Rina Ellis Interview !!link!! May 2026

“Stop optimizing for ‘engagement,’” she says firmly. “I see kids changing their album covers because the contrast ratio wasn’t right for the algorithm. Don’t do that. Your art isn’t a thumbnail. Make something that makes you cry in the car first. Worry about the playlist later.”

Rina Ellis has been labeled hyperpop , glitchcore , and even digicore . When I ask which label fits, she winces. rina ellis interview

Her latest single, "Internet Crush (Delete Later)" is a masterclass in this tension. The chorus is sticky and sweet, but the bridge descends into glitched-out screaming. It’s about the horror of modern dating—swiping, matching, ghosting. “Stop optimizing for ‘engagement,’” she says firmly

@rinaellis.raw | Spotify Have you listened to Rina Ellis yet? Drop your thoughts on the new single in the comments below! Your art isn’t a thumbnail

One of the first things you notice about Rina is the dichotomy. On stage, she wears cracked digital goggles and safety-pinned corsets—a cyberpunk pixie screaming into the void. In person, curled up in a booth with a matcha latte, she’s soft-spoken and thoughtful.

“Those genres are just boxes the internet built to sell playlists,” she says. “I grew up listening to Fiona Apple and Paramore just as much as I listened to 100 gecs. I want my music to feel like a fever dream, sure, but I also want it to break your heart.”