Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
The songs I write are about how I feel and the vibe I'm in. So whether I'm on a tour or at home it's like all about how you feel in the certain time you sit down.
The worst present I got was when I was 10. I had specifically wished for a Barbie horse. My dad got me a cheap, poorly made version of it and I cried all evening.
When I wrote my first album, I was reading Joseph Campbell - he's this philosopher who writes about mythology. That inspired the title, 'No Mythologies to Follow.'
Not to be a bummer, but heartbreak is great for inspiration - we all know that - and it's really hard to write songs if I go through a phase where I don't feel much.
Back in the day I had a tendency to fall in love with people who were very challenging to be in a relationship with. But truth was I just loved the fire and the drama.
It's funny, I really feel like I've learned a lot in my career but I still feel like a child. Like, an 11-year-old? I think it will be like that all my life, actually.
Ever since I was 19, I've been in a relationship, to be honest. I always go from one to another, for some weird reason, and I always find someone where I connect on a personal level.
The hardest thing about being a woman is different for everyone. For me, it's the mirage of 'having it all' somewhere off in the distance. I think in many ways you do have to choose.
The best present I have ever received was when I was about 13 and I got a really cool pair of black fake buffalo shoes. I was so happy about them. They were fake but I was ok with that.
For me, it's all about making a song that communicates something to a big crowd, but you still feel like it's authentic to who you are. That's that kind of pop that I hope and wish to do.
I've been a fan of House of Holland for a couple of years now and I actually had a secret dream of working with the brand one day! So obviously I was super thrilled when I got this chance!
So many people have opinions and try to guide you, and everyone has the best intentions, but it makes it harder to cut through the noise and be like 'wow, this is what I really want to do.'
I have been a huge fan of ABRA ever since I discovered her in 2016. I love her gloomy fresh universe and her youthful unique vocals. Also I find her lyrics and visual output super exciting.
I guess after the whole success with 'Lean On' - me being introduced into this more mainstream audience - I was a little scared of being my true self, and being vulnerable and being gritty.
Ever since I was a little kid, there was something about change that scared me so much, but, at the same time, I've always been terrified of being stuck, so it's kind of like a paradox that I'm living.
I'm such a pleaser - I want everyone around me to be happy - so it took a while for me to get to a point where I could say 'no, I need to be happy with everything that I put out.' I want it to be right.
People find it hard to place me. I'm doing pop, but I'm this weird quirky Dane that used to be in a punk band. And she's singing about being messed up but at the same time she seems normal? I don't know.
I think around 2015 and 2016 I ended up in an identity crisis, artistically. I didn't know what direction I was going in. I'm a perfectionist and I want to be truthful to my beliefs, if you know what I mean.
As a teenager my favorite band was Sonic Youth, and everything they did was always obviously them, and always so artistic. There was another layer of meaning, underneath everything, that you could search for.
You cannot just be the feature act, not that that's a bad thing, because that's a good thing, especially nowadays. But as an artist, you want to express yourself and you want to know what you want to express.
The thing I loved about my old punk band, it wasn't really about being vulnerable, it was about shouting and being fun and being aggressively political, which I thought was really cool and really fit that energy.
The best pop songs are the ones that show that person's personality. It's harder to do those singles because the stars, moon and sun have to align and the audience have to be ready, but it's worth waiting for it.
Blur' is about feeling lost, and on a personal level I would be lying if I didn't mention that this song, for me, was about feeling creatively and artistically lost in the city of all great opportunities, Los Angeles.
I got into music around the age of eight years old, and I think the reason why was because I discovered the Spice Girls. I fell in love with them, and it was the first time I ever felt like the music was just directed to me.
Even though I have a huge love for alternative music and punk music, particularly, I have always had the love for pop music inside of me. Therefore actually it felt kind of natural for me to have different projects with different genres.
I do always like to sing Lana Del Rey, just because I know all her songs. But people at karaoke always want something up-tempo. Sometimes the energy level will change from 'party' to 'emotional,' which I think is great but some people don't.
When I was seven-years-old I discovered the Spice Girls. I fell in love immediately, and I decided I wanted to be a musician myself. This became my goal and my biggest passion to strive for. And so I dressed up as a pop star at Halloween 1996.
What I love about working with Diplo is that it feels very free and fluid - we can work on a song apart from each other or in the studio, and it's always, 'Let's brainstorm, here are new ideas.' I like that kind of workflow, where it's constantly moving.
In Denmark we're so privileged. You get money to study, you get money if you're sick and you get money if your hand hurts. It's hard to be critical of people who are sick getting money, but in Denmark everyone gets money thrown at them and it makes them lazy.
I love to watch people not care too much about the choreography, or if they sing perfectly, or if the right label people are there to watch them. It's just about letting go and being crazy and engaging people in dance and madness - being a human instead of a doll.
I had everything you could collect. I had these Spice Girls postcards. I also had the stickers and Barbie girls. I had all five of them. I was a real fangirl. They were actually preaching some cool stuff, the thing about girl power and sticking together with your best girlfriends.
When I talk to older people, they're like, 'you know what Karen? Life will always offer you new situations where you'll feel totally inexperienced.' But I think that's a good thing because without struggle you don't learn anything, and if you stop learning, you stop living, you know?
When I'm in a session with someone I don't know, I like hanging out for a moment and talking and seeing if we can find some similarities in whatever conversation we're having. The best thing is when you just go for it - just do something that feels good and makes you feel free in the moment.
I think it's to do what's important to you, and having a lot of people - hopefully - listening to your work. It also involves being a credible artist, and being able to reach out to those who will buy into it for some other reason. But on a more personal level, success comes from having many close and strong relationships.
When I was around 12 or 13 my older brother had this friend who was a goth. He was dressed all in black... You know like super, super goth! I was just so drawn to that darkness and weirdness. I just wanted to rebel. And now that I think about it, rebel against what? I mean I have lovely parents and brother and things were always very great.
