Betta Lemme is not an artist as one usually sees around. In a world where, between trends and social passenger phenomena, appearing matters more than being, the young Italian-Canadian artist and singer-songwriter has decided to entrust the day of March 8 with the launch of her new single Dance Til Forever. The one signed by Betta Lemme is a manifesto song that represents a liberating cry against the prejudices of the modern era and the necessary search for female self-determination even where, at times, it may seem difficult.
With the humble and disarming strength of a smile, Betta Lemme tells her story in a 360-degree interview; from her collaboration with the American duo Sofi Tukker, with whom she recorded the hit Awoo, to her first official single Bambola, sung in three languages (French, Italian, English). Certified GOLD in Italy, the track has 83 million views and more than 20.6 million streams on Spotify to date.
In his musical journey, he collaborates with such figures as Rick Markowitz (Chainsmokers, LP, Melanie Martinez) and Scott Harris (Dua Lipa, Shawn Mendes, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber), playing on major stages globally, such as Coachella and Osheaga.
Today with Dance Til Forever it is as if she is telling part of her personal life and evolution as an artist. The single catapults us into a musical multiverse where the singer’s roots are expressed with mature writing and a contamination of genres, including dance and pop. An artistic and social stream of consciousness, if you look at the lyrics, that makes the desire for redemption its leitmotif; a hymn to the will to feel “free as a feather” once and for all.
Betta Lemme on his growth over the years: «You become very introspective. You learn a lot about the music world and about yourself, you become stronger»
Your latest single Dance Til Forever comes after the triumph of Bambola in 2018. How much have you changed as a person and as an artist in this silent period?
I would say I’ve changed a lot, but at the same time I feel like I haven’t. It’s strange. It could be both. It’s been a long time, you become very introspective. You learn a lot about the music world and about yourself, you become stronger.
Betta Lemme on her musical influences: «It was nice and interesting to add a piece of my favorite music, in a subtle way, into my song»
What do you carry with you about Bambola, a hit single launched in 2017? Was it a tribute to Patty Bravo and Italian music?
Not exactly a tribute. It was more of a hint, because we had the word Bambola (doll) in the title. Even though she is an artist I really like, it wasn’t done as a cover with that intent. So we released it at the end of 2017, launching it technically in 2018. I must say it was nice and interesting to add a piece of my favorite music, in a subtle way, into my song. I mean, that song has been a classic in Italy since the 1960s!
Betta Lemme and writing: «At that time I was very dedicated to writing. I was not in an artistic position to publish some things that I wanted to get out, but I kept writing»
It has been a long time since the launch of the song Bambola. What has happened in the meantime? You studied, you grew up. How have you experienced that period?
During that time, I was very dedicated to writing. I was not in an artistic position to publish some things that I wanted to get out, but I kept writing. It was a strange time, spoiled by the Covid19 pandemic that caused a lot of loss and other strange situations. All of that led to some really good writing, which has not yet been published, but is in the works and which I carry in my heart.
«We wrote a song whose lyrics were very important: lyrics that could give energy and charge because it is so easy for people to think about giving up»
Speaking of Dance Til Forever, what inspired you to write this song?
Sometimes the magic of music is that even if you have the intention of writing something very specific, you end up writing what you need, maybe something that you need in the following months, even if you don’t realize it. It’s as if this thing starts from the subconscious. At that time it was a very difficult time for me. I wanted to write an exciting, fun track that would make people dance. A way to extract myself from what was going on, trying not to think about things.
In the end, we wrote a song whose lyrics were very important: lyrics that could give energy and charge because it is so easy for people to think about giving up. What I liked about this song was that the lyrics became like a catchy refrain. As the months went by, I realized that as I listened to this song over and over again, I actually needed those lyrics on a personal level. I wrote it with two friends who are very close to me and with whom I am very comfortable writing, Sebastian Higgins and Lena. They are from Copenhagen. So, we were just connected on Zoom and we said, “Okay, let’s try this.” That feeling of friendship is what inspired the song. I like the possibility of leaving the interpretation of the song open to the ear of the listener, who maybe is going through a difficult time, whether it’s a breakup, whether you’re going through a particular work situation or relative, to whatever feeling that each of us is going through inside.
