MØ
BY LISA MISCHIANTI. PHOTOGRAPHED BY ANJA POULSAN

Who’s that girl: MØ (née Karen Marie Ørsted)

Homeward bound: Copenhagen, Denmark

Start me up: “I’ve wanted to play music ever since I got my first album, Spice by the Spice Girls, when I was seven,” MØ says. “My current project actually started in 2009, but back then it was different—trashier, with a heavy beat, and I was rapping. It took a few years to dig to the center of it.”

This is why I’m hot: Signed to Sony with three singles to her name, MØ is being hailed as the next Grimes by way of Lykke Li and Lana Del Rey.

Jam on it: MØ’s breakout single, “Pilgrim,” is an eclectic, hand-clapping, trumpets-blaring synth number that showcases her sumptuous vocals, punctuated by echoing “holla-hollas.”

The way you make me feel: MØ’s tracks elicit restlessness, but her lyrics come from a more contemplative, almost existential, place. You’ll “wanna be free” and “fuck it up” while pondering the passage of time. 

Makes me wonder: Who knew combining dreamy new wave, sultry soul-electro, and rough-around-the-edges romanticism would feel so fresh or addictive?

Sweet dreams (are made of this): “If, when the album comes out, my fans and followers are like, ‘OK, you’ve lived up to the hype,’ that would be the best feeling.” 

Turn the page: “Right now, the goal is to get the album done. The finishing stages are the hardest part. I’m also playing festivals all summer.”