Chela et Cetera on navigating the algorithm and self-branding as a musician

“I found myself formulating more of a caricature around ‘Chela et Cetera’.”

We dance / We pray / We sweat / We march to the beat of the algorhythm.

From the first opening beats of her new single, singer Chelsea Wheatley, aka Chela et Cetera, delivers a danceable, percussive, playful critique of a hot-button issue. In this case, it’s social media’s algorithmic grip.

She’s not entirely searing in her analysis, either. Sure, as she later tells me, the song speaks to the influence algorithms have on our behaviours and relationships. But she’s optimistic, too. “We don’t need to play into the constant demand of it.”

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‘Algorhythm’ marks the Australian-Filipino artist’s first release of 2025. Though it’s not tied to the LP she has slated for next year, she says it’s just as precious. Recorded on Gadigal land, the track took shape around a synth bassline from musician Paul Mac. Chela dreamt up the lyrics and the rest came together swiftly, finished with guitar by OK Mori.

Aside from music, creating a visual universe for ‘Algorhythm’ was a chance for Chela to usher in a new era. She’s the first to admit that in her industry, self-branding is everything, but for this shoot, she prioritised creative expression. “I can be surprisingly shy and prudish,” she says. “But the environment on set was so comfortable, I ended up much more naked than planned!”

Over time, she’s intentionally developed the persona of ‘Chela et Cetera’ as a kind of caricature, allowing herself space and separation from the pressures of being a public-facing artist. That freedom was thanks, in large part, to the team of like- minded creatives she collaborated with, including queer, Latinx photographer Lula Cucchiara. “It’s a new frontier I’ve explored in liberating my body from the hetero gaze,” Chela explains.

As both musician and art director, she shapes her world on her own terms, guided by her own interests rather than the algorithm. In our conversation below, she dives into her process, the reality of her multi-hyphenate life, and the wild mix of influences that fuel her creativity.

Daisy: Hi Chela! I know you’re based between Australia and LA. What has the last week looked like for you?

Chela: In the past week, I have: worked on some new clothing and art designs that I’ll soon be selling, practiced vocal scales everyday to prep for my next single, helped out as a studio-hand at Squeak E. Clean Studios in Hollywood, dressed up as Daria for Remi Wolf’s Halloween Party, planned to open a speakeasy in the back of my friend Tim’s bookstore in Echo Park, worked as a door bitch at an ’80s themed bar and volunteered at Project Angel Food, who prepare meals for people in need, organised through the wonderful Gay 4 Good. That’s maybe half of it. Never a dull day in LA.

Asking for a friend… how exactly did you get your start in the music industry?

I grew up performing alongside my sister, NJ, who’s a very talented singer. Then, when I was 16, I started a punk band [The Gingers] with my high school besties and we got signed within months, so I dropped out of school to tour and make records. I became burnt out and traumatised by the music industry by the age of 19, so I took a break to work in film before starting my solo musical project years later.

To shed some light on the reality of pursuing a music career in Australia, what have been the biggest challenges and the most rewarding moments so far?

There are many unfair and unsafe aspects of the industry, and finding the right people to work with has taken a long time to figure out. I think trying to remain optimistic and not become jaded is a regular practice. I like to call upon the naive, teenage Chelsea who fell deeply in love with music and keep her spark alive in what I do now. Some of the most sacred moments are being on stage with my friends and experiencing the drug-like high that performing induces, if the sound is loud enough!

You’re a creative in every sense of the word. How has the vision behind Chela et Cetera evolved?

One of the most significant evolutions of my creative output has come from ‘coming out’. Since then, I’ve felt freer than ever to express myself. At the same time, the demand and expectation of one’s privacy on social media is quite invasive. I found myself formulating more of a caricature around ‘Chela et Cetera’, to allow myself enough separation and space from the public-facing aspect of being an artist.

You sing, “Does it make you wonder / Where all your hours went? / Does it make you wonder / Who the hell you call your friends?” It’s very real. What exactly is the song about to you?

It’s about the control that appeasing the algorithm has on so many of us, and how that has affected our behaviours and relationships with each other. It feels like we’re all in a race with numbers in our heads sometimes, but it’s important to remember that it’s all made-up. We don’t need to play into the constant demand of it, and this particular ideal of numerical success it promotes.

I love the creativity behind this shoot. Can you tell me how the fleshy, padded look came about?

We had planned to work with tape to distort my body and face; however, the tests didn’t go quite as well as planned, so Kirsty, the stylist, bought these ‘chicken fillets’ aka titty padding, and had the idea to put them into stockings. To me, it’s a new frontier I’ve explored in liberating my body from the hetero gaze, breaking free of opinions I’ve had placed upon me in the past, and toying with shape in a similar way to hormones, surgery or fillers.

Your music has been described as “channelling Grace Jones’ percussive sensuality and Prince’s raw electricity”. Where else do you look for inspiration?

Certainly they are two of my idols. I also draw a lot of inspiration from a range of creatives and characters, such as John Waters, Mowgli, Moni Haworth, Dennis the Menace, Vivienne Westwood, Harmony Korine, Virgil Abloh, Pierre et Gilles, Janet Jackson, Stephen Shore, Jim Greco, elderly Chinese folks who do Tai Chi in the park…

What role does self-branding play in being an artist these days?

It’s everythang! Yesterday, someone I met at the bookstore I work in followed me on Instagram and said, “Wow, I feel like I just got immediately drawn into your world,” and it was validating in the sense that I try to post what I personally like, not just what the algorithm demands. I love the aspect of shared worlds on social media and how much you can learn about someone from what they choose to share.

When do you feel your most confident?

There have been many moments when I’ve felt incredibly embodied and euphoric onstage, and it’s the same when I’m skating, dancing, or if I’m walking down the aisle of the supermarket wearing a fit that I dig with matching undies underneath! I’m also so grateful for how I can feel with the closest people in my life.

What would surprise people about what you do?

Probably how independent and multi-tasking I need to be. I feel like a one-stop shop sometimes and it can get exhausting. I’m constantly zig-zagging between songwriting, producing, scriptwriting, screenprinting, filmmaking, painting, styling, choreographing and directing. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to more collaboration on the upcoming record!

This article was originally published in Fashion Journal Issue 199.

Keep up with Chela here.