Julie Bergan is what pop music needs, even if it doesn’t know it yet. From her home in Norway, Julie has been the creative mind behind two of the country’s biggest hits. First came “Arigato” then “Blackout,” both of which share a similar future pop sound that is steadily becoming a go to style for many artists. The only thing is, Julie is doing everything right.
These two songs have went viral on Spotify, and each have their own music video that have seduced fans from all around the world. With multi-million plays each, Julie is turning heads in a big way. She’s making all the moves she needs to pave the way to becoming one of music’s biggest stars.
We sat down recently with Julie to get a sense of where she’s come from and where she’s going. Part of where she’s going is – hopefully – everywhere, as she just unveiled her new live show. It’s already taking Europe by storm and we’d like to see her make her way across the pond. Enjoy the amazing music video for her single “Blackout” before diving into our conversation with one of music’s brightest talents.
TMN: “Arigato” was a huge moment for you in 2016. Tell us a bit about your breakthrough single – did you expect the track to leave as big of a footprint as it did?
JB: I was blown away by the way it was received. The whole track was based on a conversation I had with a friend about her over controlling boyfriend. I think everyone has the right to take their own risks and live life without someone trying to bubble wrap them. Relationships can be a place where this happens the most, so ‘Arigato’ was very much a track about liberating yourself from a safe and controlled environment. To see it stream and gain as much love as it did was really touching.
TMN: “Blackout” marked what seemed to be another very personal single from you. What can you tell us about the inspirations behind the single? Was it at all nerve-wracking to follow-up “Arigato”?
JB: “Blackout” is very much about being stuck in your own head and the mental barriers that appear in life. The idea was having these little “Blackout” moments are the only way to escape and find yourself. The video very much echoed this idea and I was very proud of how the track came out. I tried not to think of it too much as just a ‘follow-up’ to “Arigato.” I want every track to stand on its own feet and speak for me as an artist. The response has been great and I feel very positive about kick-starting 2017 with the single.
TMN: Where do you find the most inspiration from musically?
TMN: You’ve recently been showcasing the live element of your project. How important was it from the start that your music could be re-produced and performed live?
JB: It has always been very important. I think listening to the records you can get an idea for my energy, but the show is where we can really bring it to life. I have been dancing since I was a child, so to be able to incorporate that to music I have made myself is of course a really fun thing. I am super lucky to have an amazing band behind me and the more we are playing the more people are seeing the fuller picture of what my music is about. I get to be involved in every aspect of it creatively, from the sets to the design, so it is a very personal and important side of the music for me.
TMN: What do you consider to have been the biggest challenge or obstacle to you within your career so far?
JB: The blessing and curse of anything involving creativity is that it’s easy to overthink. You can become obsessed or overprotective of certain aspects of a song or yourself and then when this happens it is hard to get out of your own head or make decisions on what should be the solution. With time I think I have been able to become really comfortable with my style and sound, as well as what I want to stand for as an artist.
TMN: You started 2017 on huge form with ‘Blackout,’ what can we be expecting for the year ahead?
JB: New music!! We are doing a lot of great shows around Europe off the back of “Blackout,” but there is plenty more to come for the rest of the year and I am very excited to show it off soon.