So, in 2020, when Latham signed to Polydor Records over lockdown, the 24-year-old became a step closer to having her vision realised. I used to make music in school and I’ve been trying to do this since I was 12,” explains Latham, who had longed to escape her hometown. It was a cathartic way of consoling myself if I didn’t like the people I was getting on with or if they were being mean to me. From jotting down lyrics during her shifts at Rough Trade East to fantasising about a Hollywood label deal, the South-African born artist has always been determined to make it big. Music, for Latham, has always been the end game. Even so, on-screen, Latham is readily present as she leans forward, sporting a crocheted chequered pink and black bucket hat and matching acid washed tee, to playfully jibe at her growing to-do list - “I’m a bit screwed until literally November.” Recovering at home, the singer seems unencumbered by her upcoming career-defining commitments: a pending debut album, touring with pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo, and a confirmed appearance on The Great Escape’s first-ever LGBTQ+ stage. “I’ve been in rehearsals all week and recently given up smoking, so it’s not a good combination,” she laughs. It’s the eve of her tour, a small stint of UK-only dates, and the singer reveals she has blown out her vocals. It’s early morning in North London and Latham is having an off day.
“Who is Baby Queen? Fuck, that is the question though isn’t it,” Bella Latham, aka Baby Queen, echos over Zoom.