Betta Lemme on the influence of music on people: «Being able to take the weight off people’s shoulders is not easy. I think music is made to connect precisely with these small worlds, with people, each with their own frailties»
What do you want to pass on to the people listening to this song?
The fact that someone can feel lighter and more peaceful after listening to the song, free from negative thoughts, is a source of pride for me and I think it is great. Any form of mental lightening is good. Being able to take the weight off people’s shoulders is not easy. I think music is made to connect precisely with these little worlds, with people, each with their own frailties. So if my song can make someone feel better, that’s all that matters to me.
«Even if only five people appreciate what I do, I feel happy. And that’s the most important thing, because I haven’t been for a long time»
There are three words in the lyrics that appear as a manifesto: Free as a Feather. Is it a hymn to freedom?
The concept of feeling free is what I tried to convey. “Feather” embodies just that feeling. The last time I felt so free was when I published Bambola. I felt very much myself. I felt uninhibited both sonically and directionally. And that is the greatest gift for an artist, because you can be honest with your listeners. You can feel the sincerity in the songs: if one is not proud and sincere about one’s work, you can feel it. And I really like the things I’m working on now. Even if only five people appreciate what I do, I feel happy. And that’s the most important thing, because I haven’t been for a long time.
«The idea of freedom is crucial, now I can collaborate with other artists. This is what makes me most excited, because I wasn’t able to do that before»
Do you feel “free as a feather” today?
I think I live a combination of different factors. I don’t know how to explain it. Sometimes I surprise myself; it’s like “oh, I didn’t think I could do this,” and it’s super. Other times I still feel like I’m in the “healing” phase, and I try to be very honest with myself, because everyone tries to tell their story and show themselves externally always in their best shape, but if you actually sit down and talk to someone you realize you’re fragile. That’s how I feel: some days I feel super, like I want to conquer the world. Other days I need to have my friends close by. I think having that kind of sincerity, even in music, is important and that’s why I like it. That’s where I’m at right now. The idea of freedom is crucial, now I can collaborate with other artists. This is the thing that makes me most excited, because I wasn’t able to do that before.
«Now I finally have a chance to connect with the audience, which is the most important thing, because the reason I make music is to feel close to others or to empower them»
Wasn’t it like this before?
Now I have much more freedom. If I felt like collaborating with somebody. If I felt like doing a live concert, which I never did. I have only ever played on TV, on very private occasions or in restricted festivals. Now, on the other hand, I could do a live concert with the music I love and finally be myself, experiment even through remixes. In short, doors are opening. So let’s see if there are people waiting on the other side. But now I finally have a chance to connect with the audience, which is the most important thing, because the reason I make music is to feel close to others or to empower them.
«Today I’m an artist who really knows what she wants, and I see that in how I approach the writing of pieces and their production»
Given the initial difficulty in fitting into a music industry that gives nothing to anyone, what advice would you give today to the Betta Lemme of 5 years ago?
I would tell you to listen to your instincts. To preserve one’s creative integrity, because if one loses that, the connection with people is lost. So I would tell her to follow her intuition.
I would remind her to always remain herself. Today I am an artist who really knows what she wants, and I can see that in how I approach the writing of pieces and their production. I sing in three different languages, but sometimes in this world this is not a plus.
I would try to push her to be an all-around artist, because that is the best thing she could achieve, the best gift she could give herself. To be honest and free to create her own art.
I think it’s important to remember, to pay close attention to who is actually supporting you as you’re trying to build your audience.
Surrounding yourself with people who want to see you for who you really are is sometimes difficult. And it’s not something that artists often talk about. The best music can sometimes be born just around your closest friends who support you.
Betta Lemme and her relationship with fashion: «I loved designing, watching fashion shows: how people moved with the music, following the flow and vibes, almost as if enraptured by a singular energy»
You are always trendy. What is your relationship with the fashion industry?
