{"id":1760338,"date":"2026-02-10T05:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T02:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1760338"},"modified":"2026-02-10T05:49:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T02:49:00","slug":"how-waterbaby-went-from-make-up-artist-to-swedens-next-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1760338","title":{"rendered":"How waterbaby went from make-up artist to Sweden\u2019s next star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436896.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69604\/1\/waterbaby-clay-swedish-pop-music-memory-be-a-blade\" data-article-id=\"69604\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.49\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"waterbaby_2025_promo_01_LeviAxene_3872x2592_300\" class=\"img\" height=\"2008\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1400\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436896.jpg\" width=\"3000\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography LeviAxene<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-02-10T05:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>How waterbaby went from make-up artist to Sweden\u2019s <span class=\"nowrap\">next star<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>As she releases her latest single, \u2018Clay\u2019, we sit down with the rising alt-pop singer to discuss her eclectic musical upbringing, why Sweden produces so much talent, and freestyling as <span class=\"nowrap\">emotional catharsis<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-10T05:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-02-10T05:49:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"10 February 2026\"><span class=\"month\">February<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"10\">10,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/gemmasamways\">Gemma Samways<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cWistful, lyrical, soft.\u201d Dialling in from Stockholm, these are the words Swedish singer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/w.aterbaby\/?hl=en\">waterbaby<\/a> selects to sum up her sound. But the truth is, they barely scratch the surface of her talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Blessed with a feather-light coo of astonishing clarity, the 28-year-old\u2019s alt-pop productions are by turns <\/span><span>lithe and <\/span><span>pillowy, but nearly always steeped in the sort of saudade that leaves you gazing longingly into the middle distance. On forthcoming debut album <\/span><em><span>Memory Be A Blade<\/span><\/em>,<em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>she explores this long-standing inclination towards nostalgia, specifically in the context of recent heartbreaks. As she puts it so beautifully on <em>Amiss<\/em>, over sonorous strings and the cyclical strum of acoustic guitar, \u2018<\/span><span>How can you miss something that has never been?\u201d<\/span><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Born and raised in Stockholm, waterbaby got her start doing make-up and singing back-up vocals for fellow Gambian-Swedish artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/39507\/1\/seinabo-sey-remember-video-interview\">Seinabo Sey<\/a>, before receiving break-out success with a feature on\u00a0<em>Stockholmsvy, <\/em>a track\u00a0by her friend,\u00a0the alt-soul singer Hannes, which became a viral hit. Extremely softly spoken in person, as a solo artist she continues to keep her circle small, working closely with producer Marcus White (YG, Anna Of The North), whom she first met six years ago at a songwriting camp.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"SkfyqJPLb38\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SkfyqJPLb38\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The pair\u2019s productions have come on leaps and bounds from 2023\u2019s EP <\/span><em><span>Foam<\/span><\/em><span>. Her exquisite, multi-layered harmonies are positioned close in the mix, lending a quietly conspiratorial feel to her songwriting. Whether gently caressing the cello lines of \u201cMinnie\u201d\u2019s Clairo-esque bedroom pop, swooping and soaring over \u201cBeck N Call\u201d\u2019s kinetic, clarinet-laced neo-soul or sweetly harmonising with her brother ttoh on \u201cClay\u201d, waterbaby\u2019s voice draws listeners deep into her world. As she puts it today, \u201cFor the first time, I feel ok with being seen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, she discusses her eclectic musical upbringing, Swedish talent and freestyling in the booth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>I understand there\u2019s a strong musical tradition in your family?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>Yeah, my great grandfather was a jazz pianist and my grandma worked arranging concerts. My mom\u2019s a singer as well, and she took me into the gospel choir. My uncle is a live promoter. He would bring acts from Latin America and Africa to Sweden, from Zimbabwean punk rock to Ethiopian jazz and big West African pop artists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you nurture your passion for music growing up?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I went to a classical choir school from age 10 to 15 but we did a lot of dancing and singing at h<\/span><span>ome. My mom loves music and was culturally quite Americanised, so she played mostly hip hop and neo-soul artists like Amel Larrieux at home, and was always singing and teaching me harmonies. It was the same with TV: dad would buy box sets of all the Black family sitcoms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who are your biggest vocal heroes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I would have to say Usher. <\/span><em><span>Confessions<\/span><\/em><span> is one of my favourite albums ever. Stevie Wonder too, which I didn\u2019t even realise until recently. Subconsciously, I think I fell for the prettiness of his tone. Jazmine Sullivan is definitely [an influence] too, and I absolutely adore Vashti Bunyan\u2019s voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stockholm has an enviable tradition of producing incredible female artists. What is it about the infrastructure there that encourages women to create?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby:<\/strong><span> I actually don&#8217;t know why that is, but I\u2019m really glad that it\u2019s true. I will say that, unfortunately, studios and rehearsal spaces are getting less attainable, just because of our current leaders and their priorities. But there are people trying to keep [that tradition] going.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"f80fb730-a546-4d5f-82bb-b3ed00d0d250\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1421\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436895.