Navigating this new, uncertain terrain, what could the couple—so fluent in all things Online, and with an arsenal of music in dire need of a cultural revision—do?
Music: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have long lived life in extreme rhythms, ricocheting from the reality-TV circuit (beginning, of course, with The Hills) to the release of Montag’s now 15-year-old album Superficial, a blowout dance-pop record that stewed for years as a cult favorite. The pair, together known as “Speidi,” were gearing up to celebrate the anniversary of that album with new music and visuals, when wildfires swept through Los Angeles. All at once, their house burned down and they lost everything.
“I had to get to work,” Pratt says. That meant getting vulnerable online about their loss and engaging a relentless social media strategy to encourage people to stream Montag’s music and support them. In so doing, Pratt became a rallying voice, and Montag’s songs a soundtrack for resilience, solidarity, and pop-girlie superstrength. The groundswell was unprecedented, as Montag’s sultry “I’ll Do It” stormed to number one in at least 14 countries, and everyone from Julia Fox to Emily Ratajkowski were posting the audio. (On the recently dropped Superficial 2, however, which features a host of new tracks, “Twisted” remains Pratt’s personal favorite.) They also collaborated with a local coffeeshop on Speidi lattes, from which 100% of the proceeds go to LA fire relief.
Here, Vogue catches up with Speidi—Zooming in from a temporary perch in Santa Monica—about the impact of the wildfires, Montag’s return to the studio, and the many feelings that surround their cultural resurgence.
Vogue: Hi, Heidi and Spencer! How’s your day going?
Heidi Montag: Today is a good day. It is beautiful outside. There’s oxygen. We’re healthy. We’re alive. We’re going down to LA to promote a drink that we have with La La Land coffee, and 100% of the proceeds are going to LA fire relief. I’m sure that will be very emotional. I’m also going to the music studio to record a new song. Then, just…parent life!
You have two young boys. How are you navigating that with them?
Montag: With our oldest, we’ve been really careful about not letting him see any photos or any media. I wouldn’t even put on the news when the fires were at our front door. I didn’t want him to see that and have that trauma. We’re talking through his feelings and validating them. Obviously, we try to be positive, but we also don’t want to shut down real fears.
Spencer Pratt: We’re encouraging a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve put him in a new school—it’s a difficult thing.
It sounds like you’re doing all the right things. As a couple, you’re going through a pop culture reevaluation. Julia Fox recently said that “maturing is realizing Speidi was never the problem.” Maybe there’s a new appreciation for something that you knew all along, Heidi—that Spencer is your biggest cheerleader. What is it like to see people reconfigure you?
Montag: For me, that’s been the best part. People reconsidering Speidi. Spencer has always been my biggest support. The TV show spin was that he was controlling. That was all through Lauren [Conrad]’s eyes. That wasn’t the reality. We were a team, and he helps me to accomplish my dreams and goals. For us, it’s always been a love story.
To have people see Spencer and appreciate that…I’ve always known what a genius Spencer is. There have been so many big and almost life-changing moments before this. It’s nice that, through this tragedy, people can see a side of Spencer that I’ve always seen, that we all love and get to experience every day.
Pratt: You did a lovely job on your hair and makeup.
How has your relationship grown through this, too? What have you learned about each other, or what has been affirmed?
Pratt: From my perspective, Heidi is always the one that stays positive throughout all the horrible situations we’ve been through. This was the first time I saw how hard it was to keep it together. I was, like, I gotta be the Heidi this time! We had a switch of roles. She’s an empath. This was so much for her to handle. Usually she says, “God is good, God has a plan.” I had to step up.
A major stepping up. So, the anniversary album release was planned, but who could have foreseen these events and the support? Heidi—you preempted the maximal pop-girl persona we see right now via people like Charli XCX, Tate McRae, and Slayyyter. Where do you see yourself in the contemporary pop sphere?
Montag: That is so fun and kind to be included in that sentence!
Pratt: I want that as my voicemail.
Montag: It’s an honor to be on the Billboard charts and number one on iTunes. That’s all because of people’s love, support, and appreciation. It’s made a dream come true out of a terrible moment. At the same time, I’m trying to keep everything else together. I’m being a mom for my sons, trying to unpack… There are incredible highs and lows. Spencer is tunnel-visioned on work. I’m navigating through the rest of our life stuff.
Pratt: I can’t talk about new nannies—I gotta worry about beating Bad Bunny!
Montag: I just have to check in and be present, as hard as it is and how extreme our circumstances are. It’s all still so fresh. We literally just lost our house. When I have a little more time to appreciate the music and see it translate more, be in that moment… I just don’t know when that will be.
