“Everything doesn’t need to be difficult, credible, or minimalistic. I think more can be more with the intention to make people feel good,” says SVEA, the Swedish pop artist who just released her debut album, “the last 90s bitch.” Born just three days before the turn of the millennium, SVEA infuses her music with the vibrant, fun, and carefree spirit of the ’90s while transmitting the energy and empowerment of modern pop.
Signing her first record deal at 17, she quickly rose to prominence, amassing nearly 100 million streams and earning platinum and gold awards. After a transformative period during the pandemic, she returned with a new vision, determined to create music that makes people smile, laugh, and dance.
In our interview, SVEA opens up about her inspirations and shares stories behind some of the standout tracks, including the playful metaphor in “Breakfast Club,” the raw honesty of “Ferrari,” and the humorous take on modern dating in “The Ick.”
photography by Daniela Spiroska
What inspired the title of your debut “the last 90s bitch”?
My biggest musical inspirations for this album is the late 90s. Also it’s my debut album and a chance for people to get to know me better both musically and personally so the fact that I’m born three days before the millanials made time want a title to both represent me and the album – the last 90s bitch.
You only get one debut album in your life. How exciting is this for you, and how do you plan to spend the release day?
My team arranged a great pre-release for me yesterday (day before release) with all my friends and family there. It was such a great night and the perfect way to celebrate the drop of my album. I also met with some of my fans for a pre-listening session earlier that day and just listened and talked about the whole album. It was so nice to be able to sit down and talk with them to hear their thoughts and see their direct responses.
“Breakfast Club” has a playful vibe. What led you to use breakfast as a metaphor in this song?
I love to write about sex in a playful way, it’s a great part of our lives. So when we wrote Breakfast Club, being a song about morning fun, I didn’t want to write it out too obvious. Since breakfast is the most important meal of the day I thought I’d be a perfect metaphor.
“Ferrari” explores heartbreak and coping mechanisms. How does “Ferrari” reflect your personal experiences with heartbreak?
Well, there has been times in my life that I’ve been self-harming myself due to destructive relationships and a low self-esteem, and I’ve seen many of my friends experiencing similar things in life. It’s just something a lot of us go through at some point, but we learn, and Ferrari is for sure a more naive and fun point-of-view of a quite tragic experience.
“It keeps me grounded to compete with myself and know that I can do better, reach more audience and someday make a real difference with my music.”
“The Ick” is a fun take on modern dating. Can you share a weird or funny personal story related to it? (smiles)
(Laughs) sure, I actually just told this story to my fans yesterday when they asked me the same question. I was on a date with this very sweet and gentle guy, we were on a picnic but I guess the date became more and more friendly and I got the ick when I realized that I am sitting on a blanket brading his hair, thinking “what the fuck is going on, ew”. It was so out of character for me and I don’t even know how we got there.
Your music channels a lot of ’90s and early 2000s pop culture. What specific elements or memories from that era do you find most influential in your work?
The music from this era always makes me feel good, the lyrics are straight forward, naive, and even if it’s deep or sad meanings behind it’s usually something you can dance to or listen to at a party. I just feel good listening to it. It’s maximised pop, colourful and fun.
Looking back at the ’90s, what do you think we can learn from that era in terms of music and culture?
Everything doesn’t need to be difficult, credible or minimalistic. I think more can be more in the intention to make people feel good (smiles)
Signing your first record deal at 17 and rising to prominence so quickly must have been a big experience. How have you managed to stay grounded throughout your career?
Sometimes it feels like I just started, I’m not yet where I want to be but I’m working on it. It keeps me grounded to compete with myself and know that I can do better, reach more audience and someday make real difference with my music.
“The fact that I’m born three days before the millennials made me want a title to both represent me and the album – the last 90s bitch.”
How has your Greek heritage influenced your music and your identity as an artist?
Not much to be honest, in my music I’m more influenced by north american, British or Swedish music. I do love the oriental instruments in Greek music tho so I might explore more of that in the future!
Do you have plans to tour with this album? If so, what can fans look forward to in your live performances?
Last year was my most intense touring year to date and I’ve been working so hard to finish the album in time now which has taken a lot of focus. So nothing major planned for the summer aside from few promo shows, but I look forward having concerts this fall to meet my fans again and play the album live for the first time. Performing is my favorite part of being an artist so therefore I also wanted to make an album that would be fun to play live.
The most important thing in life is?
Family, friends, feta cheese and music.
Follow SVEA for more:
www.instagram.com/thisissvea
www.facebook.com/thisissvea
