Mikayla Geier's HOTLINE

Amanda Zhang

Music artist Mikayla Geier is a poet.

From her emotional lyrics in “I Don’t Feel Safe In My Body” to her relatable words in “No Thoughts,” the 26-year-old Chinese-German Canadian singer-songwriter knows how to describe every little detail she wants to share within a verse and without a full explainer attached. In her new single, “HOTLINE,” the first verse explains it all: red flags.

You married Mr. C-section, oh, he's avoiding labor

A knight in shining crocs and socks, he's almost a crusader

He wants you isolated, so he put you on a glacier

It wasn't all your fault, I mean, he looked so good on paper

“Honestly, with the lyrics, a lot of times, my brain is just constantly running,” Geier says over Zoom from her Los Angeles home. “I’m always thinking about things. I could see caution tape, and I’ll write it down, and it gets written into a song. Or a lot of the time, my friends are just very funny. I have stolen some things that my friends say in conversations. Sometimes we’ll be talking, and I stop and write it down. They’re hilarious.​"

“Hotline,” which was released last Friday, is a cinematic yet cheeky alt-pop-funk breakup anthem, something Geier calls “really fun.” She worked with American producer CJ Baran, known for his cinematic alt-pop production, to micro-sample orchestral sounds into the track. She was inspired by the French electronic music duo Justice, especially from their album Cross.

“It’s my very first time working with CJ,” she explains. “I knew I wanted to go for this fun, whimsical energy that I found on [my second EP], Hot Pot. You can hear a little bit of that orchestral influence on ‘Hotline’.”

She thought deeply about the concepts, with a long list in her notes app, but the chorus melody just happened while working with Baran. The word ‘hotline’ was brought up, and she sang, ‘won’t you ring my hotline?’ From there, the whole song came to her.

She laughs as she goes through the first verse, “I knew the concept in my head, but I was like… how do I articulate this? I got it and typed it on my laptop.”

After the song was complete, Geier had fun making the short film and promoting it. She created a phone number for fans to call for advice – a relationship hotline. She has had fun listening to the messages, which she may even play onstage at her performances when she opens for Marina for her UK tour this summer. She expresses her gratitude for not receiving any inappropriate or insane questions, which she credits to her fans and the community around her.

“I just love to have a more direct relationship with my people,” she says. “I’m so grateful for all these people who have sold out my vinyl super fast and come to see me on tour – and are excited for me. I just want to give as much of myself at this point in my career because I’m just so appreciative. It's so fun, especially in this day and age where I think there's such a lack of connection.”

Though she is saving several of her messages and stories for the tour, she did reveal one funny message. She recalls, “The funniest message to me was this girl who works out with her boyfriend at the gym to spend time with him, but he takes so much longer. What should I do? I come from a dance background, so I said, we lift the girls.”

As for her music video, she doesn’t have one planned yet because she’s been busy preparing for this summer’s tour and another album she’s cooking up. She’s been feeling inspired by classical music and old Italian disco lately, which she says could possibly be part of the next album.

“I’ve been drawn to and inspired by combining the danciness from Hot Pot with some of the orchestral flair that I found on [my first EP], here we go again,” she reveals. “You can kind of hear that on ‘Hotline’ too. I’m just exploring how to make something feel like a more mature version of my other work and just continuing to show my growth as an artist, person, and a writer.”

She’s excited to show more of her range too. Growing up a ballet dancer, Geier is very poised, mindful, and demure. She laughs at the “mindful and demure” meme reference, but agrees it’s true. But, she says there’s more to her, and she can be unserious and sarcastic.

“I’m excited to throw a whole project to show different sides of myself,” she admits. “I’m a ballad girl. I love writing a ballad as well. I’m excited to show this range.”

With her hyperfixation on Justice’s Cross album, she says fans may hear a bit more dance music mixed with her orchestral alt-pop, with a touch of classical music. She hopes to make classical music more accessible, especially to the pop scene. She shares, “I grew up with that. That really resonates with me as a dancer. I want to bring that to people. [Like a good Asian daughter], my mom forced me to play piano [and I’m grateful] and violin. So I want to bring that to people.”

As for her set with MARINA this summer, she is excited to share that her opening will be theatrical and campy. She says to expect a lot of dancing, given her dance background.

“It goes so hard,” she laughs. “You can expect BIG PERSONALITY. I feel like when I’m out there, I am myself, but an alternate version of myself. I’ve grown a lot as an artist and have found so much freedom. This thing that I’m about to do on stage is kind of crazy, and I love that for me. I’m going to do it anyway.”

And, who knows? Maybe it’ll inspire another song. Geier is looking forward to it.

​Mikayla Geier’s “Hotline” is available on all streaming platforms now.