Interview with Julie Ragbeer: Stan Twitter’s Viral Icon

Have you ever wanted to jam out to “Mary Whiton Calkins” by Julie Ragbeer while traveling to the Willy Wonka Experience in Glasgow with a beverage from the 97-year-old New York diner that serves Coca-Cola the old-fashioned way? Well, if your answer is no, then you’re clearly not a member of Stan Twitter.

Just a few weeks ago, Julie Ragbeer took the platform formally known as Twitter by storm. Paying an undisclosed amount of money to a pop culture fan account called Pop Tingz, Ragbeer ascended to instant stardom when her paid promo post landed over 11 million views. She became an overnight meme, with her Spotify streams skyrocketing by nearly 50,000%.

Since her viral tweet, the bedroom pop singer-songwriter has been featured in Paper Magazine, shouted out by Rebecca Black, and has had her hit song “Rejected” used by drag queens at their shows. Dedicated “Ragdolls” – which quickly became the decided fandom name – are now paying for Cameo videos, buying merch, and creating fan edits of this 24-year-old musician, continuing to spread her name across the internet with glee.

Ragbeer’s debut album, Perplex, is an incredibly intriguing first listen. Tracks like “Fight Against Your Fleshy Lusts” and “Older Guys” draw immediate attention, but it’s her song dedicated to an American psychologist that took her viral moment to new heights.

“Mary Whiton Calkins” is Ragbeer’s latest single about the first woman president of the American Psychological Association, and the singer has used her newfound platform to raise awareness about the sexism Calkins faced during her time at Harvard University in the early 1900s. Calkins has yet to receive a degree from the university despite being one of the highest performers from her class, and Ragbeer is hoping to change this with both her song and the petition she is supporting.

There is so much down the pipeline for Ragbeer already, as her next EP is scheduled to be released by the end of this month. She’s also been reached out to by several other independent artists, which has been a very exciting stepping stone for her career. A Julie Ragbeer remix to pop singer Luke Markinson’s new song, “Vitamin D,” has already been teased. “Holy (horny) and virginal just for him, only him,” Ragbeer vocalizes over a hyperpop beat, which marks the first time she’s ever stepped into the genre. The era of Julie Ragbeer is just getting started.

Julie Ragbeer sat down with The New Nine to discuss her feelings on becoming viral, her love for Taylor Swift, the toxic men that inspired her debut album, Perplex, and her future plans for music and social media stardom. Keep reading for the full interview!

Hi Julie, thank you so much for chatting with me today! You’ve had quite the insane past few days, so I really appreciate you giving me your time. How has life been this past week, and how has it been managing your newfound fame and virality?

Julie: Yeah, this newfound fame has been very shocking and mindblowing! I’m just so grateful I’m part of it. Managing it has definitely been a lot because I don’t have an official manager yet, so I’m just relying on friends who have been so supportive to me and my music. I’m grateful I have them in my life.

When you initially paid for your Pop Tingz tweet, were you ever expecting it to reach as many people as it actually did? How surprising was it to realize just how viral you’d become from just one tweet?

Julie: I think I saw it was 4 million [views], then it went to 8 million, and then the last time I checked, it was 11 million! I’m like, “Oh my gosh, people know what I look like now!” So, that’s pretty interesting [laughs]!

There’s already a couple people following your footsteps by paying Twitter platforms like Pop Tingz and Pop Crave for promo. How effective do you think this style of paid promotion will be for other artists who are trying to replicate your viral moment?

Julie: I feel like promoting is good because if you don’t promote, it’s going to be very difficult to get your art out there. I know “Stan Twitter” can be a lot sometimes, but you’re still putting yourself out there despite the potential hate. You know what? I’m happy for them, and I wish them success too.

You’ve had interactions with Rebecca Black, Paper Magazine, your own merch line, your brand-new Cameo account, a bunch of fan edits, and so much more. What has been the most exciting interaction you’d say you’ve had within this past week?

Julie: I know a lot of people were talking about, “Oh, you got noticed by Rebecca Black,” and that was pretty cool and nice. I really thought the tweet that she made – she said, “Julie Ragbeer, Addison Rae, get in the car!” – was so cute! It just made me feel very happy to know that my music’s getting recognition, and I’m still very shocked that it went to that level. I was also very shocked that I got noticed by drag queens. I feel like I’m winning in life!

Who are your favorite drag queens?

Julie: I really love Kim Chi! When she did her tweet, I really meant it when I said that I felt like I was passing out. It was just so nice to be noticed by her because I was watching her show so recently! For her to know I exist is pretty cool. I also like Bob the Drag Queen, Naomi Smalls, and Jade Jolie. I’m very excited that I’m getting recognized by a few of them.

Your new album, Perplex, has so many people in a chokehold! The world is obsessed with your body of work, and you now have a fanbase called the “Ragdolls.” If you had to choose, what would you say is your favorite song from your debut album?

Julie: In other interviews, I’ve said “The Devil Is In Your Heart” because I just feel like it has this very spiritual and holy feeling. You’re at church, but you’re also a sexy nun too! I saw some pictures of people with sexy nuns, and I was like, “Oh, okay, got it!” I feel like that fits the theme perfectly. I really like that “Older Guys” was the single to this album. It really flows right after the You Were Never Mine EP, so I think the flow is just there.

I know you’re a massive Swiftie and that she has played a role in the type of music you enjoy creating. What is your favorite Taylor Swift era and favorite Taylor Swift song?

