Sky Ferreira unleashed her inner Babygirl for I.AM.GIA’s Valentine’s Day campaign video. A love letter to vintage pin-up glamour with a modern edge, the Australian fashion brand’s Fatal Attraction collection finds the musical cult icon slipping into one of her most seductive roles yet.

Directed by Daniel Sachon and photographed by Indiana Piorek, the visuals feel straight from a “Leash” music video. “The campaign has a similar feel,” Ferreira shared to V on the similarities between the two. “Even though it’s very feminine, there’s a dominant vibe about it.” Sky, all smoky eyes and sharp lips, toys with her faceless admirers, who appear bound and blindfolded. But Ferreira? She’s busy smoking a cigarette in bed, shredding roses, applying lipstick with a knife in her hand, and looking absolutely stunning on a swing—all in lace-trimmed lingerie, candy-apple red corsetry, and playful polka dots.

In this exclusive first look at the campaign video for V, the “Everything Is Embarrassing” songstress chats about her experience shooting the campaign for I.AM.GIA, her thoughts on Valentine’s Day, and the music she’s been working on behind the scenes—including long-awaited updates on her upcoming second studio album Masochism.

V Magazine: Congratulations on the I.AM.GIA campaign! What was the experience like shooting it?

Sky Ferreira: It was fun! I’ve worked with the makeup artist of the shoot, Loftjet, quite a lot and have known him for at least 10 years, so that was nice. I haven’t really modeled in a while—outside of shoots for my music—so it was a pretty mellow experience, considering I was nosediving back into it.

V: What are your personal feelings about Valentine’s? Do you have any personal plans for the holiday this year?

SF: I don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day often—I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m not the type of person who feels the need to go on a date that day or anything. It might be a bit of a boring answer, but I’m not the most romantic type.

V: Do you think you’re more of an innocent lover or are you more of a heartbreaker?

SF: I don’t know if ‘innocent’ necessarily, but I’m definitely closer to that than the heartbreaker. I tend to only have boyfriends—nothing in between. I don’t really date; it’s either I’m in a relationship or I’m by myself.

V: I can’t help but notice similarities between the themes in this campaign and your song “Leash.” Fans online seem to think so too. Is there any type of connection between the two?

SF: I think it’s just where my headspace is right now, since I wrote and released it somewhat recently—maybe I’m giving off that energy. The campaign has a similar feel; even though it’s very feminine, there’s a dominant vibe about it, which I like. I enjoy playing with that contrast in my work, whether in my music or visuals—even in older videos like “You’re Not the One.” I think it’s about having a certain confidence. It’s not that I don’t have that in real life, but as an artist, something switches on in me in a different way.

V: Can we still expect a music video for “Leash”?

SF: The “Leash” video was supposed to be shot this month. When I put out the song in December, I was so happy it happened, but the holidays paused everything for like three weeks. Then, I was supposed to shoot the video at the beginning of January in L.A., and the fires happened.

I’m still trying to make it happen. Originally it had to do with the film, but now that the movie’s been out it’s sort of about getting people to say yes to it again. So, fingers crossed—hopefully, it still happens. Maybe if enough people say they want it, they’ll make it happen.

V: The song marked your first release as an independent artist since parting with Capitol Records in late 2023. How did it feel to see fans reacting to the song?

SF: It’s a relief that people liked it! It’s always a bit of a relief when someone likes the song that you’re putting out, because once it’s out—I have control over my work, but I can’t force people to like it. The reaction has been really positive, and it was nice to have a positive experience related to releasing something. I wasn’t used to that. Every time I had released something before, I never really had outward support from the people I worked with. This was the first time I got to experience that, and it definitely made me feel more confident.

It’s not that I wasn’t excited to release music—I’ve wanted to for so long—but this time, I’m not putting as much pressure on myself. My anxiety has quieted down a little. I’m still an anxious person, but I don’t feel like I’m constantly expecting something bad to happen or for someone to stop things from happening. That’s a new feeling for me, weirdly.

V: Alongside the release of “Leash” for Babygirl, you announced that your next studio album Masochism will be released this year. Can you give us any updates on the project?

SF: Right now, I’m recording, and I wish I could say more about it, but people are always trying to leak my stuff. Unfortunately, I can’t share who I’m working with or any details, because I’ve had so many leaks—it would be really unfortunate if that happened this time around too.

I’m still working on getting my music back and prioritizing which songs I want to use. Eventually, I want to recover all of it, but that’s going to take forever. I’m figuring out how to re-record some tracks if I can while also making new music. I’m planning on releasing it soon—not the album, because I need to figure out how I want to approach that, but definitely new music and videos.

“Leash” was a little different since it was through A24 and it’s their song as well, but I’m really excited—there’s a lot going on behind the scenes now compared to before, and it’s starting to feel like a reality again.

V: Will “Leash” be a part of your new music or does it feel like a separate project from what you’re working on now?

SF: I think so! I feel like I’ve always had a specific sound—there are certain elements that I like in my music that make it recognizable as mine. But I do feel I have a pretty broad range when it comes to the types of songs I make.

There are definitely a lot more poppier songs I’ve been working on again. I wouldn’t necessarily compare them to Night Time, My Time, because I know people might take that the wrong way and assume it sounds the same, even though it doesn’t. I don’t want to set myself up for that. But overall, I think it’s shaping up quite nicely.

V: Beyond this campaign and new music, what are you working on next? Any plans for touring or live performances?

SF: I’m in the process of figuring out tour dates again. Last year, I toured a lot, but this upcoming year, I stripped it back a bit to ease back into it. Now, there’s a full plan in motion.

V: You went through a lot with Capital Records and now you’re finally out of it. There are so many young artists that are starting out in the business who don’t know what it’s like. Do you have any advice for them?

SF: I would say there are a few things. First, trust your instincts—if something feels wrong, it probably is. Even if people are telling you otherwise, trust yourself.

Another thing I’d tell artists, which I think younger artists are starting to understand more now, is to maintain ownership—not just of your music, but of everything you can control. At least for a certain amount of time, don’t just give everything away.

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Sky Ferreira for I.AM.GIA. Directed by Daniel Sachon
Photography by Indiana Piorek