LEONI 808 on Turning Isolation into Empowerment with “Outside the Party”

London-born artist LEONI 808 bursts onto the scene with her glittering debut dance anthem, “Outside the Party.” Written, produced, and performed entirely by the 18-year-old visionary, the track blends euphoric synths with raw emotion — a reflection on what it means to dance through discomfort and own your individuality. We caught up with LEONI 808 to talk about the inspiration behind the song, her creative independence, and the legends who shape her sound.

“Outside the Party” captures that tension between euphoria and isolation — dancing while feeling like an outsider. What inspired the song, and how do you personally relate to that feeling of being just outside the action?

“Outside The Party” is a song that definitely came from within. Like many, sometimes I have a gut feeling that I just don’t fit in anywhere. I am only 18 but I have been working professionally as a dancer and actor from a very young age and even in professional environments you can have that feeling. Socially, there is a lot of pressure to keep up with trends or be accepted in a popular clique. I know many people can feel the same way. Sometimes even in a dance class, not being picked by the choreographer when you feel you danced the best you could can make you feel less than, you may laugh at this statement, but it is true at least for me. Or when your friends are talking about a party they are going to but you were the only one not invited. That feeling that you just want to fit in, or do you? While recognising this, I feel free being myself.

 That is the euphoria. This song is about embracing these feelings. It's addictive. Realising that being different to the next person is what makes me feel special. Expressing myself authentically through my art. Writing “Outside The Party” was liberating. It is ok to be “Outside The Party” and I am more than fine with that. It's empowering not to need validation all the time. There is a saying in the dance world “dance like everyone is watching” so I may feel out of place sometimes but for now I’m just fine dancing “Outside The Party” and I hope that people who relate to that can feel the same.

You write, produce, and perform everything yourself — that’s rare, especially at 18. How did you develop your sound, and what does creative independence mean to you?

Being in the realm of dance and music from a very young age I have always found a way to channel my creativity into something. Whether that is writing my music or choreographing some steps, the times when I get to pour everything out into the art are my most favourite. Being able to create something that feels so raw and authentic to myself is so special and I am so grateful that I have been able to get to a place where I can do that everyday.

 I was fortunate to be introduced to music being made in a studio at a young age as my sister Sadie was recording. I have a massive collection of physical music collected by my parents and added on to over the years by myself, but I listen to everything! My producer can play a beat that makes me think about how I can make it sound with words I have written. I also write poetry that turns into songs. At 15, my christmas present was a studio session to bring a song I wrote to life. 

I instantly fell in love. I felt so connected. Now, three years later, as I work with different producers, I invite them to the creative process if it fits the song or if these are the terms to work with them, that’s the reality of being an artist. I love collaborating with like minded creatives. I do what is best for my song at that particular moment in order to make it come to life.

Your influences range from Prince and Kraftwerk to Gaga and Madonna — all artists who blurred lines between performance, identity, and sound. How do those icons shape the way you approach your own music and visual style?

Everyday I am inspired by the legends who have paved the way for the artists in pop and dance music. I have their pictures all over my walls!! Artists like these make me trust the vision that I have. To be fearless with the wild ideas I have to bring the music to life!! Even if we are doing that with a shoe string budget haha! I am constantly studying how my favourite artists present their own music.

 Especially in their earlier work. The other day I saw a video of Lady Gaga’s first TV performance in the UK after her debut album came out where she was talking about how her and her team design all of her wild looks at the “Haus of Gaga”. I am always inspired by how Gaga creates such a community and family around her work. For example she has taken her dancers all the way with her from a car park in 2008 to crowds of millions in 2025!!! 

I always aspire to mirror that with the community I have around me full of ambitious creatives. We are all rising together and I think that is very special.

There’s a cinematic quality to your music, which makes sense given your background in dance and film. How do movement and visuals influence the way you write and produce your tracks?

When I am in the studio I am not just creating a song, I’m creating a world for it to live in. When I am writing, in the back of my mind is what the song would look and feel like in a world of its own. I am always inspired by Gaga and Madonna in particular who are masters at this. I recently saw my living legend, Gaga, live for the very first time at the Mayhem Ball and it was like nothing I have ever seen before. Every minute of that show breathed an entire new light into the album. The visuals of the show emphasised the most important meanings of the album which I found so inspiring. This is probably why performing is one of my favorite parts of this process. It is such a beautiful way to bring the music to life and make the 808 universe whole.

“Outside the Party” feels like both a dance anthem and a statement of intent — an introduction to who LEONI 808 is. What do you want listeners to take away from this track, and what can we expect from you next?

When people listen to my track I want them to be able to give themselves to the music. That when they listen they can forget about anything that may be weighing them down and just feel the beat and the movement that comes with it. I want people who have been told their whole lives that they aren’t good enough to feel seen and heard. I want people to feel inspired to go for their wildest dreams even if others call them crazy!!!

 My music is about escapism but also embracing what you may want to escape from. Letting yourself go but allowing yourself to feel everything! You can expect a lot more songs that are raw, authentic anthems that come from the heart. Music that you can move your body to but feel every lyric. I have plans to release a full project soon. My first EP.

 Creating a full project has been something that I have wanted to do since I started all of this. Like I said, it is so important to me to create a world around the music and I feel like an EP will be my vehicle to make that happen. I plan to get on stage even more in 2026. It is where I was born to be so I can’t wait to dance with everyone again.