Julie: I really love the Speak Now era and the Fearless era because she was a major part of my childhood, so those albums were really there for me. Speak Now, it really feels like the struggles of growing up – even to this day, listening to “Never Grow Up.” I feel like as we become adults, we kind of miss our childhood a bit, and I feel like Taylor perfectly described that feeling. For my favorite song, I really love “Enchanted.” I feel like that will always have a special meaning in my heart. The song I’ve been mainly listening to lately has been “Midnight Rain.” I feel like that song just reminds me of love lost. There’s a lyric in it that really stood out to me: “And he never thinks of me except when I’m on TV.” I kind of feel like that now by getting a little viral [laughs].

Are there any other music artists who you’d say are currently influencing you and your artistry?

Julie: I would say Lana Del Rey. I think her voice is so beautiful, and it’s so rich in beauty. I feel like she really captivates the feelings of loving someone and stuff like that, and she has the best lyrics of all time!

Now, we have to talk about your iconic track titled “Mary Whiton Calkins.” I just recently signed the petition you’ve been sharing that would allow her to finally receive a posthumous graduate degree from Harvard. Could you explain the inspiration behind the song and what Mary Whiton Calkins personally means to you?

Julie: Mary Whiton Calkins, she is the first woman president in the American Psychological Association. Mary, she worked hard. Really hard. In the petition, they were talking about how Mary worked harder than the guys, and they did less than what she did. It just made me feel for her because she deserves her recognition. She did so much for psychology. I believe she did the paired association technique, and she did so much! It’s 2024 now. I don’t understand why she doesn’t have it.

Another track I want to talk about is “Fight Against Your Fleshy Lusts.” That’s another song that’s beloved by your Ragdolls! Could you explain what that song means to you?

Julie: When I was 19, I was really struggling with Christians being expected to wait for marriage. I was struggling with feelings, not understanding how to deal with them, and stuff like that. I guess you could say it’s a purity anthem. It’s a song for those who may feel pressured to give into societal pressures. If you want to wait, it’s something that you need to choose on your own. You shouldn’t feel pressured, and hopefully this song can help people that feel pressured.

“Rejected” is about toxic men rejecting you, and I’ve also read that “The Devil Is In Your Heart” is about a toxic man that you met on Stan Twitter. What fandom was this man in?

Julie: He was a Swiftie and an Arianator. Here’s something funny, I guess you could say: I actually reached out to him. He responded to me, we talked, and he told me that life has been better for him since leaving the internet. I definitely understand his point of view. The thing is, he really grew, and I’m really happy that he grew. At first, it kind of made me feel sad because somebody got the better version of a friend, but I realize that now I feel happy for him. I told him, “Hey, this song is about you! I hope you don’t feel upset or anything!” He was like, “No, it was long ago!” I’m glad we ended it on a good note. And “Rejected,” too; I guess I was just frustrated about getting rejected by my neighbor and stuff like that. I was rejected by a few other guys from Tinder or those other dating apps at the time. I just decided, “You know what? I feel like this is a song where I explode in a way,” so yeah. That’s it!

Your original stage name was “Victoria Ragbeer,” but you have since changed it to “Julie Ragbeer.” What made you change your name and choose “Julie” instead?

Julie: I was just thinking yesterday that I’ve been doing a few interviews, and no one has asked me that question! I was like, “Which interviewer will ask me this question?” And then you did, so thank you for asking that question! I do not feel bad at all to answer it. I initially started as Victoria Ragbeer. My mom was a bit iffy about me using my real name, so I decided to go with Julie. Julie is a name that my family gives me. My cousins, my siblings, they call me Julie. Actually, with my dad passing recently, he has always called me Julie. I just wanted to do the name change in honor of him.

The Ragdolls are obsessed with the little music videos you’ve made for some of your songs. If you were to make another music video for Perplex, what song do you think you would do it for?

Julie: I feel like it’s a toss-up between “Be My Adam,” “Mary Whiton Calkins,” and “Fight Against Your Fleshy Lusts.” I think “Fight Against Your Fleshy Lusts” and “Mary Whiton Calkins” are the most popular. I was checking my Spotify streams, and it said “Mary Whiton Calkins” is my top song, so I think maybe doing a music video would be a very smart thing to do. It’s been so chaotic, but thankfully I have an IRL friend who’s very great in film. He actually directed the “See Stars” music video and recorded it, so maybe we might work again in the future!

People are referring to you and your producer, Sebastian Akselberg, as the new Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff duo! Do you plan on releasing more music with Sebastian in the near future?

Julie: Yes, I really do want to work with him in the future! I feel like he is the best producer ever, and he has been so kind to me by producing songs. He’s been patient with me and understanding. I think I even wrote him a card one time and said, “You’re the Jack Antonoff to my Taylor Swift,” and I really feel like it’s true! I saw some people comparing us to Ice Spice and Riot, and that’s just adorable. Maybe we’re the next up-and-comers [laughs]!

Final question! What can the world expect to see from Julie Ragbeer for the rest of 2024, and do you have anything planned for the near future that you can share at this moment?

Julie: I can tell you that there is going to be an EP coming out in March, hopefully very soon. I already have most of the songs done. There’s just one left. I just need to add the vocals. The one song is a song that Sebastian made the instrumental for, and I actually asked him yesterday, “Hey, can you add the vocals for me?” I was going to do it, but now I’m seeing that there’s demand, so I better strike while the iron’s hot! He said yeah, so we’re going to do that. I just think it’s so cool that even though we’re not from the same state or even country, we were able to make music online. It goes to show that the internet isn’t all awful. There is still a good space in it.

Keep up with Julie Ragbeer on Instagram, Twitter, and Spotify.