Justine Skye is fully embracing her new phase by "creating music that makes people want to dance."

      Welcome to "On a Roll," a profile series that provides an insider's look into the lives of trending talents through an exclusive view of their personal camera rolls. Discover behind-the-scenes insights and a glimpse into the phones of your favorite celebrities, showcasing their most treasured photo moments from both personal and public life. Justine Skye is well-acquainted with significant changes in her image. The singer-actress rose to Tumblr fame in her teenage years, quickly becoming recognized for her striking purple hair—earning her the nickname "the purple unicorn"—and her smooth vocals that revitalized popular tracks such as Drake's “Headlines.” These online highlights propelled her to sign her first record deal and dive into her R&B music career. While the internet was instrumental in Skye’s early achievements, her online experiences have not always been kind. Much of her early adult life was under harsh scrutiny, with every post, comment, like, or share analyzed by those who claimed to know her better than she did herself. Coupled with her intimate moments being exposed to the public, this made the journey of self-discovery and path-setting particularly challenging. However, those days are behind her, and today, Skye's hair color isn't the only aspect that has transformed. (While her hair remains a hot topic, she has now transitioned to a blonde hue, with fans often urging her to reveal the secret behind her unique color.) At 30, she's matured and is now focused on putting herself at the forefront by embracing a crucial transition in her career: altering her musical sound. Although she gained widespread fame for her R&B beginnings with hits like “Collide” and "Know Myself," the former Grown-ish star is prepared for a new chapter. Drawing inspiration from her travels and aiming to create music that embodies fun and a lighter approach to life, Skye is officially venturing into dance music, releasing singles one by one. Tracks like “Bitch In Ibiza,” “Oh La La,” and the upcoming “Yap” (set for release on October 3) signal the dawn of a new era that no one, not even her longtime Tumblr followers, has seen before.

      We had a candid conversation with Skye where we discussed her music, her online life, and celebrating joy. Join us as we dive deeper into Justine Skye's world, uncovering her thoughts and taking a look at her personal camera roll.

      With the launch of your recent singles "Bitch in Ibiza" and "Oh La La," you seem to have moved away from your R&B roots towards dance music. What prompted this change? Can you elaborate on this new era and its significance to you?

      This new period signifies making music that gets people dancing. For a long time, I released slow, melancholic tracks, and that didn’t feel authentic anymore. When creating my latest music, it was vital that we were having fun and excited about what we were doing that day. If we weren't, we would shift gears and try something different.

      What has been the reception to this new direction? Are there any special moments you'd like to share?

      Someone who has significantly encouraged me during this transition is Kaytranada. I have always admired and respected him, so having his support truly means a lot. As a Virgo, I dislike rejection; he’s also a Virgo. We were both quite shy while getting to know each other, but with some encouragement from friends, we found ourselves in the studio together. I’ve broken down the walls I built out of fear that people wouldn’t take me seriously, and now, I feel unstoppable.

      Aside from Kaytranada, is there a dream artist you would like to collaborate with?

      I would love to work with more female producers and DJs, especially Black women like Crystallmess and PinkPantheress. Donna Summer and Janet Jackson played significant roles in shaping modern dance music, yet Black women are often confined to specific genres or styles. I cherish my R&B origins but value the freedom to explore and evolve my sound.

      Have you encountered any challenges while transitioning to dance music?

      Yes. Even now that I've firmly committed to this direction, I still see comments like, "Oh, this doesn't sound like her. We preferred her R&B music." My upbringing taught me to experiment and be myself, so it's always been in me to go beyond expectations. Yet, it's not so far off because Black women have always been at the forefront of dance music. In today’s culture, we've been conditioned to believe this genre belongs to a particular demographic, but really, it’s just music.

      “Bitch in Ibiza” has such a lively energy. Can you discuss the inspiration behind the song?

      We were in the studio during a session where everyone was trying to find their footing as it was our first time working together. My friends Kito and Noah started experimenting with a beat, and Kito found a sample that sparked ideas. We joked about it