The half-human, half-horse DJ and pop provocateur known as horsegiirL, or Stella Stallion, has bounced back from the brink of burnout with a new album that serves as a love letter to the planet. Speaking from Brazil, where she is filming a video for her track 'That's My Beach', Stallion discussed her journey, her critics, and her eco-conscious debut album 'Nature Is Healing', set for release on June 5 via RCA.
From Underground Raves to Mainstream Attention
Stallion, 26, first gained widespread attention in 2022 with viral sets on HÖR Berlin and Boiler Room. Her blend of Eurodance, 90s techno, happy hardcore, and gabba polarized the dance music community. While her loyal fans, known as 'farmies', embraced her lore—that she was born on Sunshine Farms and discovered by Whitney Horseton—others dismissed her as a gimmick. 'I don't remember his name,' Stallion laughs, referring to a legendary DJ who criticized her rise. 'Some legendary DJ from, like, 1902, said, This is the face of commercialisation. I had to laugh because at that point I was mainly playing small underground queer and trans raves.'
Early Style and Criticism
Her early work, including tracks like 'My Little White Pony' and 'My Barn My Rules', favored instinct over technical precision. 'I didn't let my inability hold me back,' she says. She notes that criticism often came from technically proficient DJs who struggled to keep dancefloors alive. 'Who cares about the transition if your track selection and energy is off?'
Despite the backlash, Stallion found an unlikely fan in actor Danny Dyer, with whom she spent much of the 2025 Brit Awards chatting. 'I definitely didn't ever picture myself being in the Daily Mail,' she whinnies.
Overcoming Burnout
Last year's EP 'v.i.p. (very important pony)', featuring the liquid drum'n'bass track 'materiaL hor$e', was created between DJ sets worldwide as Stallion battled burnout. 'I'm a horse, I love to keep going. Horses don't stop. That is something I really had to learn,' she explains. To recover, she took a four-month break from DJing and focused on crafting 'Nature Is Healing' in Berlin, Los Angeles, and London with producers including AG Cook and Margo XS.
A Diverse Sound Palette
The album showcases a more refined sound, drawing from 90s Madonna, Sophie's liquid-pop, and even acoustic instruments. The single 'Apple a Day' transforms a familiar idiom into a mutant happy hardcore track, while 'Organic Intelligence' is a UK garage bop that contrasts natural intelligence with AI. 'Hands Hands Hands' explores the duality of human achievement, from healing to destruction.
Art Over Activism
Stallion is clear that she is an artist, not an activist. 'With climate activism, there's a real burnout phenomenon because the crisis is so big. I wanted to come from a perspective of joy, because joy can be a real motivator. Humour and playfulness are very, very serious tools,' she says, playing with a strand of her mane.
She acknowledges the potential hypocrisy of a globetrotting DJ making an eco-themed album but distinguishes between work and leisure travel. 'I'll say this now, so if I do this in 10 years, then you have every right to cancel me—I don't ever want to be on a private jet. But what do you want us to do? Play a set on Zoom? We tried that in the pandemic and it's not the vibe.'
Ultimately, Stallion hopes her album inspires reflection on humanity's role in the world. 'I would like people to reflect on what a privilege it is to be a human, and to love each other. So maybe that is the hippy talking.'
