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| MØ, Spice Girls fan from Denmark |
MØ, real name Karen Marie Ørsted, is a 25 years old singer-songwriter from Denmark who released her debut single, "Maiden", in 2012 through Sony Music Entertainment.
I found out about MØ because of a cover of "Say You'll Be There", the Spice Girls
classic that became a global hit in late 1996. The cover went viral in February this year, one month before her debut album, "No Mythologies To Follow" was released."Fire Rides" opens the album and it's very reminiscent of artists such as Lana Del Rey and Lorde mixed with old-school electronica.
"Maiden", her debut single, follows, and it's deliciously 90s, a subtle hymn to ambition and individuality that sounds extremely pleasant and somewhat hypnotic.
The "Never Wanna Know" intro instantly reminded me of Tina Turner's "The Best", but the song is a 50s-sounding number. MØ sings about regrets: "I would never let you go, if I'd been a little older". She left her man behind, she regrets it and she doesn't want to know anything about his future lover. Fantastic track.
"Pilgrim" could be considered as MØ's breakout single, it peaked at #11 in Denmark. It's a slow but somewhat groovy song where MØ asks herself a few questions.
In "Don't Wanna Dance" she sings about a boy who "makes me want to tear my white skin apart". That is definitely a line I wouldn't have expected to hear. Fun, uptempo track that doesn't lack the one-clap-double-clap moments we all secretly love.
You can definitely tell the Spice Girls weren't her only musical influences, as songs like "Waste Of Time", "XXX 88" and "Red In The Grey" have a sort of hip hop vibe.
"Dust Is Gone" is a ghostly, electronic number about a romance gone bad, while "Walk This Way" is a shouty, catchy number that perhaps is meant to describe MØ's generation: "I'm a post-teen monster, bold and blind. Blame the billboards 'cause they've let me down. I'm a symphony of the World gone wild".
"Slow Love" has the potential to make MØ a real success. Its fantastic production, infectious chorus, dreamy vibe and summery lyrics could convert the general public with one listen. Am I the only one who can hear some Eurhythmics in this?
"Glass" closes the standard edition of the album and it's an ode to youth: "Oh, why do everyone had to grow old? Everyone wonder where the good times go. Hope, play a song for the wounded, so it will be summer forevermore." The grammar in this bothers me.
The bonus tracks don't exactly stand out, apart from "Gone And Found", which sounds nostalgic and genuine (despite its Gigi D'Agostino-like intro. Don't get me wrong, I'm Italian, I love me some Gigi D'Agostino): "And sometimes life just don't turn out as you meant for, and that's what late night city lights are for, so let's go get lost".
Don't dismiss this album as "just another hipster record". Give it a listen, you will be impressed.
Personal highlights: "Never Wanna Know" and "Slow Love".
Overall score: 8.5/10
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