Slayyyter released her debut studio album
Troubled Paradise on June 11, 2021, to generally positive reviews. She described the album as "very thrown together", and sought to expand her musical tastes for a new project. She wrote nearly 200 songs for the album. Inspired by old Hollywood tropes and her own experience moving to
Los Angeles to pursue a music career, she wrote songs that invoke
celebrity and 80s and 90s films. She cited the
erotic thrillers
Blue Velvet,
Body Double, and
Basic Instinct as visual and lyrical references. She used "broody synths" to create darker music, inspired by the American electronic duo
Boy Harsher. The album's title came from a conversation Slayyyter had with Jackson about the music industry, in which he'd referred to someone the pair knew as a "
starfucker". Slayyyter also said she wanted to make the album for her "17-year-old self," inspired by a quote from
Virgil Abloh. The entirety of the album, as well as an estimated "50–60 [demo] songs", leaked online ahead of
Starfuckers release. Scrapped songs for the album include a track sampling "
Stereo Love" by Romanian musicians
Edward Maya and
Vika Jigulina, which Slayyyter and her label were unable to release due to costly sample clearance fees. Slayyyter later stated in March 2026 that she thought Starfucker might yield commercial hits, but they did not turn out as such. Her position in the grey zone between niche artistry and commercial success would later push her to produce
Worst Girl in America. == Composition ==