In just three years, Cortisa Star’s gone from internet curiosity to viral rap phenomenon, picking up co-signs from Charli xcx and Doechii, even making her runway debut at Miu Miu. So, where do you go after an accidental rise to fame?
In just three years, Cortisa Star’s gone from internet curiosity to viral rap phenomenon, picking up co-signs from Charli xcx and Doechii and even making her runway debut at Miu Miu. So, where do you go after an accidental rise to fame? Three years ago, the then-18-year-old Cortisa Star appeared on TikTok as a self-styled rap princess, flinging sharp-tongued bars over Philly drill beats (“Bars just real crazy, it’s more than just spit…It’s more than a punch, little bitch, it’s a hit,” she declared on 2023’s “still a menace”) and peppering Jersey club production with subliminal shots.
Initially, it was little more than a running challenge between herself and the self-assigned critics camped out in her comment sections. But the joke quickly became something bigger. Those addictive, shape-shifting tracks racked up more than 20 million streams and views as the Delaware-raised, Baltimore-based trans artist caught fire online with the swaggering freestyle “FUN” – thrown together in little less than an hour. As followers flooded in across TikTok and Twitter (now X), the moment marked a turning point. Suddenly, what had once felt like a prophecy buried in her tag name no longer seemed hypothetical.
Drawing listeners in with delivery so cutting it often veers into slam poetry, Cortisa’s rise from small-town obscurity to internet obsession happened at breakneck speed. Charli xcx declared “i <3 cortisa star”; Kim Petras enlisted her for “Get Some”; Doechii and Lil Nas X publicly sang her praises. All of it arrived before the release of her distorted 12-track debut EP, “E.M.O (Evil Motion Overload)”, in April last year. Then came perhaps the most surreal endorsement of all. Rico Nasty – the rapper whose maximalist chaos helped shape Cortisa’s own sound – posted a TikTok mouthing along to “BRADSHAW*”, an unreleased collaboration with fellow rapper Jadadoll. In a matter of months, the artists she had once admired from afar were no longer distant idols.
As her orbit grows ever larger – one where Paris Fashion Week runway debuts for Miu Miu and Conner Ives are now just another item on the itinerary – the hyperpop rapper is turning her attention to what comes next. With a debut album in the works, she reflects on fame, ambition and what it means to have Miley Cyrus in your corner.
Your body of work exists at that fun intersection of experimental music, internet culture and performance. What’s your favourite thing about being a Gen-Z artist?
I love that everyone understands that I do what I want and I don’t care about anything else. Obviously I care about things, but when it comes to my art, I don’t really focus on the charts or numbers of it all, ‘cause if people like my creations, then that’s just a plus.
The first track you released was “Begin” in 2023, just a year before your viral track, “FUN”. How have you evolved as a musician and artist since those first experiments?
I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by so many queer and specifically other Black trans/queer creatives, which is something that fuels my drive more than anything. I love seeing my friends succeed and they push me to do the same.
Your music surpasses rap; it’s Jersey beats, Philly drill, hyperpop, electronic, and hip-hop. What’s your creative process like? And how do you take all of those references and make a sound of your own?
It’s not about making it my own, but taking the integral art from throughout my life, even when I was a child, and making a manifested version of myself through creation. I feel like my songs are truly ‘Cortisa’.
Outside of music, who would you say has had the biggest impact on you as an artist?
My sisters. I have three older sisters who have always supported me and shown me that even when shit gets crazy, you must stay centred in your creations and self – go insane for a bit, but what can you make out of it?
You’ve previously spoken about having an ‘obsession’ with stars. What do you want the Cortisa Star universe to spotlight about you and your artistry?
I want it to spotlight the beauty in nihilism, but also the importance of caring. Doing everything within your ability and checking off your bucket list because nothing matters. We are here for a finite time to experience life – why waste even a second not doing what you want if it doesn’t hurt anyone?
If you could send three artists, dead or alive, to planet Cortisa Star, who would they be and why?
I would send JadaDoll, SinnyNova and CherryX, so I could be with my friends.
Lyrically, you explore your sexuality, queerness, trans identity, and self-expression. How did you gain the confidence to express yourself despite growing up in such a conservative area as Sussex County, Delaware?
The confidence came from realising that hate is a disease. No one who hates on people is happy at their core. Most of the time, they’re miserable and probably hate themselves even more.
Can you tell us more about your style and how it’s become an extension of your outward expression?
I feel like my style is very “fall in my closet and jump out with what fell on” coded [laughs]. I really like to pick a random piece that I think is cunt and style myself around that, even a ring can have a ‘fit’ styled around it. Rico Nasty posted a TikTok using one of your songs. Since then, you’ve gained co-signs from the likes of Doechii, Charli xcx, and Kim Petras.
What does it mean to be recognised by some of the top artists in your field?
It means a lot to me to see people I’ve looked up to post to my songs. But honestly, it means just as much as when fans do. I appreciate anyone who enjoys what I make, not just celebrities.
Speaking of stars, you’ve been chosen by Miley Cyrus to be a part of her Wonderland issue. What does that mean to you?
It’s nice to see someone with such star power be interested in a “young ho” like me. It’s serving, sister Miley.
When you look at Miley’s superstardom, what are you most inspired by as you build your own?
The openness to growth and accepting your going to be a slightly different person in different eras. Change is good, and doesn’t have to be scary or bad.
What’s the follow-up to your debut EP “E.M.O (Evil Motion Overload)”? Is there an album on the cards?
The end of the summer…will see some beauty [laughs].
As summer fast approaches, what else can we expect to come from Cortisa Star?
Expect more tours, DJ’ing, albums, projects, and collabs. And hopefully, a vacation.
WONDERLAND SUMMER 2026. GUEST EDITED BY MILEY CYRUS. SHOP NOW.
Words Aswan Magumbe