The Next Big Thing (No.24) : MØ

Grimes, Lana Del Rey, M.I.A, or Charli XCX. Those names are likened to this week’s ‘The Next Big Thing’. Karen Marie Ørsted or mostly known as MØ, is a Danish singer who has been featured crazily on NME, Pitchfork, and every music website. Her first recognition is when she got a debut to perform in Danish prestigious awards, P3 Guld Live.

Before dreaming to be a top-notch musician, MØ previously applied to some Universities which unfortunately she got rejected,  then  it led her to study about Fine Arts. Eventhough she is still  studying fine art, her taste in music just can’t be replaced. Her musical euphoria started when she was in third grade, MØ listened to the Spice Girls, and in her adolescent years, she listened to Punk music. As she steps into her 20s, she gets influences from hip-hop music. You may find her music is full of synth, electro, pop cult, and some experimental sounds, however MØ describes that her background comes from Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Jimmi Hendrix, and Cat Power. MØ said  ”I think that one of the bands that I’ve been really crazy about is definitely Sonic Youth. I know you probably can’t hear that in the music at all – actually you really can’t. And I’m also very fond of Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Again, I’ve never been told that I sound anything like her, so I think it’s more a case of me thinking those thoughts than people being able to see it and hear it…”.

For her debut album that she released this year, ‘Pilgrim’, MØ worked with Ronni Vindahl. Vindahl is  a Copenhagen-based music producer, who is also a member of NAV, a songwriting and a producer team. Her debut mostly speaks about honesty and restlessness, as she added that her song tells about being yourself, doing your own thing, and even giving a finger to the society.

MØ seems like a categorized female musician that has been around in the industry for the last two years. Her music and its influences may not see through, the contrasts in her music draws the inspirations that she put in it. MØ’s music is actually more like channeling a spirit of her idols than copying the music that she’s been listening to. Just like what she said, “It’s not because I’m aiming to sound super artsy, but I’ve always thought that music and art are interconnected and that art is about creating a universe. The same thing goes for music, in my opinion. I think that’s why I’m so inspired by Sonic Youth. Because they were – and are – part of a visual art scene.”