Few songs enjoy the time and time again resurgence that “Do It Again” has. It’s been five years, and from the second the crescendoing synths open the track, to the sultry controlled vocals undulating throughout – little did Pia Mia know, but its rhythms have transcended age – and refuse to quit (see TikTok for proof).

Since then, the Guam native has hit over a staggering billion streams worldwide, made her debut in Hero Fiennes Tiffin film After, and is soon to grace our screens in the sequel After We Collided.

And now, the platinum-certified recording artist and actress is back with her brand new release “HOT”, and – as to be expected – it’s a sizzling, sun-soaked summer bop, with the mileage to follow suit of “Do It Again”. Play, repeat. Feel the heat.

We caught up with Pia Mia and talked about her new single, acting ambitions and her upcoming book series…

How has lockdown been treating you?
Lockdown was pretty rough for me, I’m thankful for my health and the health of my family throughout all of it. I was in LA for 4 months in my condo solo, I have literally never been alone so it has been difficult and so lonely. I can’t imagine what I would have done without technology and being able to FaceTime my family and others I care about. I’ve been a lonely girl seems all my life, but nothing compares to quarantine. The thing isolation did for me was it made me think hard on my past and what I want for my future more than ever. I was able to write and focus much deeper on my journey. Who answers your FaceTime any time of the day, who’s there for you for real, who’s reaching out to be sure you’re okay. I realised I had so much love for some people I barely had a relationship with before COVID-19, that’s amazing and I’m so thankful. I read a lot about how quarantine made people realise who they love and can’t live without and it’s true, that happened to me. Right now I’m home on Guam, fully recharging and so grateful to be with my family. Being able to create is on another level here too, it’s amazing to come back to my roots for an extended period of time and feel the culture I was raised in. I’m planning to shoot some visualisers for “HOT” and then when I return to Los Angeles, the music video.

How have you been staying creative?
I have had a lot on my plate to keep me creative during quarantine. I released and am currently writing my first fictional book series, The Princess Diaries: Sand, Glitter and Silicone. I dropped the first single “Princess” with my new team, Republic Records, Electric Feel and my manager Troy Carter. Now “HOT” is here and it’s back on this 18-hour days creating and preparing to roll that out. I have a lot of other things that I’m working on but aren’t ready to be announced, but I’m very excited about what’s coming.

Congratulations on your new single “HOT” – what is it about and what was the track inspired by?
“HOT” is pretty self-explanatory, it’s basically saying I like you, I want you and you better keep it hot! I think women should be able to say whatever we think and feel and Hot is doing exactly that. No one should be afraid to express their sexuality or speak their mind! Women should be able to communicate every emotion, dream, over the top idea or live out their fantasies in music and portray that in our visuals just like the guys do, without fear of being judged. I want my music to be raw and real, but I also want to share and live out any fairytale I can imagine with the people that love my music.

Can we expect a video soon?
Yes! I’m home on Guam right now and even though there is no entertainment industry here, I want to bring you into my life at home. I’m working with a local team to shoot a couple visualisers and hope everyone will appreciate what we are able to create for you. I can’t wait for everyone to experience those and get a little taste of my island. The official music video is in planned to be shot in LA, so I’m very excited about that concept and looking forward to that when I’m back.

How involved do you get on the visuals and aesthetics of your music?
I’m a businesswoman and visionary. Since day one, I’ve been involved in every single aspect of my career. Every decision that’s made, every partnership, every piece of creative from beginning to end is overseen by me. Music, fashion and writing are all very personal and without me leading, it couldn’t be authentic and wouldn’t feel right. Of course, I have built a strong and very knowledgeable team around me. I’m young and always learning so I rely on them to guide me and help me bring my visions to life. I’m at the core of everything but don’t get me wrong it takes a village. This is a team effort! Without my team and without my fans, none of this would be possible.

Some of your previous tracks have seen a resurgence on TikTok – What do you think of the platform and user-generated content? Also how fans now can directly “collaborate” with your music?
Yes, “Do It Again” went viral as quarantine started and when I had just begun to dive into the platform myself, so that was a lot of fun. Seeing everyone embrace one of my most special songs was a real vibe. “Do It Again” has streamed big numbers since it was released, it never stopped so I could see how everyone jumped on the trend and it had this whole new life on TikTok. I saw another new trend with “Do It Again” this week, and I thought, “that’s my baby, I’m just so proud of her!” I have a feeling “Do It Again” is going to outlive all of us, it’s going to be playing forever.