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Montag: We spent the last year in the studio, immersed in the music again with producers and songwriters, because my song “I’ll Do It” was viral in China. Having new music is great timing, but I’m in the studio with 20-year-olds—like, I could be their mom! They were saying, “My mom can’t believe that I’m in here with you! She loved The Hills!”
I feel like I have a fresh, young, and new sound. It’s still in the vein of pop—but as they tell me, everything has to be experimental and fluid. I love that. It’s nice not to be pinned down. We’re got great dance tracks and a little bit of everything. I want something I can work out to. I get tagged in a lot of workout videos with my music.
Pratt: Our local barista will say, “I walk to work so fast to ‘5G.’”
Montag: We reached out to Only Fire again, who did the “5G” remix. I keep on asking in the studio, “This is pop music, right?” They’ll tell me there’s no such thing as pop anymore, it’s all experimental!
Pratt: The people we worked with 15 years ago on Superficial believed in Heidi then and Heidi now. Like Stacy Barthe, who wrote some of Rihanna’s and Beyonce’s biggest songs. Everyone is getting their flowers. One of Heidi’s best songs from the original record is “Twisted.” I want that to have its moment.
Montag: Taylor Swift, Charli XCX. I love how Charli’s had a resurgence too. She has always been so mega, and she stayed true to her focus and people followed her into this new era. I love Troye Sivan, Sabrina Carpenter is such a doll, and who isn’t obsessed with Christina Aguilera? All the girlies! I’m open!
I can so see you on a Brat remix.
Montag: Super brat.
Will we get more music videos?
Montag: They cost a lot. We need OnlyFans TV to run it back!
Pratt: This has always felt like this super special group project. You see the energy of the internet. Two of the most famous humans on earth sent Heidi a record to cut.
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Do you feel like you were ahead of your time, Heidi?
Montag: I don’t know. I think I just wasn’t accepted at the time. So, ahead of the time…accepted…It’s different. I’ll take any time, really.
Pratt: I always say: If Heidi had social media back then and could have had her narrative out there, everything would have been right on time. You know Heidi’s voice now, versus when she played along with what was paying her, which was TV and the producers. But Heidi has been a mega star since I first met her on that dance floor.
There’s a world-building you’ve both been particularly smart at, rallying people to stream Heidi’s music and enlisting powerful internet people. It’s been quite joyful to watch and root for you.
Pratt: It’s a miracle. As Heidi says, I’m so locked in. People from everywhere are making the music number one in 14 countries, 12 that we’ve never been to! We lost everything, but you can focus on that or choose to focus on the planet level: that is, people all over the world putting out positive energy for us. It’s hard to do consistently, but we’re trying. I can’t be crying all day long!
Heidi—I would love to talk to you about your relationship to your clothes and style. I think it’s important to acknowledge the loss of physical items, like clothing, which people attach their identity and sense of self-expression to. In crisis, too, keeping hold of your sense of self can be so difficult. How are you navigating that?
Pratt: Well, I’ll let you guys talk about that because now I only wear Heidi merch.
Montag: You know, I’m very conflicted with it. It sounds silly, but I was so sad about losing my clothes. They’re just things, but they’re things that I spent 15 to 20 years collecting. Things I wore to a special place, with special people. There’s a lot I can’t replace. Shoes I perfectly curated, like a pair of black pumps or boots. I keep telling myself, I rented them in this life!
I only grabbed two pairs of jeans, and I’m such a jean girl. I had a new pair of Paige jeans that just make me feel like me. I went to Marshalls the other day and I bought a bunch of discounted sweaters. They’re good quality, about $20 dollars, but they make me feel so much better. I’m still looking back at TikToks and seeing, like, a sweater I wore and reminiscing.
I was so thrilled to see all these companies doing donation drives. It makes a big difference to how people feel and giving them some dignity. A bit of makeup can be so powerful! My bag of Patrick Ta, Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury, makes me feel grounded in myself. I would love to create or support a charity for people who lost everything and do hair and makeup, to help people feel more like themselves.
Would you consider another reality show?
Montag: Well, you never know…It’s Hollywood. There’s always something. We’re ready for it. We’d hope to even do something about rebuilding the town and showing our community. But I’m also balancing the music, being a mom.
How are you exercising self-care right now?
Montag: It’s challenging. I’ve got a babysitter coming—even thought I didn’t want to, but I was having anxiety attacks. I made myself go and buy some clothes. I made myself get some makeup. I’m trying to watch a few shows, have a glass of wine. I’m getting a massage because moving stuff in and out has been such physical work! I’m finding time for prayer, quietness, reading, and journaling.
Stream Superficial 2 by Heidi Montag now.
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