MØ on Kim Gordon, Androgyny, and the Lasting Legacy of Mel C.
Photo: Thomas Skou
A lot of cool girl musical acts make a big deal out of never having been influenced by mainstream music. Karen Marie Ørsted, the Danish singer-songwriter who goes by MØ (pronounced like "moo"), is not one of these artists. Among her eclectic influences, which include frequent collaborator Elliphant, A$AP Rocky producer Ronni Vindahl, who helped shape the singer's provocative sound on her hit "Maiden," and Kim Gordon, is one particularly popular girl group: the Spice Girls. "When Geri left, I was seriously crying," she admits. "I'm not joking—I've never cried that much. At that time, it was the worst moment of my life." And though life continues to ebb and flow for the performer—last weekend's Saturday Night Live performance with Iggy Azalea is a bit of a sore subject—the 26-year-old is continuing to find herself along the way. Here, we discuss the underlying teenage component to her music, a fangirl's unwavering devotion to Sonic Youth, and what she really thinks about those Mel C. comparisons:
I know that MØ is a combination of your middle and last initials, but I read that Mø also means "maiden" or "virgin girl" in Danish…It does! "Maiden" does actually mean to be a virgin—not necessarily in a sexual way, but more to be child-like, unspoiled, and pure. A lot of my songs are about being a teenager with a tornado in your head. My music is about all these things that happen to you while growing up in search for some kind of truth.
So is Karen the person different from MØ as an artist?I’ve been in many bands and every time I try to be a character that's not me it has failed miserably. But with MØ, when I started doing that, that was the first time in a long time that I tried to just actually be myself. It's very much just me and my thoughts and my feelings. It's also my analysis of society, the people I’m surrounded by, and what it's like to be a post-teenager in this crazy society in which social media runs the world.
Photo: Getty Images
Have you finally found yourself?No. I think I won’t find myself until I'm 60 or something.
Let's talk about Kim Gordon. I read that she's been a huge influence on you.She's my biggest role model of all times. When I became a teenager and I got into the punk environment and all that stuff, Sonic Youth was my favorite band. I think the thing about Kim Gordon was I really felt that she was a woman I can relate to because she was not perfect looking, but she was still beautiful because she had that attitude you could just feel.
What would you say to her if you met her?Oh, fuck. First of all, I think I would just start crying and I would say, 'You helped me get through the hard teen years and [helped me to gain] confidence in myself.' Because that was what she did. With Kim I realized that you could be the coolest thing in the world by just being yourself.
I know that at seven years old you discovered the Spice Girls, and that they had a profound impact on you. You remind me so much of Sporty Spice!Let me just say I loved them all, of course, but Mel C. was my favorite. I think it was because I could relate to her; she was my kind of type. I was wearing tracksuits all the time, I was a sports girl, and hanging out with the guys. And then I always thought she was the one singing the best.
Obviously Kim Gordon was a big inspiration to me. That kind of grungy, relaxed, tomboyish-but-still-sexy thing. But it's not something I really think about it. I just know it's there in the back of my head.
How do you get dressed in the morning?I am a very chaotic person—it kind of just happens. I found a Harley-Davidson shirt yesterday in a second hand store and I was just like, 'This is the new me.' It just happens very randomly. But it's always about combining the punk edge and the dark with something because I don't want to look totally like a boy or a girl.
Photo: Thomas Skou
Aside from Kim Gordon, which other female artists do you admire?I really like FKA twigs. She's wonderful. She's so cool. Like, insanely cool.
I recently interviewed your friend and recent collaborator Elliphant and asked her if she could put together a girl group who would she choose? Who would you choose if you had to put a girl group together?Obviously Elliphant. I'm such a big fan of her personality. Like, I mean, it's not that often that I meet someone where I’m like, 'Your character is just fucking awesome.' And that's really how I feel about her. Also FKA twigs, Karen O, and Kim Gordon. Oh, and Mel C., of course. We'd have a punk pop sound.