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Waterbaby\" class=\"img\" height=\"1421\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436895.jpg\" width=\"1421\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography LeviAxene<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Who are some of your current favourite artists at work in the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>She hasn\u2019t released in a while, but one is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69144\/1\/the-rise-of-swedens-post-pop-underground-gothenburg-venus-anon-lovers-skit\">PB Girl<\/a>, which stands for Piano Beats Girl. Venus Anon is really good. And Izza Gara, obviously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do you create, and what you take from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I create because I feel as though I do not have a choice. There has never been anything else for me [but music]. When I was 22 I was like, \u201cI feel like there&#8217;s a Kendra-shaped hole in the world\u201d, and I want to fill it. Basically, that\u2019s what it feels like. Music is everything. And making this album was truly so cathartic \u2013 it helped me process a whole lot last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How so?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I think because my producer, co-writer and collaborator [Marcus White] pushed me to freestyle more. Even though we\u2019re very close and have been working for a long time, I can be quite shy in the studio, so it was about getting into that flow. I would sing in a stream of consciousness about things that I had not figured out yet, and it could take me weeks or months to even realise what a lyric was about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These songs weren\u2019t even meant for an album: it just formed in our hands. The music really showed us what it was meant to be. And so I had to really make peace with, like, \u201cOh my God, this really is my debut album.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>To what extent was the intimacy of the production designed to accentuate the subject matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>Yeah, a lot of the songs are about reminiscing and the blurred line between memories and dreams so we always wanted it to feel very intimate, with my voice up close. With the exception of \u201cClay\u201c, the vocals have not been tampered with. So yeah, there\u2019s a lot of self-reflecting and then reflecting upon the self-reflection. Because writing this music in my mid 20s, there&#8217;s so much stuff going on. It\u2019s an intense period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you learned from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I guess I\u2019ve learned to let go a little bit. With music, with personal relationships, with everything. Doing your best in front of everyone &#8211; it\u2019s scary, but you don\u2019t have any other choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the highlight so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I think playing Way Out West [festival] in Gothenburg last year. I played in a church at almost 1am and it was after Charli XCX had closed the festival down. But people came to hear me in a church \u2013 no alcohol, no nothing \u2013\u00a0 and listened and sang along to our music. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever felt as good to be on stage as it did that night. Because sometimes it feels like you\u2019re singing out into a void, and you almost forget that people are actually receiving it. So any inclination that people are truly receiving the music means the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cClay\u201d is out now. waterbaby\u2019s debut album,\u00a0<\/em>Memory Be a Blade,\u00a0<em>releases March 6<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. 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data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"creds to \u5f35\u5bb8\u744b Chenwei Chang\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/196-415-2365-1573\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436233.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">In pictures: Taiwan\u2019s spiritual temple raves<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>\u201cWistful, lyrical, soft.\u201d Dialling in from Stockholm, these are the words Swedish singer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/w.aterbaby\/?hl=en\">waterbaby<\/a> selects to sum up her sound. But the truth is, they barely scratch the surface of her talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Blessed with a feather-light coo of astonishing clarity, the 28-year-old\u2019s alt-pop productions are by turns <\/span><span>lithe and <\/span><span>pillowy, but nearly always steeped in the sort of saudade that leaves you gazing longingly into the middle distance. On forthcoming debut album <\/span><em><span>Memory Be A Blade<\/span><\/em>,<em><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span>she explores this long-standing inclination towards nostalgia, specifically in the context of recent heartbreaks. As she puts it so beautifully on <em>Amiss<\/em>, over sonorous strings and the cyclical strum of acoustic guitar, \u2018<\/span><span>How can you miss something that has never been?\u201d<\/span><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Born and raised in Stockholm, waterbaby got her start doing make-up and singing back-up vocals for fellow Gambian-Swedish artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/39507\/1\/seinabo-sey-remember-video-interview\">Seinabo Sey<\/a>, before receiving break-out success with a feature on\u00a0<em>Stockholmsvy, <\/em>a track\u00a0by her friend,\u00a0the alt-soul singer Hannes, which became a viral hit. Extremely softly spoken in person, as a solo artist she continues to keep her circle small, working closely with producer Marcus White (YG, Anna Of The North), whom she first met six years ago at a songwriting camp.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"SkfyqJPLb38\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SkfyqJPLb38\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The pair\u2019s productions have come on leaps and bounds from 2023\u2019s EP <\/span><em><span>Foam<\/span><\/em><span>. Her exquisite, multi-layered harmonies are positioned close in the mix, lending a quietly conspiratorial feel to her songwriting. Whether gently caressing the cello lines of \u201cMinnie\u201d\u2019s Clairo-esque bedroom pop, swooping and soaring over \u201cBeck N Call\u201d\u2019s kinetic, clarinet-laced neo-soul or sweetly harmonising with her brother ttoh on \u201cClay\u201d, waterbaby\u2019s voice draws listeners deep into her world. As she puts it today, \u201cFor the first time, I feel ok with being seen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Below, she discusses her eclectic musical upbringing, Swedish talent and freestyling in the booth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>I understand there\u2019s a strong musical tradition in your family?