LENUSH SAF TALKS LIPSTICK

Behind the Coastline

You are reading an independently published interview-series published and carefully curated by Swedish pop-culture journalist Daniel John. Ever since its start in 2015, the core curiosity remains the same, surfing the creative currents of music, film, fashion and everything else on the pop-radar, catching the waves of

Culture Coast TalksDaniel John

How far back does your pull towards music go?

To childhood. I was a little girl when I knew I wanted to be on stage. At that time, I didn’t yet know what that meant, I didn’t know what exactly I would be doing on stage, I just knew I loved being on it. I remember performing ballet at school and just loving the ovation with every bone in my body. I had no stage fright, no reservations, it was always a big smile. In terms of singing at that time, I was in choir and since I was much younger than the other participants I wasn’t getting any solo parts, which always used to bother me. It was at around eleven years old that my mother discovered I had a voice. I was singing a song by Céline Dion and looked quite surprised that I was able to sing like that and we started vocal coaching from there.

Between youthful confidence, certainty and hopes and the at-odds reality of trying to make it happen, were there moments in that pursuit that really tested your optimism starting out?

Honestly no, it's crazy but no matter how many “nos” I got, and trust me, I got a few, between all the different auditions I did as a child and even the X Factor audition that didn’t go in my favour, to me it was always “them being the problem”. I actually remember thinking “I wonder what the reason might be”. It never crossed my mind that it could possibly be me. Of course, it never feels good to get a no, but as long as you know that it's little to do with you or your talent, you’re ok.

It's been eighteen years since your last releases, a period in which life inevitably moved in different directions. What place did music have even as other things took the lead?

During my musical career pause, music and primarily singing had a special place deep in my heart, but invisible to anyone else. I made a conscious decision not to sing at all. In fact, even when asked to sing for someone close because it was their birthday or whatever, I refused. For me singing was never a hobby or a pastime, I took it seriously from the get-go, so if I was not singing professionally, I didn’t sing at all. There was more to it, I couldn’t watch live shows either. In this long pause I didn’t watch a single live-show, VMA’s or Grammys. It was too hard to watch others perform and not be doing it myself.

How does 'Lipstick' tie into putting on the lipstick as an artist again?

'Lipstick' is an anthem of believing in yourself. It is about the fine line between believing in yourself and not. That no matter what anyone says and does, the most important is what you think of yourself and what you believe. And if you truly believe then everything is possible.

How does it feel now, standing at the start of this new era?

It’s fantastic. It feels like I am exactly where I am meant to be, doing exactly what I should be doing.

Can you talk about the process of collaborating together with art director Raoul Paulet to make the music video?

Raoul perfectly captured the sentiment, in fact he brought it to life visually in ways I couldn’t even imagine. He visualised the self-belief in a very literal way and it is a work of art what he created! He is an incredible artist and he was able to bring the essence of this song and its meaning to life. The fine line he portrayed between the real world and lipstick-world is exactly what the song is about. One basic feeling can completely transform the way in which one perceives themselves. I loved working with Raoul on this project and I think his idea was brilliant.

It’s not just this one song, 'Lipstick' sets the stage for what’ll be your first album. What can you tease about how the make-up will be applied from here and how the full look will come together?

So, 'Lipstick' is the first single from a series of singles that will ultimately lead to my debut album. My album consists of many different life stories, as well as many different dimensions of me, both vocally and musically. But especially personally. 'Lipstick' is the shell, it's the first thing people see in me. But the second single is the depth, something you don’t notice unless you really get to know me, and the third single is character, after which you enter my world and emerge fully into my life through various different stories depicted through my songs.