I love fashion. When I was a child, I liked to design clothes and shoes. I wanted to be an Egyptologist, an archeologist. I loved drawing, watching fashion shows, how people moved with the music, following the flow and the vibes, almost as if enraptured by a singular energy. And for me, music and fashion are very integrated. They are practically the same thing. Cinema, fashion and music are inextricably linked. For example, sometimes I also write based on what the music video might be. I immediately think about outfits. When I applied for music school, they told me I couldn’t attend it because I couldn’t read notes. So I studied photography. And that’s how I got into fashion. And subsequently, fashion allowed me to travel until I thought, what am I doing? What do I want to do? I want to do music. So the world of fashion, which I think is one of the most important expressions of one’s essence through the choice of designer clothes and/or accessories, is something I really enjoy.
«Considering foreign, non-Italian music, I would love to duet, for example, with Elyanna, a young Palestinian-Chilean artist. She is incredible»
In the music industry today, who would you like to collaborate with?
There are many artists I follow with admiration. I really like Big Mama, with the message of “rebellion” and freedom he tries to convey, and Ghali. Of course, Mina, an incredible icon not only in music but also in fashion. In terms of music I also appreciate Mahmood a lot, he has style to spare.
Considering foreign, non-Italian music, I would love to duet, for example, with Elyanna, a young Palestinian-Chilean artist. She is incredible. Lana Del Rey was creative director of one of her videos. Her art project is very beautiful, very honest, very raw. Her voice is beautiful. Then I think it would be crazy to perform with Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Stromae. There are so many artists, I could go on and on, maybe even accompanying the duet on piano.
«When you want something essential, you are reputed to be a demanding girl»
Which song do you think has had the greatest impact on your life and which one do you enjoy listening to the most?
It is difficult to answer, so offhand, this question. Sometimes I think of something light and funny, like “Primadonna” by Welsh singer Marina and the Diamonds: the song tells, in an ironic way, about a girl who wants everything from life. I identified with it during my early years in my career, and that’s how I felt about music. When you want something essential, you are reputed to be a demanding girl. It’s not about demanding something exceptional when you ask for something simple. So, I was singing that song with a different meaning than what maybe it really meant to communicate.
Betta Lemme on her origins: «As my grandparents were born in Italy, a connection with traditional Italian classics characterized my youth»
You embody two different souls: the Canadian soul and the Italian soul. How do you combine them in your songs?
My French-Canadian soul was very much influenced by growing up in the French-speaking province of Quebec. Many musical influences, growing up over the years, came from that very nation. On the other hand, because my grandparents were born in Italy, a connection to traditional Italian classics characterized my youth. That growing combination of typically French songs and very Italian songs I think really shaped me musically. So influences like Joe Dassin and Dalida, who was Italian but went to France, and a lot of those artists of that time definitely shaped me. What I really loved was doing covers of those artists, which were sung by me in different languages, reaching people in all those countries. And that’s really nice. It’s something that belongs to the old school, but that I would like to bring in the future with a piece.
«I go from one extreme to the other, trying to bring seemingly distant worlds together halfway»
Which artists do you seek inspiration from?
Mina certainly, with her almost cinematic and orchestral presence. Italians are known for that. And in a way, they are too. I like pop, I let myself be influenced by artists like J-Lo, but also by others like ABBA. I go from one extreme to the other, trying to make seemingly distant worlds meet halfway.
Betta Lemme on her future: «Now I want to get back to real things, release my music, build my first live show from scratch, and simply start finding a new connection with people through music»
Future plans, what are you doing now, what is your ambition and what are your goals?
My main goal is to eat carbonara every single day while in Italy. This is the first, the most important one. Now I want to get back to real things, release my music, build my first live show from scratch and simply start finding a new connection with people through music. This is my priority, trying to embrace an artistic comfort zone without stakes and restrictions: freely deciding whether I want to release two singles in a month or just one song, freely choosing whether to release an instrumental-only piece. In short, feeling myself, experimenting and letting creativity take over. Feeling free. The most important thing, however, is just connecting with people, never stopping.
Credits:
Photographer: Bex Gunther
Stylist: Floriana Serani
Production: Edge Management
Make up: Maria Isopo
Hair: Adriana Basilico
Lighting Assist: Davide Fascetta
Styling Assistants: Eugenia Casciu, Aurora Orlandino
Press office: Golin Italy
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