FEATURE: Spotlight: girl in red — Music Musings & Such

FEATURE:

Spotlight

girl in red

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BEFORE I bring in some interviews…

with the sensational girl in red, it is worth noting that her debut album, World in Red, has been announced for this year. I don’t think a firm date has been set, but the album is sure to be among the most-anticipated of 2021. I am going to bring in a few different sources, as I think it is important to get some background to the incredible rising star. Not only is girl in red being tipped by many sites as one of the artists we need to keep an eye out for this year; the BBC have included her in their Sound of 2021. There is no doubt that this year will be a busy and successful one for girl in red. Before moving on, I want to bring in her Wikipedia page - where we get some biographer and background:

“Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 16 February 1999), also known as Marie Ulven or professionally as Girl in Red (stylized in all lowercase), is a Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter. She is known for appealing to people with her "bedroom pop anthems about romance and mental health.” Her single "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" has gained over 150 million streams online, and was listed at No. 9 on The New York Times list of "The 68 Best Songs of 2018". Since 2018, Ulven has released two extended plays from her bedroom studio and has amassed over 7 million monthly streamers on Spotify.

Ulven has been named a “queer icon” by Paper, and a “phenomenon” that is “one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music” by The New York Times. Her music, which is made from the comfort of her bedroom, has amassed over 150 million streams as of October 2019.Since 2019, Ulven has been on two North American tours and two European tours, and has performed at festivals such as Lowlands, Rock en Seine and Øyafestivalen. She was named by NME as “one of the most hyped acts at The Great Escape” in 2019”.

Although this year has not been a great one for an artist who was hoping to tour and get her name out there a lot, we have seen singles in the way of midnight love, rue, and two queens in a kingsized bed. They sound terrific and it has helped raise anticipation and excitement for her announced album. I think one of 2019’s best releases was girl in red’s chapter 2 E.P. This glowing review proffers that we need more artists like girl in red out there:

“Each song is interlaced with her own experiences with being queer, dealing with mental health, and just being a teenage in this society. This album is like a sneak peek into her diary and gets her raw unfiltered thoughts through her lyrics, many of which are touched with her sarcastic remarks. She’s on brand with the bedroom pop that’s becoming increasingly popular in the US. Her debut album was bold entrance as an unapologetically truthful artist. I like songs like “i wanna be your girlfriend” because it’s just an honest look at her experience with unrequited love. Music like this just reminds you how human we all are, that many of us live the same experiences and go through similar situations. I wish more music was like this, just made you feel normal or proud of musicians for being vulnerable.

In the last year, girl in red’s music has bubbled up from occasional uploads on SoundCloud and Bandcamp as a hobby into a growing phenomenon; Ulven has more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify despite having only 10 songs posted there. She is currently on her first American tour, warming up crowds for Conan Gray. She credits her success to a more welcoming pop music climate for gay artists, a progressive path in the last couple years that paved a way to mainsteam media with stars like Janelle Monáe “Sam Smith, longtime gay performers like Tegan and Sara, and rising artists like Troye Sivan, Hayley Kiyoko and King Princess, among many others.” Marie Ulven has set the stage for herself and I can’t wait to listen to more”.

If you want an artist to follow this year who is going to have this huge breakthrough, then you need to look the way of girl in red! I am going to bring in a few different interviews just so that we get a wider scope of an intriguing and wonderful artist. The first interview piece I want to bring in is from DIY. They spoke with this exciting new talent in 2018 - we got to discover what the music scene is like in girl in red’s native Oslo:

“What’s your earliest musical memory?

I think it was when I was six years old. I was gonna perform for the first time in my life and I got so nervous and my voice got really shaky, so I ran off stage crying (lol) and didn't perform in years.

Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?

I wasn’t really inspired by any specific artist starting out. I was mainly just so intrigued by the idea of creating something.

You’re based in Oslo - what’s the music scene like there at the moment? Are there other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?

I really like the music scene in Oslo. There is a lot of different music here, and that keeps it interesting! I have several music friends here, and they all have their own projects and they are doing so well! I'm inspired by the whole idea of doing what you love, and pursuing the things you want in life. I’m cheering for them all!!

Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to in 2019?

I'm really excited about releasing and making new music and I also wanna get better at producing! I'm also super stoked about touring with Conan Gray in the US for over a month! I've never toured before so it's gonna be a really interesting experience.

If people could take away one thing from your music, what would it be?

Be gay and loud!”.

I want to bring things up-to-date regarding the following interviews. This year has been one where girl in red has put out music but, as I said, I think she had bigger plans regarding gigs and making a big move. When she spoke with EUPHORIA. in February 2020, we learned more about girl in red’s start…in addition to the types of gigs that she prefers:

“When did you decide to pursue music full-time?

I decided to do it when I realised that it was possible. It was obviously something I had been working towards for many years, but I guess I fully committed to it in early 2019. I dropped out of college and went all in!

Was there a specific moment in which you really fell in love with music as an art form?

Not really a specific moment. I’ve always loved music so it’s kind of hard to pinpoint. But definitely, after I started producing my own stuff, music excited me even more. So even though I’ve loved making music all along, I love it even more now.

You had an exciting start to 2020 and announced that you’re performing at Coachella this summer, congrats! Do you prefer intimate gigs or big festival performances?