TikTok has been a huge source of entertainment and creative release for me, especially now when I’m home so much. I love this app even as a consumer, sometimes I find myself scrolling for hours on there and I truly get lost. The biggest thing I love about TikTok is that it gives anyone from anywhere in the world a chance for their creative to be seen. It’s very possible and more common than on any other social platform for someone with no followers to been seen or even go viral and I think they all deserve it. In my experience, I’ve also found TikTok to be a very positive community. I look forward to interacting in comments or on lives with my audience there.

How do you feel like your sound has developed since you first came on the scene in 2013?
I’ve always been a pop artist, I love to use my vocals, dance, perform and tour the world. I think my music now is just a more elevated version of what comes naturally to me which is that global pop sound. I do notice that the more I train myself and sing throughout the day the stronger my vocals are, and quarantine made me see that the skies the limit for my ability. When you’re younger you don’t realise so much that this is a gift, a gift that you’re born with and I truly feel blessed and don’t take it for granted. I can’t wait to be back on a stage, to sing out loud with everyone and to connect through music, it’s a feeling on another level that you just can’t put into words.

How do you feel about After We Collided coming very soon and your experience with the After movies so far?
My experience with the After team is always some of my favourite memories on and off set. Not only have I made lifelong friends with the cast as well as Anna Todd, but the After fans are the most loyal, die hard, passion filled, ride or die people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. I can’t wait for the fandom to experience After We Collided, I think it’s going to be what they’ve been wanting, and most definitely “HOT!”

Is acting something you’d like to pursue more in the future – what kind of role would you love?
Music is always my priority but I have always loved a challenge and I think that’s why acting excites me. As a musician, I’m always speaking on my personal life and experiences and of course as an actor I’m bringing other people’s stories to life which I consider an honour. Acting has always been a passion of mine and I will definitely be doing more of it in the future. What excites me are roles like Zoe Saldana in Columbiana, Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard, I could also see myself playing something like Elle Woods did for Legally Blonde. My ultimate dream though is to play a Disney Princess in a musical piece. It’s always a perfect blend of two worlds to play a character and perform on the soundtrack the way it happened with “Bitter Love” as the theme song for the first After movie.

What’s been your biggest pinch-me moment so far?
Performing in the O2 arena for 17,000 people screaming and singing along with me to my songs is something I will never forget. I live for performing and touring and nothing compares to walking out on that stage and seeing all my fans faces so excited and happy to be there to spend the night together. One of my favourite moments from my life show is where I slow it down and do my acoustic set. Performing acoustically is where I pour my heart and soul and most intimate life experiences into the show. The audience gets so quiet, I could hear a pin drop, they have their phones out with the flashes shining like thousands of stars. It’s just me and them connecting and having a moment together.

And you’ve got fictional book series coming out – The Princess Diaries: Sand, Glitter and Silicone – how did this come about? Has this always been a life-long dream of yours?
I’ve always been a writer, whether that means personal journaling, poetry, or writing fictional stories! I’m excited about my journey in writing The Princess Diaries: Sand, Glitter and Silicone because it’s the first fictional story I’m putting out there. It’s inspired by my life experiences and the world of Hollywood. I’m releasing it chapter by chapter on Wattpad, which is an interactive site where fans can read as you write, vote and leave comments! Engaging with my fans and seeing what they think is so important to me, so I found Wattpad was the perfect fit. Books and TV and films like After, The Kissing Booth, Light as a Feather, Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight came from Wattpad or other similar media platforms.

What’s next for you and what are you excited about in 2020?
There’s a lot to come in 2020 but for sure more and more music is coming and at rapidly increasing paces leading to a project. Music videos, unlimited visual content, fashion, beauty, etc. More insight into my personal journey and hopefully turning my non-existent love life into an existent one filled with fiery, messy, passionate moments that swallow me up and provide endless inspiration for me to write, sing about which ultimately forces me to grow!