Betta Lemme doesn’t just make music — she builds worlds you can step into. Worlds where three languages flow through a single chorus, where friendship outshines jealousy, and where a “no” can hit as hard as any beat drop.
Her new single Gelosia with BigMama is bold and playful, but also protective — like the circle you and your friends form on the dance floor when you want joy to be untouchable. It follows the global wave of Bambola, the trilingual hit that made Betta an international voice, but this time, she’s sharper, freer, more intentional.
In this conversation for Vanity Teen, Betta talks about learning to honor boundaries, why collaboration is about making others shine, how pasta and puppies keep her grounded, and why joy itself can be the most radical act of all.
Hi Betta,
It’s a pleasure to connect with you through this interview for Vanity Teen. I’d love to speak with you not just as an artist, but as a person navigating between cultures, sounds, and ideas — and through this, shaping something uniquely your own.
Let’s start with “Gelosia”.
It’s bold, it’s vibrant — what inspired you to create this track, and what kind of atmosphere did you want it to carry?
Betta: The inspiration for this track initially came from the sentiment of moving on from someone toxic and choosing friendship and community over jealous exes but then it evolved to also ridding ourselves of anyone with opportunistic energy. I wanted it to capture the feeling of safety you create when you and your friends form a circle on the dance floor to shield each other from unwanted attention. At its core, it’s about the power of standing firm in your “no”, protecting your confidence, expressing yourself fearlessly, honouring your boundaries, and celebrating the people you intentionally choose to surround yourself with.
The song touches on freedom and the courage to say “no”.
When in your own life did you first realize how powerful that word can be?
Betta: In many ways I wish I learned how to say no at a much earlier age without feeling bad about it. But I think in life you have to practice saying no because it’s important for self preservation and honouring yourself. I think I learned that…not nearly enough.
Your collaboration with BIGMAMA feels like a statement in itself.
What surprised you most about working with her, and what did you discover about yourself through the process?
Betta: First off — I really have so much respect for BigMama. She’s an exceptional human being who’s grounded with a heart of gold and I’m happy to call her a friend. I think the feelings of friendship, girl power and a colourful inclusive safe community really set the scene for this song.
What surprised me is how quickly she writes. It wasn’t a surprise to me how much she’d have to say or how sharp her pen would be when she had to say it, but I did not expect her to be as quick as she was and as seamless for it to all have been. What I discovered about myself through this process was more of a confirmation within myself when it comes toworking with other artists and making sure they shine. And when I say they shine, I mean who they are at the core comes out whether that’s amplifying their trait of strengths or the goodness within them. What also surprise me is that she brought her new little baby pug into the studio who was no bigger than the size of my hand, and I nearly collapse from the cuteness. Producing with one hand and holding a pug in the other, really made this song, much more of a pleasure. laughs
From Montreal to the global stage, with languages and cultures woven into your work — how has this “in-between” experience shaped not just your music, but also who you are as a person?
Betta: The in-between sometimes feels like when you spend a couple of months in different parts of the world and then you go home … you’re not quite 100% from any which part but you have pieces of those parts inside you so that’s why my music hasn’t just been solely in Italian or solely in French. I love this idea of being able to speak to as many people as possible. And I think that no matter what language it’s sung in, music, melody and intention will always be a universal language. The in-between shapes me as a person because even though I find there are places I can travel to, I see bits of home everywhere. Home is within me and I can
take that home everywhere and it’s the same with music and how I approach writing, no matter where I am or who I’m in the room with.
“Bambola” — sung in three languages and certified Gold in Italy — became your breakthrough moment.
Looking back, what do you value most about that experience?
Betta: I value the belief I have within myself to have not quit music when I had every reason to. I value having been embraced for a song that at the time was unusual to have multiple languages within it. I felt embraced globally (which is insane) for being myself and that is really what anyartist dreams of. Connecting with people through music is the whole point.
Music has often been your space of freedom.
But when the stage lights are off, who is Betta then? What grounds you when nobody is watching?
Betta: Actually, music hasn’t often been a space of freedom for me. And because of that, moving forward I make it my number one priority to ensure that nothing gets in the way of me and my music ever again.
When the lights are off, it’s the same betta — just she’s in the dark and she’s probably snacking on a plate of pasta or bowl of ramen.
And finally: if someone discovers you for the very first time through “Gelosia”, what part of yourself do you hope they will carry with them?
Betta: I hope this song inspires people to be outspoken and unapologetic in whatever areas of their lives call for it. I also hope it gives them the confidence to hold their heads a little higher as they walk down the street. Ultimately, my greatest wish is that, over time, this song becomes a reminder of joy — of dancing with friends and being surrounded by the people they love. In that way, it comes full circle, embodying the very spirit and intention that guided us while writing it, now brought to life through those who experience it.
TEAM
Talent: Betta Lemme
Management: EDGE MGM. Press office: Golin Italy
Photos: Bex Gunther
Style: Alessandro Travaini
Make-up: Serena Polh Mua
Styling Assistant: Marta Lelo
Wardrobe Styling Assistant: Francesco Di Giorgio
Fashion Editor: Corinna Fusco