‘X In My Sensual’ is so upbeat and fun – I’m obsessed! What was the songwriting process like for this track?
Asbjørn: I’m really happy you feel like that. The song is about the lack of consent in club culture, which is obviously not a lot of fun, but I wanted to make a song you could actually play in the club to change those structures. A song that made you dance and sing along to consent. Sexual acts without consent also continuously happen at gay clubs, that are supposed to be safe spaces, and I wrote the first version after an experience at Heaven in London. I used my frustration and anger from that incident into a song called “L to the Head” from my newest album Boyology. When I met DAYYANI we got to talking about these experiences and it turned out we had a lot of shared ones - that’s when I knew we had to re-write a new version together. ‘X In My Sensual’ is that.
Your music is based around sex education, which is so amazing! What made you decide to include this topic in your songs?
Asbjørn: It was never really a decision I made, more a reflection of the questions that are on my mind. I’m interested in how we, as super conscious human beings, become as free as we can. Sometimes that freedom can be found in movement, in dancing and singing. But sometimes you have to look at the heavier stuff too, like gender roles, sexuality and identity in general. Pop music should embrace and facilitate these questions, cos it has the power to actually change some of the cultural structures holding us back.
If you had to choose, which would be your personal favorite track out of the ones you have released so far? You can only pick one!
Asbjørn: Be Human has a huge relevance for the current gender-debate and is also a deeply personal song about my relation to that.
How did growing up in Denmark influence your music?
Asbjørn: Denmark has a lot of free music education and funding, because the state reinvests a lot of taxes into music culture and art. It’s a very unpoetic answer, but I do believe it has a massive impact on the creation of music, because it gives us the space to explore our creativity and take chances.
Which artist would you love to collaborate with and why?
Asbjørn: One day I will do something with Christine & The Queens. Please.
What are you most excited about in terms of the future of your musical career? Are there any upcoming projects you could talk about?
Asbjørn: I am currently making my next project, maybe it’s an album, maybe it’s something else - but I don’t know yet. At the same time I’m doing new versions and b-sides from my last album Boyology, and in general collaborating and releasing music in a more intuitive, less over-thought way than ever. I definitely have a tendency to put a lot of pressure and expectation on myself, but working with friends and getting out of my own head helps massively.
Interviewed By Kendall Koval
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