understands that great dance-pop isn’t just party music; it’s also life-affirming, galvanising and democratising. As she sings on ‘Free’, a house-flavoured highlight from her brilliant debut album, 2025’s , “the good shit in life is always free”. Gray’s first album era also yielded gold-plated bops like ‘Angel of Satisfaction’, ‘Party People’ and ‘April’; now, she’s trailing her upcoming second album with ‘Club to Your Arms’, a euphoric song of the summer, and her incendiary new single ‘Blink Twice’. 

So, all things considered, she’s a perfect booking for False Idols, which returns to DRUMSHEDS in Tottenham next Saturday for London’s biggest Halloween rave. Previous False Idols parties have been headlined by and ; this time, the stellar lineup includes Halloween queen , industrial diva COBRAH and queer hip-hop alchemist Cakes da Killa, plus a special appearance from Hacks star  – “hi gay!” indeed. And it’s all happening in the daytime, so you won’t look like a ghoul the next morning.

Here, Gray teases her upcoming second album and reveals why False Idols feels like such a dream gig. 

Attitude: So, what made you want to play this iteration of False Idols?

Do you know what, it’s been on my wish list since it started. I’m a really big fan of everything that Clayton [Wright, False Idols founder] does: Body Movements, Little Gay Brother, Feel It. And actually, my best friend in the world has been a dancer with [Clayton’s] collective for years, and we’ve always said: “Oh my gosh, can you imagine if I play False Idols? You can dance on stage with me.” And now that’s going to happen! Also, it’s at DRUMSHEDS, and I grew up in Walthamstow, so it’s my home turf. 

DRUMSHEDS is an incredible venue – and it’s absolutely massive.

And inside it feels like Berlin, very industrial. It’s funny, because I can remember when DRUMSHEDS was an IKEA.  I actually went missing there when I was eight years old! I was wearing my Healys – do you remember them? – and I just went rolling off, like, “bye mum!” They had to put out a missing child announcement and didn’t find me for like two-and-a-half hours.

You’re performing as part of the False Idols ceremony, which is always a highlight. What can you tell us about your set?

Well, from what I gather, it’s going to be a really big moment in the show. We’re going in with the production – there’s going to be 20 dancers on stage. And I’m doing a big medley of my songs. I was actually given a time slot, but I’ve doubled it because [otherwise] I can’t fit all my songs in. And obviously it’s Halloween, so there’s a narrative and a concept, but I don’t want to give too much away…

We know you as queen of the ‘Party People’, but are you a fan of daytime raves like False Idols? 

Oh, I’m really into it because I’m trying to prioritise sleep. You can party hard but still wake up at a decent time and not be in bed all day. Perfect.

You’ve performed at quite a few Pride events and queer festivals now. Why do you think your music always goes down so well?

I mean, dance-pop is all me and my friendship group grew up going out to, and I feel like queer audiences, they just get it. And I noticed that connection as soon as I put out my first EP, , back in 2022. 

You’ve dropped three singles from your second album: ‘Club to Your Arms’, ‘Just Be Bodies’ and ‘Blink Twice’, which all hit hard. Is the album pretty much finished now?

I’m actually in my favourite part of finishing the record. I have the songs, I have the track listing, but I’m just doing some sprinkles – interludes and things like that, just to make it all make sense. I’ve still got a little bit of time to finesse things. 

How would you say it’s different from your debut?

The record feels very much like the last two years of my life, which is when things have changed very drastically for me. I think with , I was finding my feet. I was really trying to cement myself as a pop artist, and I felt like I was knocking on a lot of doors, but no one was letting me in! But now, I feel like I’ve come into my own and really proved myself as a writer and artist. When it comes to a chorus, I love a big pop vocal, and that’s something I’m having a lot of fun with on my second record. There’s a lot more of me owning my voice, and really letting her go, because I think so far I’ve maybe kept her in a little cage.

You’ve written a lot with Justin Tranter, who’s also worked on huge hits by Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber. Why do you enjoy collaborating with them so much?

Honestly, Justin is a mentor to me across the board – not just with our songwriting. They’ve become this force of nature that has given me a lot of confidence in the music industry, especially when things gets tough. They’re actually playing a really big part in my new record – they’re co-exec-producing it with me, so we really have control.

That’s a great position to be in. 

Look, I love my team, but I need to surround myself with girls and gays and theys. I don’t want to be sat in boardrooms with loads of straight men telling me what my dance-pop record should be. Justin and I listen to the same music, we read the same books, we go to the same places. We really get each other, and that’s important when you’re making a record.

False Idols Halloween with Kim Petras and Rose Gray is at DRUMSHEDS on 24 October. Get tickets .