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>Yeah, my great grandfather was a jazz pianist and my grandma worked arranging concerts. My mom\u2019s a singer as well, and she took me into the gospel choir. My uncle is a live promoter. He would bring acts from Latin America and Africa to Sweden, from Zimbabwean punk rock to Ethiopian jazz and big West African pop artists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you nurture your passion for music growing up?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I went to a classical choir school from age 10 to 15 but we did a lot of dancing and singing at h<\/span><span>ome. My mom loves music and was culturally quite Americanised, so she played mostly hip hop and neo-soul artists like Amel Larrieux at home, and was always singing and teaching me harmonies. It was the same with TV: dad would buy box sets of all the Black family sitcoms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Who are your biggest vocal heroes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I would have to say Usher. <\/span><em><span>Confessions<\/span><\/em><span> is one of my favourite albums ever. Stevie Wonder too, which I didn\u2019t even realise until recently. Subconsciously, I think I fell for the prettiness of his tone. Jazmine Sullivan is definitely [an influence] too, and I absolutely adore Vashti Bunyan\u2019s voice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Stockholm has an enviable tradition of producing incredible female artists. What is it about the infrastructure there that encourages women to create?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby:<\/strong><span> I actually don&#8217;t know why that is, but I\u2019m really glad that it\u2019s true. I will say that, unfortunately, studios and rehearsal spaces are getting less attainable, just because of our current leaders and their priorities. But there are people trying to keep [that tradition] going.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"f80fb730-a546-4d5f-82bb-b3ed00d0d250\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1421\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436895.jpg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"square\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Waterbaby\" class=\"img\" height=\"1421\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436895.jpg\" width=\"1421\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"credit\">Photography LeviAxene<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>Who are some of your current favourite artists at work in the city?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>She hasn\u2019t released in a while, but one is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69144\/1\/the-rise-of-swedens-post-pop-underground-gothenburg-venus-anon-lovers-skit\">PB Girl<\/a>, which stands for Piano Beats Girl. Venus Anon is really good. And Izza Gara, obviously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do you create, and what you take from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I create because I feel as though I do not have a choice. There has never been anything else for me [but music]. When I was 22 I was like, \u201cI feel like there&#8217;s a Kendra-shaped hole in the world\u201d, and I want to fill it. Basically, that\u2019s what it feels like. Music is everything. And making this album was truly so cathartic \u2013 it helped me process a whole lot last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How so?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I think because my producer, co-writer and collaborator [Marcus White] pushed me to freestyle more. Even though we\u2019re very close and have been working for a long time, I can be quite shy in the studio, so it was about getting into that flow. I would sing in a stream of consciousness about things that I had not figured out yet, and it could take me weeks or months to even realise what a lyric was about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These songs weren\u2019t even meant for an album: it just formed in our hands. The music really showed us what it was meant to be. And so I had to really make peace with, like, \u201cOh my God, this really is my debut album.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>To what extent was the intimacy of the production designed to accentuate the subject matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>Yeah, a lot of the songs are about reminiscing and the blurred line between memories and dreams so we always wanted it to feel very intimate, with my voice up close. With the exception of \u201cClay\u201c, the vocals have not been tampered with. So yeah, there\u2019s a lot of self-reflecting and then reflecting upon the self-reflection. Because writing this music in my mid 20s, there&#8217;s so much stuff going on. It\u2019s an intense period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What have you learned from it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I guess I\u2019ve learned to let go a little bit. With music, with personal relationships, with everything. Doing your best in front of everyone &#8211; it\u2019s scary, but you don\u2019t have any other choice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>What has been the highlight so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>waterbaby: <\/strong><span>I think playing Way Out West [festival] in Gothenburg last year. I played in a church at almost 1am and it was after Charli XCX had closed the festival down. But people came to hear me in a church \u2013 no alcohol, no nothing \u2013\u00a0 and listened and sang along to our music. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s ever felt as good to be on stage as it did that night. Because sometimes it feels like you\u2019re singing out into a void, and you almost forget that people are actually receiving it. So any inclination that people are truly receiving the music means the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cClay\u201d is out now. waterbaby\u2019s debut album,\u00a0<\/em>Memory Be a Blade,\u00a0<em>releases March 6<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69604\/1\/waterbaby-clay-swedish-pop-music-memory-be-a-blade&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1200\/0-0-3000-2000\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1430\/6\/1436896.jpg&#8221;] Photography LeviAxene February\u00a0 10,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Q+A Music \/ Q+A How waterbaby went from make-up artist to Sweden\u2019s next star As she releases her latest single, \u2018Clay\u2019, we sit down with the rising alt-pop singer to discuss her eclectic musical upbringing, why Sweden produces so much talent, and freestyling as emotional [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1760338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1760338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1760338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1760338\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1760338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1760338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1760338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}