Q&A: Ruby Bell’s “Change My Life” is a Luculent Ray Coming From a Rising Sun That is the Growing Hyperpop Genre
WRITTEN BY ANTHONY RATCHKOV
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The genre of hyperpop has been seeing a massive explosion in popularity, growing from an internet-based curiosity to a massive role in mainstream electronic music and even mainstream pop. If not arguably being one herself, Ruby Bell is a name that multiple key characters in the rise of this genre would instantly recognize. It’s the alias of Claire Montgomery, a hyperpop artist based out of New York City.
Her new single “Change My Life” is out now, and it’s everything fans of Ruby Bell have been waiting for and more. As the first release in a wave of new music she is set to unveil, this song stands out with its sound that is both familiar and distinct from the rest of her discography.
“Change My Life” highlights the intricacies of finding yourself during a time of loss. While this tune carries some emotional lyrics, it never loses the energy it has to make you want to dance. It’s a perfect entry into the hyperpop world as a whole, because while this rising genre has been easily criticized by some, it has given countless listeners an unforgettable experience like no other.
Life on Jupiter had the pleasure of sitting down with Ruby Bell to talk about “Change My Life,” the rise of hyperpop, and everything in between. Read the full discussion below.
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LIFE ON JUPITER: Can you first start by telling us how “Change My Life” came to be?
CLAIRE MONTGOMERY: In 2024, I released my first EP through a label called Dog Show, which was with Dylan Brady from 100 gecs. I was signed to that label for about a year and a half, and then I was dropped from it because the label kind of fell apart. Being dropped was kind of rough because I had so many songs that I was planning on releasing with them, but that never ended up happening. I wanted to keep making music. With “Change My Life,” even though it translates as a love song, maybe it’s not about leaving this label; maybe I just need my music to be heard no matter what. It took me a minute to start releasing things independently, but I’m starting to do it again and it feels really good.
You talk about that lyric that says ‘Maybe it’s not about you,’ do you almost view this song as being like a conversation because you are reacting to what the other person is saying or thinking?
MONTGOMERY: I was thinking maybe it’s not about you, maybe it just came at a bad time in my life, I just need something to be certain. I don’t need to be questioning who I am as a person or what I have to offer. I feel like a lot of people can relate to that feeling of maybe it’s not about you, maybe it's about me. You’re having a conversation with this person in your head, but they’re out of your life now. It changed your life, for better or for worse.
When you have a song like “Change My Life” where your vocals are pitched up quite high, how do you know that they’re not too high?
MONTGOMERY: I took the word of the producer. I worked with Jack Laboz, and he’s really awesome. He was someone I was put in connection with through the label and then once I was dropped, he was still hitting me up to work and we just really formed a connection really quickly. He saw my voice being pitched up really working with the track. Sometimes electronic music gets kind of a bad rep with auto-tune and pitching vocals because people will be like what’s the point? It’s a taste, but it was supposed to be like that; it needed to be. It works well with the song, and it’s a cool contrast because the song is a little slower.
You studied counseling in college. Does your experience understanding how people process pain change how you express your emotions in your music?
MONTGOMERY: Yeah, definitely. I’m not currently in the field of psychology, but I work with kids. I like working with people because I feel like it gives me inspiration. You hear different conversations and sometimes you can write through the point of view of someone else, especially when life is kind of dry, because a lot of times we all have very similar experiences. I like writing a lot, so I like writing through the lens of someone else. It’s a fun thing to do, to take inspiration from conversations you have with people and then relate it back to yourself.
What was the biggest thing you learned from working with Dylan Brady on some of your past work?
MONTGOMERY: He was always saying to just go for it and not overthink things. Sometimes I didn’t like that because I was kind of new to recording music officially, but he would always say let’s just go for it. He’s incredibly fast and talented in that regard. He’s super creative, and he pulls from every genre, which I really like because I’m the same way. I know everybody says I listen to everything, but I grew up on everything. I don’t want to be completely defined by hyperpop and electronic music, but it definitely is something I want to incorporate in different ways. I liked how Dylan’s only focus wasn’t that we need to make this crazy hyperpop song.
With all the incredible people you’ve worked with in making your music, how do you balance being someone who wants to impress them as well as someone who wants to be a student learning from such knowledgeable teachers?
MONTGOMERY: I definitely think it’s important to have some kind of friendship with the person you’re working with. Most of my past successful sessions have been with people that I connect with, not just creatively, but also on a personal level. Jack was just so welcoming and fun. He would talk about his life and I would talk about mine, and then it was well, let's write about this. I would take advice from him because he’s a melody master himself. He would just say, “What if we tried it this way?” It doesn’t feel like you’re being taught; it feels more natural because you try different things and don’t feel intimidated. He’s incredible.
How would you explain why the hyperpop/PC-Music scene is so popular right now to the casual electronic music listener or even to the average music listener?
MONTGOMERY: People want to dance, but they also want to feel things in the music. A lot of hyperpop has more than just silly lyrics and a crazy beat; a lot of it is very personable and a lot of times they’re pulling influence from places you would never imagine. Some adults have a hard time grasping what it means, but I think the genre has really progressed over the last couple of years, and it’s really cool to see. These people are incredibly talented, and we even see that 100 gecs have influenced us to this day. The last album they put out really showcases that hyperpop can be a million different things; it was very rock and grunge-influenced. Underscores putting out that tape showcased so much creative freedom and control, but also gave you a bunch of different feels in one project. That’s the cool thing about hyperpop: it’s not as boxed in as other genres could be.
It also, in a way, seems like it has so much nostalgia, too.
MONTGOMERY: Definitely, like the old radio pop from 2008 or 2011, from when I was in middle school. Underscores is my age, and I know she definitely gets a lot of inspiration from Kesha and Black Eyed Peas.
What can fans of Ruby Bell expect from you next?
MONTGOMERY: A lot more music, and definitely different sounds. They can expect what they’re not expecting.