CLOUDY JUNE – Support: Svea

Wenn die vergangenen Jahre für Cloudy June eines gezeigt haben, dann das: Die queere Musikerin aus Berlin ist endlich da, wo sie immer sein wollte –und sie ist gekommen, um zu bleiben. Mit internationalem Mindset im bunten Schöneberg aufgewachsen und offen ihre Bisexualität feiernd, ist die Berlinerin eine Stimme für viele junge Frauen in der queeren Community geworden.Kein Wunder also, dass sie ihre erste Headline-Tour im Frühling 2022 fast restlos ausverkauft hat.

If you were born three days before the turn of the millennium, you've earned the right to call yourself "The last 90's bitch". But SVEA’sdynamic, effervescentpop artistryboth transcendandfits into her chosenInstagram-epitome in far more striking ways. When the 22-year-old Swedish-Greek pop primadonnafrom Stockholm now returns to thelimelightshe initiallygraced when getting herfirst record deal at the innocentage of 17, it’s with a bombastic force that expands beyond previous notions of whatkind of pop star she might be. Innocent? Nah, scratch that. And SVEA’s relationship tothe '90s didn't exactly end that December in 1999.

Infact, with her aptlytitled new single “Iconic”,SVEA brings back the bubbly decade of BritneySpears and Paris Hilton-queendomin full force, albeit with irony, andfiltered through ourintensecontemporary reality. With a fierce pop-bop sound bothhypnotizingand playful, andwithempowering feminist lyrics that both fetichize and make fun ofpop culture concepts from amore unassumingera, the outcomeis truly–iconic. And that’s just the first of several singles SVEA will drop before her long-awaited debut album finally arrivesin 2023. All with profound links to SVEA’s personal life, while toying with the echo ofa few decades past.

“That's how this album started”,says SVEA“With the feeling that I wanted to go back to the 1990s. That I was born in the wrong era. The naive vibeof a lot of pop culture of the 90’sand early 00’s canreallylift me from my darker sides, that I've struggled with since childhood”.

Those sideshavefound their way in to SVEA’s new songsand aesthetic,an alter egowith twistedhumorand exquisitesemi-retro-fashionon top. Sometimes veiled behindcutesy pink, as in “Swedish Girls”–where SVEA dissects the idea of Swedish beauty,to the sound ofirresistiblebubblegum tech-pop. Other times more overtly, asin “Dead Man Walking”,a revenge songabout infidelity. Bangers like “Effort”and “Lame”speak about one-sided relationships,and social media’s prevalence of fauxsad boys.Highly relatable, andsung with a smirkand a dash of millennialkitsch.Exactly whatSVEA strived for with her new material.

As the executive producer of her upcoming debut album, SVEAhas taken control over her artistry.Aclear step away from songs she released earlyin her career, even though theyamassed close to 100 million streams, brought her Platinum and Gold Plaques, tours in Europe, and put her on the same stage as Obama and Greta Thunbergat hype-stage“Brilliant Minds”to name a few of her milestones to date. But she wanted something else.

"During the pandemic Irealized Iwas sick of writing painfully sincere songs. I wanted to makesongsthat makes you smile, laugh, and dance. So, after binging 90’s and 00’s pop cultureandthe music of my childhood, I called my favoritemusical collaborators and told them the deal. Aweek later we took off to a cabin in the countryside where Iset up my own camp. We workshopped my ideasintensely for days -laughing, crying, dreaming big,and creating my debut album. I was clear with what I wanted andobsessed with doing it right”.

Among those collaborators aresongwritersCeline Svanbäck(“We have perfect musicalsynergy”), Danish producer Jeppe London Bilsby(“He’svery direct, but meticulous.”), Joel Gunnarsson(“His lyrics are knife-sharp”), and SVEA’s main producer, Anton Hård af Segerstad–who has worked withglobal names like Iggy Azalea, JoJoand Olivia O’Brien.“I’ve sung my worst with Anton, but also my absolute best. He pushesme to new levels”.

Although SVEA has departed from her early careerpersona, she’s grateful for the experiences thatindustry-start gave her. Most of allforplaying live, andher new songsclearly carrythis vibe;withnohesitation, with big gestures, and awilysmile in the spotlight.“These songs are made to explode on stage. Songs you can rip, ride and just jumpto, and get into the feeling”.