single follows soon: the catchy “Crazy Baby,” which sounds like a hit. “I didn’t actually want to release it as a single, strangely enough,” says Delevingne, who wrote it for her partner, British musician Minke. “I thought it was too obvious… But I love this song… My partner, who I’ve been with throughout the whole process and who’s been incredibly supportive – I made it to annoy her, in the sense that she hates grand gestures and is a very private person. The lyrics basically say, ‘I’m sorry, but this is a love song. You have to deal with that.’ In a sweet way.”
Skepticism towards the major label
Delevingne wasn’t sure about going to a major label for her music – she describes them as “more left-leaning, and I felt like it would probably come out on an indie label. I was skeptical and scared and worried about who the right partner would be.” Aaron Bay-Schuck, CEO and co-chairman of Warner Records Group, won her over by showing early confidence in her music. “Cara is an absolute force of nature,” Bay-Schuck said in a statement. “That’s obvious to anyone who’s seen her as a model, actress or follows her on social media – but when it comes to music, she’s on a completely different level. Every element of her artistry, from her voice to her songwriting to her musicianship and her natural flair as a producer, is fully present on this album.”
Delevingne adds: “I wanted this music to feel like pop music – in the sense that it reaches as many ears as possible. If anyone hears it and feels something, that’s all I want.”
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Why does Campino think that sometimes it’s good to just keep your mouth shut? Why does he sometimes feel like a drinks delivery man? He provides the answer in our cover story about the Toten Hosen’s big farewell, exclusively in issue 06/26. And that’s not all: the magazine includes the world exclusive 7-inch single “Always just loved” – on which Sven Regener from Element of Crime also contributed. You can easily order the ROLLING STONE edition here.