Thank you! I think both types have something really special to them. An intimate gig is cool cause you get a really close connection with the people at the show, but there’s also something incredibly sick with a big festival stage where a bunch of people show up to have a good time. Like so many people chose to be there instead of somewhere else, and everyone has something in common cause they like the music. I think that’s really beautiful and hella dope.

You’re refreshing and extremely authentic when it comes to your true self and your identity. Was there ever an existing fear surrounding making such openly queer songs?

Not really. I’m really comfortable about my sexuality and I also don’t give a fuck [laughs].

Lastly, if you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

I would change all stupid leaders making terrible decisions and ruining the world for the ones who need the most help”.

A lot of the big interviews with girl in red happened prior to the pandemic in 2020. Whilst it is bittersweet hearing her talk about plans for that year and what she wants to achieve, I think she can pick up where she left off at some point this year.

In a deep and fascinating interview with NME, we discover a lot about girl in red’s music and how she has progressed. Not only has she got a strengthened and improved bond with her fans; she is also considered to be one of the most important queer spokespeople of her generation:

“We can see it too. That’s why we’re kicking off the NME 100 2020 – our tips for the year’s essential new artists – with Girl In Red. With massive tunes, religiously rowdy gigs, and a dedicated young fanbase hanging on to her shameless message of fun, progress and acceptance, she’s the hero that the decade needs – and one to win over indie kids across the planet. Among the peers of her generation rewriting the rulebook of what it is to be the rockstar, 2020 is hers for the taking.

The first time NME spoke to Ulven was during her first US tour last April, where she’d already found an audience so devoted that they’d “just run right up and scream in my face”. She was already changing and saving lives. “I have a bunch of queer kids following me because they see themselves in me and the lyrics, because they need that direct ability to relate to something,” she told us. “I have people messaging me all the time to say like ‘Yo, I came out to your song’, or ‘I’m in the car right now and I just played ‘Girls’ in front of mom and I told her I’m gay’.”

How does it feel seeing more and more of your fans in the flesh, instead of just streaming numbers?

“I’ll see two million streams on my new song, which is awesome but it’s also this number that I can’t understand. To see 1,000 people in front of you singing to that song is when it really gets cool.”

How would you describe your relationship with your fans?

“Right now, I feel like it’s really healthy. In the beginning, I think I got too close to some people. Not in a weird way, but they would pour their entire emotional life onto me and I would try to help them and give advice and stuff like that. Eventually, I realised that I don’t have enough emotional capacity to also take care of all these other people.”

How does it feel to read that you’re a ‘queer spokesperson for your generation’?

“I’m not. I just happen to like girls, make music and have a platform. That doesn’t mean I’m saying, ‘Yo, I know everything about queer culture, and now I’m always gonna speak about it and it’s gonna be right’. I don’t think people think of me as some kind of sensei who knows everything about being queer and queer history. All I can do is say ‘from my perspective’ and think about how it might be from other perspectives, but right now I don’t even know what I’m saying. Still, when someone is hateful and homophobic I’m like, ‘You’re wasting your time honey! We are gonna win this representation war’!”

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Almeida

The last interview I want to source from is from DAZED. She spoke with them back in June, where we get even more insight into this phenomenal talent. I want to bring in a few questions and answers that caught my eye:

“What does community mean to you?

girl in red: Community is really important. It’s a given, almost, for people to (want to) feel like they belong somewhere. And having a community is like having a place to turn to. That’s really important to me – to have a place where I feel like I belong.

How does your community inspire your creativity?

girl in red: I think what inspires me – especially with the community I’ve created with my music – is seeing all the good vibes! There’s so many good vibes in my community and at my shows. The community that’s being created there really inspires me to do this forever. I just don’t want to stop. Because the way I feel in a room with a bunch of people is such a great vibe. And that type of vibe is what the world needs, because everyone is so accepting. There’s no one pushing each other, no one’s fighting, and everyone’s just chilling.

What’s overrated?

girl in red: Football. Wait – no. I take it back. Football creates community, and I’ve been to football games and they’re really fun when you’re drunk!

What keeps you motivated?

girl in red: I have a really great album plan and really big ideas I want to achieve. New ideas (are) so motivating.

Which film do you never get bored of?

girl in red: The Perks of Being a Wallflower!”.

I am writing this feature two days before the start of 2020 - but I know that 2021 will be a huge year for girl in red. I have been hooked on her music this year and, when World in Red (maybe the title is stylised in lower case?) arrives, there will be even more focus her way! We may get some news on the album soon but, back in June, NME provided us a status update:

“My grandma even said it: ‘Marie, you’ve grown so much this past year’,” she said. “So I feel like my new music sort of reflects that growth, that’s sort of been off-screen. Nobody has seen it because it’s not really been in my music yet.”

Ulven continued: “So I feel like people will definitely get to know a more mature version of me. I’ve been able to reflect way more on things that are not only happening on my behalf, but also understanding other people’s feelings.”

Speaking to NME in April, Ulven said: “The album is still cooking and I want to be sure that I put the best stuff on there. I want it to feel present and close to me. I’ve got plenty of bangers that are still on the table”.

Make sure you follow girl in red on social media (you can find the links below), as she is already being tipped for huge things this year. I feel like she will be an artist who is still inspiring and making waves years from now. In girl in red, the world has…