Watch: Penelope talks saving the bisexual Mardi Gras float and new single ‘Jelly’

Michael James 25 March 2022

Sydney singer Penelope sat down to chat about her very first Mardi Gras, how she saved the bisexual float and her new single Jelly.

It’s been a big year for the singer who last year appeared on The Voice.

This year she attended her first Mardi Gras and has released another single.

And a lot has been happening.

Penelope’s first Mardi Gras

When we first caught up with Penelope she was owning her place on The Voice Australia last year.

Whilst holding her own in the competition Penelope was also making a stand as a proud bisexual woman on the program.

Since then she has continued to shine, releasing a string of loud and proud songs, including her recent hit Fuckboi.

But this year for the very first time Penelope got to attend Mardi Gras and it was a very special moment for the singer.

“I was so excited” she gushed.

“Because I’m a full-time musician I gig every year” she explained.

“Last year actually I was gigging for Mardi Gras but I was at the club, so I didn’t get to go to the parade because I had to go to the club to perform.”

“Other than that I had never been to a parade, I’d always been working so I was super dooper excited to get out there this year and be a part of it.”

As it turns out it couldn’t have been a better year for the singer to get involved and end up making a big difference.

Saving the bisexual float at Mardi Gras

The last thing Penelope expected when signing up for this year’s Mardi Gras was for things to go as pear-shaped as they did.

Just two weeks out from the event she went from singing on a float, to no float at all.

“So I was meant to be performing on the “Biconic” float and unfortunately they had to pull out [of the parade]” Penelope explained.

“Then, by the time I found that out, the other Bisexual float had pulled out as well because they didn’t have enough numbers.”

“I think people were just a bit scared because of Covid and everything this year, so everything was a bit touch and go.”

But there was no way the singer was going to let the parade go ahead without a bisexual float.

“I found that out two weeks before the parade and I was just like, I can’t have this!”

“It’s just not ok!” she laughed.

“So I contacted them and we got in touch with Mardi Gras and asked to reinstate the float.”

“Then overnight I got the minimum number of people required for the float. Then we sold out all 40 tickets on the float and it was incredible.”

However, as Penelope didn’t get to sing on this float she still made her mark.

“I mimed the shit out of it” she laughs.

What? Are you Jelly?

Now fresh from her time at Mardi Gras Penelope has another new single out.

Jelly is a song that is all about body confidence for the singer.

She recalls how she was inspired to write it after reading what people were saying about her during her time on TV.

“It was off the back of The Voice, it was interesting I had such a great time and I wanted to be strong a representative of the bisexual community and also the drag scene” she says.

So when it came time to go on stage on the show, she didn’t change a thing.

“I went in wearing whatever I would wear on any regular night performing. Some people were living and some people weren’t.”

Sadly the ones that weren’t decided to leave their comments online.

“It was just funny reading all the comments about like ‘what is she wearing’ and ‘ oh my god with a body like that.'”

It didn’t bother me because I know who I am and I’m so proud of what I’ve become

But ultimately Penelope wasn’t ever going to let these comments get to her and it was something she had prepared herself for going into the show, despite being nervous.

“Before the show, I was so afraid of people poking fun because we’ve all been the victims of bullies before and I’m no stranger to that and I was nervous about experiencing that.”

“It was funny I was just reading them [the comments] and just sitting back and laughing, It didn’t bother me because I know who I am and I’m so proud of what I’ve become and how I’ve grown and how I was just in my element.”

“Not just because I was a singer, but because of how I was presenting myself and what I represent.”

So what better way to clap back? With another song for the haters.

“So I wrote this song, you Jelly? Like, you know mums say, they’re picking on you because they’re jealous. So I just had to write a little diddy about it.”

“It’s super empowering and cheeky and fun. You can strut to it and twerk it and all that stuff” she laughs.

And she’s right, Jelly is another banger from the singer, fierce, fabulous and as usual fabulously bisexual.

You can download and stream Jelly through all your music outlets.

Check out our full interview with Penelope below.