“I’m a lucky girl/ I get everything I want/ Hands on the dashboard/ I trust everything is working out,” burgeoning pop star Magdalene sings at the top of her newest single, the aptly titled “Lucky Girl.”
Part affirmation, part battle cry, but fully an anthem, the song is an encapsulation of the artist and producer’s ethos. Magdalene melds early-2000s Britney, Xtina and Madonna with her own distinct very 2025, DIY flavor. She even received input from Model/Actriz frontman and recent Miley Cyrus collaborator, Cole Haden, on “Lucky Girl” lending the track the attitude of a punk smash.
When its soaring chorus comes in — where she sings, “Baby if you wanna get high on the weekend/ I can show you how I stay up in the clouds” — there’s a sense of fun and grandeur, but also some sadness, too. “It’s me poking fun at myself for being completely delusional and living in a reality where I believed I’m going to be a huge pop star,” Magdalene shares. “I wanted to make a song where I’m speaking that into existence and then acknowledging how unhinged that is in the chorus.”
In the single’s video, Magdalene goes all the way out to freezing Wyoming, where she dances in a remote strip club with some local divas. In the visuals, she bathes in the club’s red light, rides a mechanical bull in the icy tundra, and works it out on the pole, an art she was trained in by Wyoming’s best, who are also featured in the video. “The girls made sure I didn’t look like a dumbass dancing on the pole,” Magdalene tells PAPER. “I love those girls forever.”
PAPER spoke with the rising pop star about shooting in Wyoming, pop fantasy and connecting with the dancers in the video.
What are some of the challenges and highlights from creating the music video?
We shot in -7 degree weather which was not easy, but overall filming this video was one of the most memorable and special experiences of my life. I formed deep bonds with the women from the club. They are my sisters for life. The whole shoot was so “girlhood.” We held each other and cheered each other on. The girls made sure I didn’t look like a dumbass dancing on the pole. We all really saw each other. I love those girls forever. They are amazing women.
How did you translate the song into the video?
The “Lucky Girl” music video paints the dancer as god and men as her followers. I think a strip club is the perfect metaphor for the way women exist in this world. Women are the true power holders and will let men believe they are the ones in power when they know they are weak. True power does not have to be shoved down someone’s throat. These women from the club are hustling in less-than-easy conditions and making it look effortless.
What was the inspiration behind “Lucky Girl”?
I wrote this song in my first year of sobriety which ended up being a very psychedelic experience. Having to be completely present for your life is crazier than any drug you could take. That’s pretty much what the song is about. It’s me poking fun at myself for being completely delusional and living in a reality where I believed I’m going to be a huge pop star. I wanted to make a song where I’m speaking that into existence and then acknowledging how unhinged that is in the chorus.
How do you hope fans feel when they hear it?
I hope people feel catharsis, freedom and cunt! That’s what pop music is to me. The lyrics don’t necessarily have to be a deep well of emotion for the song itself to have a deep well of emotion. Pop music can generate a feeling that exceeds the theme of its lyrics. I want people to feel whatever they need to feel.
What are you working on and excited to share with fans next?
I’ve got lots more music on the way and I’m super excited for the next music video. It’s giving very desert trash meets Spring Breakers.
Any additional news or highlights you’d like to share with PAPER readers?
I’m working on an album right now that I hope will gag the girls, but in the meantime, I’ll be playing lots of shows for the rest of the year so follow my Instagram to stay in the loop!
Photography: Madeline Leary