After the release of Baby Tate’s- Sexploration: The Musical in the fall of 2023, Tate announced her own tour with stops in Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NY, Atlanta, and more. You can expect to hear live takes from her empowering EP and dazzling choreography similar to the project.
Respect My Region asked Baby Tate a few questions about her creative process while bringing the EP to life. Tate also discusses the importance of her expressing her own sexuality through music. This interview covers her process, the LGBTQIA+ community, and her journey to making Sexploration: The Musical a reality.
Sexploration: The Musical and the LGBTQIA+ Community
RMR: How do you use your platform and music to be a pillar for pansexual members of the LGBTQ+ community? How does that affect your music as a person of color?
Baby Tate: I’ve always tried to use my music as a voice for people, no matter who that is. And I think as I’ve gotten older and grown some more, I know and realize how important representation is, and so as a Black queer woman.
I find it in my responsibility to continue to put that in my music so that people do not feel so alone or feel like they’re the only ones going through something and just feel free to be who they are. I will continue to voice and use my platform to speak up. Not just in my music but outside of it as well.
Sexploration and Drag
RMR: What was it like selecting the drag performers and dancers for the visual elements?
Baby Tate: Once again, I feel like representation is super, super important, and I feel like prior to this year, I didn’t know what pansexuality was. I’m not the first person to ever be pansexual. I feel like learning like .. oh wait .. that there’s something else that could represent who I am.
I’m always trying to be authentic in my music and express what I’m going through because I know I’m not the only person going through it. So, I wanted to ensure that I was present in the project and give my fans and listeners a real look into where I am in my life.
Credit to Baby Tate
RMR: What was the song selection process like? And how was it working with the producers to adequately capture your sound?
Baby Tate: It was really fun! We wanted to make sure that we selected some local LA drag queens and put some money in their pockets. I was happy with the girls we were able to pick. I wanted to ensure that queens of color were included in this. I’ve always been a body-accepting person, so I wanted to have multiple types of people, body sizes, and all a part of it. I’m thrilled that we got Joella, who is amazing and killed it, and Raina, who is also amazing.
They both gave so much more than I even expected. I am really happy that we were able to do that and include Luxx Noir London, one of my favorites from the most recent season of Drag Race. I feel like she was snubbed, but that’s another conversation. Also, it was wonderful to include Justin Tranter, a fantastic person I’ve been blessed to work with on this EP and my album. I wanted to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.
The Sound and Vibe of Sexploration: The Musical
RMR: There is something very central and nucleus-like with “Jersey.” And did Bangladesh for “Wig” capture the sound of what you intended?
Baby Tate: This song selection process was interesting because these five songs come from a vault of around 100 songs I’ve created for an album. I knew that we wanted to drop “Jersey.” We made that song around July, and we felt it was so good we had to do something with it at the time. I also felt we should push back on the album to have more time to prep and get it as polished as possible. So, I said let’s do an EP.
“Jersey” was on the top of our minds, so we crafted this EP based on “Jersey,” that’s why many of the songs are very danceable. You know, obviously, “Jersey” has Jersey Club influence, but then there’s the Atlanta-like 90s bass sound on “Lollipop,” and then there’s kind of a Jersey Club but not really on “Grip.” So yeah … we just went based on “Jersey” and just picked songs that felt good with it.
Sexploration: The Musical – The Process
RMR: What was your day-to-day during the video shoot?
Baby Tate: Yeah, absolutely, and it was so fun making “Wig” with Bangladesh! He was in the studio when we made that. It was funny how it was created. It was all just a freestyle and the chorus. The repeating “wig” came about because my engineer Scotty and I always joke around in the studio, and he jokingly copied and pasted me saying wig like one million times. He played it, and Bangladesh was like, “Nah, that’s hard,” I was looking around like, what are y’all talking about? Everybody in the studio said, “No, that is hard. We should keep it now.” So that’s how “Wig” was born, another song created early in April. I previewed it, then was like, we need to put “Wig” out. I’m glad we were finally able to share it.
RMR: How do you develop visuals, choreography, and staging?
Baby Tate: We did a two-day shoot with five videos. Early days, I think … I don’t remember; it kind of is all a blur to me now. I came in and started glam, and we pushed through. One day, we did three videos. The other day, we did two and just pushed through – shoot after shoot and shot after shot because I wanted this to feel like a performance you’ll be watching, not just a music video. It was a lot of doing everything the exact multiple times, different angles, etc, but it was a lot of fun.
Credit to Baby Tate
Baby Tate & Her Sexploration
RMR: How was tapping into your theatrical side and curating each mini-skit?
Baby Tate: Whenever I’m doing visuals, I like to allow the director to have the freedom to direct. I already made the music, so my part is allowing them to bring my vision… Working with Aerin Moreno, we had an idea of what to accomplish. We gave everyone a template, I would say. For “Wig,” we wanted to do something that feels like a drag show. So, for “Lollipop,” we wanted to have something that you know is very lesbian.
With “Luv Everybody,” we wanted it to feel like a super Broadway performance, so Aerin created a fantastic treatment we loved. Then we also brought in Nicole Kirkland, a fantastic choreographer, to help bring that vision to life as well, but for me, I already have so much work, so I let the people I employ do the jobs that I employ them to do.
Credit to Baby Tate
Baby Tate & Sexploration: The Musical
RMR: How was tapping into your theatrical side and curating each mini-skit? Cont.
Baby Tate: I let Nicole choreograph and give my little two cents here and there. I’ll let Aerin direct and give my notes here and there. But for the most part, I like to allow everyone to create because you know that’s what we’re here for. We are all creative, so I give the creatives the space to create.
It was really exciting doing the mockumentary. That was something that I wasn’t expecting to do, but it was really fun. It allowed me to tap into my improv bag, which I haven’t shown that much. I want to be on Saturday Night Live one day as the host and musical guest. So, I feel like this was me kind of getting back into the game of acting and doing improv, so I’m glad we could do it.
Sexploration and Sexuality
RMR: What do you want audiences to take away from this project, and how do they choose to express their identities and sexuality?
Baby Tate: I want my audience to take away a sense of freedom and fun! Always fun, but also to take away that they can do and accomplish anything they want. I’ve always wanted to do a visual EP or a visual project, and I could finally do it on this. It feels so great to be able to accomplish that, and I kind of want to let my fans know that anything you dream of is possible, so continue being yourself.
The first step in making your dreams come true is knowing who you are and being that no matter what society might tell you, no matter what your family might tell you. Be yourself for you because you’re the only one living in your body, and you have to live in your truth and just be you.
Baby Tate’s Sexploration: The Musical, with its bold and unapologetic exploration of sexuality, identity, and self-expression, pushed boundaries and challenged societal norms. The performances and mesmerizing music dazzled audiences, leaving them in awe of the sheer talent and creativity on display. Baby Tate’s zestiness will be remembered in the evolution of drag as an art form, forever inspiring future generations to embrace their true selves and fearlessly express their innermost queen.
