At just 20 years old, Sienna Spiro has found herself in the kind of moment most artists spend years chasing: a viral hit, a sold-out tour, and a jaw-dropping voice rich with soul that stops rooms cold. Her breakout single “Die On This Hill”—a bruised, slow-burning meditation on stubborn love—has struck a nerve precisely because of how deeply felt it is. Even as the song takes on a life of its own, the London-born star insists she’s learned to be wary of expectations, having seen how easily they can lead to disappointment in life more broadly. Instead, she focused on the feeling behind the song, one she’s been circling her entire life, only recently finding the language to articulate. That honesty, and the care poured into it, is what listeners seem to recognize.

When we meet over Zoom, there’s no pop-star posturing, just a sharp, self-aware presence and a disarming honesty about devotion, insecurity, and the emotional messiness that fuels her songwriting. Spiro’s rise may have begun in one of the most modern ways possible, but her trajectory has been anything but predictable, leaping from TikTok covers to headline shows, festival appearances, and her first EP, Sink Now, Swim Later, in swift succession. Inspired by legends like Nina Simone and Dinah Washington alongside contemporary voices like Adele, her music is rooted in jazz and soul, filtered through a distinctly modern lens. Even this early on, Spiro’s writing carries a sense of timelessness—and the conviction of someone who’s long known exactly what she wants to say. As she prepares to release her debut album and take her world on the road, we catch up with the Londoner to discuss her first big hitter and her busiest year thus far.

V MAGAZINE: Let’s start with “Die On This Hill.” The song is having a huge moment, and your performance on The Tonight Show was really beautiful. How are you feeling watching everything happen so quickly—does it feel more exciting, overwhelming, or a bit of both?

SIENNA SPIRO: It’s mad, it’s crazy. Of course, it’s exciting, but also kind of unfathomable. To be honest, I’m not overwhelmed, and I really think that’s down to the team I have and the people around me, so I’m very lucky for that. It’s just insane.

V: The music video had its official premiere just as we started this call. What was the inspiration behind it?

SS: To be honest, I really wasn’t planning on doing a video. The song isn’t about one specific situation. It’s about a lifetime of that feeling of sticking around people who don’t really care, who wouldn’t do the same for you. You know, stubborn love, the paradox of devotion, passion, care—all of the above. I usually have loads of video concepts for my songs because they’re so specific, but with this one, I felt like it would be an injustice to the song to just do one, so I didn’t really know quite what to do. Then, just before “Die On This Hill” came out, I made friends with Cole [Bennett], who directed the video. We were never planning on doing anything together; our worlds are super different, but he was really interested in learning more about jazz and what I was into. So we became really good friends, to be honest. For me, working with friends is such a privilege. Working with people is amazing, but when you get to work with people you really love and care about, that’s when it’s like, I can’t believe this is my job and I get to do this. The concept of the video has this doll in it, which kind of represents something lifeless—sticking around for something that has no movement, doesn’t respond to you, doesn’t talk to you, something you know wouldn’t stick around for you because it’s lifeless. That was his concept, and I spent so many months talking to him, not knowing this video was going to happen—just talking as friends about the kind of stuff I want to do, what my music’s about, what I’m going through, and what I went through. And that’s where the idea came from, and I loved it. It was so last-minute, but honestly, it’s just amazing to work with him as a friend. 

V: Did you expect the song to blow up the way it did?

SS: I really try not to have any expectations about anything I do, but that’s something I’m guilty of doing—having a lot of expectations. And usually that’s led to me being very let down in my life, not with music, just life in general. So I really didn’t have any expectations. But I love that song, and I genuinely mean it. It’s something I’ve wanted to talk about my whole life. I think it took my whole life to get to a point where I could articulate that. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m very grateful.

V: Who are your musical inspirations?

SS: I grew up on jazz and soul, and all the greats like Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, so many. When I got older, I started discovering artists like Frank Ocean, Amy, and Adele. I think jazz and soul are kind of the pinnacle.

