Bustle Mixtape
The Swedish singer-songwriter talks to Bustle ahead ofDirt Femmes release.
Dancing her way through the canyons hills became somewhat of a pandemic ritual for the electropop star.
Its just a way for me to find release.
Since Nilsson finds inspiration from parties and togetherness, 2020 was a creative dry spell for her.
The songs are even more vulnerable, even more honest.
Nilsson writes about issues with her body and embracing femininity.
Its a perfect album for dancing and crying, a combination that Tove Lo knows better than anyone.
On Rethinking Feminine Traits & #MeToo
This record digs deep into this theme of femininity.
What has your path to embracing femininity looked like?
I think all people have bothfeminine and masculine traits.
We just lean one way more than the other.
It doesnt necessarily have anything to do with gender.
I would express [emotions] in my music, but keep them to myself.
[The men] would be kind of shitty, like Girl, you could take the jokes.
All that shit is typical.
Im finally like, Oh, it affected me too.
It made me start to look at my feminine traits like weaknesses instead of strengths.
Thats really changed [recently].
I dont make a run at play down how I’m feeling.
Is dancing and crying how you cope with life?
When Im happy, when Im sad.
I cry when Im feeling sorry for someone, or Ive done something wrong.
Tears are very available to me.
And then Ill start crying.
Hes like, Whats wrong?
And Im like, Everything is perfect.
Its an emotional release.
Has dancing helped you feel more at home in your body?
They made me feel, like, Im a woman.
It was whenI played South by Southwest.
It was my first U.S. show, wed come from Sweden, and had just gotten our visas.
For the first time, I met my die-hard fans, and they had vinyls for me to sign.
I was like, is this really happening?
Am I going to make it in America?
And I remember that feeling, like, wow, this is the dream.
On the flip side, was there a moment you felt ready to give up as a musician?
During the pandemic, I had moments of, Wait, Im not performing.
What if Im not going to get to do this again?
What if its all done now?
But obviously I realized, no, thats up to you, so keep going.
I had one brief moment in my early 20s, before I got my publishing deal as a songwriter.
Id gotten so many nos.
No musicians wanted to play with me, no writers wanted to work with me.
So I signed up to be a Pilates instructor, and I started [the training].
While I was doing that, all of a suddenIcona Popreached out.
This person bailed out of our session.
That got me in the room.
Thats how it all happened.
Your current musical idol?
I love whatCharli XCXis doing at the moment.
I think shes just smashing it.
Im super in love with this girl calledCy, a Swedish artist.
Youll see why, her voice and her melodies.
It is really fantastic.
Huge fan ofDoja Cat.
Freed From Desire remix by Kevin McKay.
It wins people over in two seconds.
And you would know because you’re a DJ!
You spent a lot of lockdown learning how to DJ, right?
I live in a kind of collective with five people.
We all learned how to DJ.
Two or three people were DJing already, and taught me and Jesse shes this badass fashion event producer.
So we had little five-people dance parties at home, just DJing and making dance music.
Whats the secret to being a good DJ?
That the only people who listen to how youre mixing are other DJs, so it doesnt really matter.
Play stuff you love and understand.
And also, its pretty easy to read the room.
If people are going off to one song that you play, lean into that genre.
But in general, dont stress.
Play stuff you love.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
