Chloe Slater has spoken to NME about feeling increasingly desensitised to politics and social media while discussing the ideas behind her debut album, Riot Youth.
The Manchester-based singer was interviewed at Mad Cool 2026 shortly before she performed in Madrid on July 9. Her first album is due out on October 9.
Slater said the record reflects a sense of frustration and disillusionment with politics, as well as the effort it takes to keep believing change is possible. She said the title comes from a lyric in the song “Hopeless,” which looks at youthful optimism and the challenge of staying engaged as time goes on.
She also said she does not think the album is only aimed at young listeners, explaining that the feeling of burnout and disappointment can affect people at any age. Slater added that she is unsure how much of a difference a change in political leadership would make, given what she described as the many unpredictable things happening around the world.
According to NME, Slater said constant exposure to shocking news online can make it harder to react strongly to events, and she encouraged people to step back from social media and rely more on trusted news sources.