V: When did you first start singing and writing songs? Was there a specific moment or memory when you realized this was something you wanted to pursue seriously?

SS: You know, I’ve been trying to think about whether there was one moment I ever thought about that. But if I’m being totally honest, I think it’s been my whole life. And it’s been very assumptive, maybe even delusional, of me to think this was something that could happen. But I was always just like, okay, yeah, this is what I’m going to do. It was complete tunnel vision. I didn’t have any other plan. And only recently have I thought that it could have gone completely wrong. I just love it. I have to do it. It’s the only thing in my life that makes sense. 

V: Was there a specific moment where you thought, okay, I can sing—or did you always feel that way since you started so young?

SS:  I was a terrible singer when I was younger, but I loved it. When I wrote my first song at 10, it was called “Lady in the Mirror,” and it was about being bullied. You can probably tell I was a big Michael Jackson fan, but it was kind of about how the person in the mirror—you—is the only one who really knows what’s going on, because no one believed me about what was happening. Just silly, ten-year-old stuff. I sang that song at a school assembly, in front of the people who bullied me, and I was like, this is what I’m doing. I went to my music teacher and said, “Hey, I wrote this song,” and he figured out the chords. We played it together—Mr. Richard, love him.

V: You’re experiencing this level of global success before releasing a debut album. What can you share about what’s coming, and what should fans expect?

SS: My mouth is so big. I just talk all the time, and then I have no surprises left. I’d actually love to tell you, but I can’t. I will one day. I just feel like I need to keep something to myself.

V: Let’s talk about fashion! How would you describe your personal style, and how does it factor into the way you present yourself as an artist?

SS: It took me a long time to find my style, you know, changing body, getting older. I’d say it’s nostalgic but fresh, kind of ’60s-inspired. It’s hard to describe style. I think I learned to dress for myself. I used to wear huge, baggy clothes because I didn’t want anyone to see me. I was very insecure, and I didn’t want anyone to see my body or judge me. When I got a little bit older, I realized I’d always been inspired by the ’60s. I love Nancy Sinatra, I love Barbra Streisand, and I would look at them and think, why don’t I just try that? I started working with my friend, who’s my stylist, Edu—she’s incredible—and we slowly worked through it. I just got more comfortable with silhouettes. You try loads of things and figure out what you feel comfortable wearing onstage, what lengths you like. For me personally, I don’t want to show too much skin. I think we found a really nice way where I feel comfortable and inspired. The ’60s were such a fun time for fashion because it was so individual. And I think it’s just about having fun—it’s cool, and there are so many things you can do.

V: Aside from the 60s, what’s been inspiring you lately?

SS: I’m always inspired by people. Emotions are always inspiring me. I think my surroundings are increasingly more inspiring because I get to see so much more. You never know when you’re going to find inspiration, and when you do, you really have to take care of it and protect it, because it can go so easily. I went through a whole period last year with no inspiration, and I was honestly really depressed and really struggled. I was just like, well, what now? So right now, I’m in a period where I’m incredibly inspired and really grateful for that.

V: Does that influence the way you approach your music?

SS: I think it gives you more confidence. I don’t think music comes from people—I think it comes from something else. The difference between me and maybe someone who doesn’t write music is that I’m just connected to the source. You’ve got to be respectful of it and just translate what you’re given, basically.

V: Looking ahead, what’s next for you? What should people be excited to see from you this year?

SS: Lots of music, lots of shows, and exciting things!

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This story appears in the pages of V159: now available for purchase!

Photography Petros

Fashion Nilo Akbari

Interview Christian Rosa

Makeup Lauren Reynolds (Bryant Artists) using Make Up For Ever

Hair Stelios Chondros (Julian Watson Agency) using Oribe

Production Nina Lvovskaya, Joanna Smirnova (ALWA Production)

Digital Technician James Rawlings

1st Assistant Bradley Polkinghorne

Styling Assistance Roksolana Zityniuk