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MØ on the making of ‘Forever Neverland’

Interview by Nicola La Ruffa

Finding Neverland.

If you haven’t already been blasting the new album from MØ, we suggest you get onto it, pronto.

Since 2014, the Danish singer has skyrocketed through the charts – featuring on songs like ‘Lean On’, which accumulated over one billion streams on Spotify.

Forever Neverland is her latest venture, a 14-track collection of poppy, summer anthems that you’d likely expect from the singer-songwriter. Borrowing themes from the classic Peter Pan tale, the record merges uplifting, breezy beats with melancholy lyrics. Just listen to songs like ‘Nostalgia’, which revisits the memory of a first love.

In a recent chat, the singer opened up about her four-year journey to Neverland.

The title of your upcoming album, Forever Neverland, is a nod to the classic Peter Pan tale. What brought about this idea?

I think it was something that I thought about in 2016, because at that time, everything in life [changed] after the whole success of ‘Lean On’. I was constantly travelling back and forth – between Europe and Los Angeles – and I felt like I was living in this bubble. I feel like a lot of people in Los Angeles were also living in this bubble, all searching for that dream. [It’s] a very intriguing energy in Los Angeles, but it’s also a little bit, in its own world, you know?

Los Angeles in a way to me represented a real-life Neverland. I chose the title Neverland because – I mean, I should say Peter Pan – it’s a reference to Peter Pan. The whole thing about Peter Pan being so scared of growing up. I’ve always been scared of growing up. And I think that’s because I was dreaming away to some kind of Neverland. It’s like a classic thing for our generation, this escapism, and I think it’s something that I do in my songwriting a lot. So I found it fitting to call the album Forever Neverland.

Your most recent single ‘Sun In Our Eyes’, marks yet another collaboration with Diplo. What was that writing process like?

We actually just put in a normal day’s work at his house (which is also the studio). We – or him, me and another writer – were just writing the songs. We were talking about great summer songs. I found the best summer love songs had that melancholy, where it’s kind of sad but then also super uplifting. That was the vibe we were going for.

What was the most difficult song to write?

I mean a lot of the songs took a little while to finish, but that’s not necessarily because they’re difficult, it’s just [because] you’re shaping them over time…

I remember the song ‘I Want You’, it was really hard for me to sing that song… But it wasn’t like any one [song] was difficult, it just took a while for some of them. But I guess that’s just a work-in-progress thing.

You joined Charli XCX, Zara Larsson and Alma on stage for Dua Lipa’s live performance of ‘IDGAF’. How did that collaboration come about?

Well I think Dua just texted all of us, like, ‘hey, are you up for doing this thing?’.

We all happened to be in the States and we obviously all love Dua Lipa so we were just like, ‘yay!’

Back in 2014, you released your version of the Spice Girls’ hit, ‘Say You’ll Be There’. Are you hoping for a Spice Girls revival?

I really am. I feel like it’s been rumoured for so long, I don’t think they’re gonna do it. I just really hope that they will because it’ll be the dream of my life to see them perform together. I would bring all my girlfriends, go dress up and sing along to every song.

Following the release of Forever Neverland, you’ll be kicking off your European tour on November 9. How is the tour preparation going?

It’s going really well, I mean, we know how to play all the new songs now which is a good start (laughs). And then we created this really awesome stage design, which is representative of the themes of the album. So I feel like it’s all looking really really cool. It’s the first time that I’ve ever brought out a proper stage design, so I’m really excited about that.

Any upcoming Aussie tour dates we need to mark in our calendars?

I know that we’re looking at some, but I don’t have any officially.

Unfortunately not yet. We are [looking] – it’s on the table.

momomoyouth.com
sonymusic.com.au

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