MØ: “I don’t think it’s good if only people with money succeed”

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On ​‘Plæygirl’, the title track from MØ’s latest album, the Danish pop figurehead switches code. Stripping away the bright pop sheen of the most recognisable parts of her discography, the track begins with a scatty, ambient drone intro, before her singing opens the chorus: ​“Plæygirl, play girl / Play yourself into the ground / Plæygirl, play girl / Oh, you know what goes around comes around.” By the time the second chorus begins, the production has darkened into a heavy, growling, dubstep bassline.

It’s reflective, and mirroring her lyrics, almost a full-circle moment for the singer. In 2007, when Karen Marie Orsted aka MØ was 18 years old, she was in a punk band named MOR, making politically charged music inspired by the likes of Black Flag and Sonic Youth, while also being an active member in the anti-fascist movement.

At the time, anti-immigration sentiment had seen a growth in the far right, with the Danish People’s Party (DF) winning an unprecedented 25 seats in the Folketing. Now, another full 18 years later, the far right is rising across the world, with global echoes of the Danish experience. With that, MØ’s music has taken a more cathartic, visceral edge compared to much of her solo discography to date, which includes her 2015 Major Lazer and DJ Snake collaboration ​‘Lean On’, which was at one point the most streamed track ever on Spotify. Meanwhile, politics remains a key thread, and at this year’s Roskilde Festival, she invited Greta Thunberg and a crew of activists to the stage for the first public appearance of the Nordic Climate Justice Coalition, who led calls for climate action and a free Palestine.

In January, she’s setting off on a US tour, which follows the release of a remix EP featuring the likes of Frost Children and Uffie, having played shows at London and Manchester nightclub institutions fabric and Factory in October. We caught up with her to hear about making a ​“punky” album, spending over a decade in the music industry, and the parallels between the Danish political landscape in 2007 and the world in 2025.

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You released Plæygirl earlier this year, and recently the remix EP. It seems quite club music influenced – what was the thinking behind it sonically?

I’m terrible with genres, so excuse me if my way of using them is a bit [unconventional]. My producer who worked on the album with me, Nick Sylvester, trained under James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem, so he definitely has that club-punky sort of vibes. It has this feeling of a band, but also in a club. When I first started listening to electronic music, it was in the ​’00s, and I was super inspired by acts like The Knife and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and that whole wave of indie where the music was played by bands but had electronics mixed in.

I’m interested in some of your recent collaborations. ​‘Keep Moving’ is produced by The Dare, and then you feature Big Piig on ​‘SWEET’, while Frost Children remix ​‘Heartbreak’. What do you look for when working with other artists?

It’s people that of course I think are cool, and then also people that are just really nice who I feel like I vibe with personally. Though I will say that I haven’t actually met The Dare, but he is friends with Nick Sylvester, and I’m friends with other people who are friends with him, and I’ve heard he’s a super nice human. But with Big Piig and Frost Children, we’ve hung out – they’re all nice people and make exciting music. I feel like they are super cool, aggressive artists who have a lot of attitude but aren’t afraid to be vulnerable as well – it’s all within the cross-sections of what I love.

You’ve been in the music industry for a long time now, and you’ve spoken about its tolls. It feels like probably the toughest time ever for young musicians to make a living out of it – the cost of living is more expensive than ever, touring is more expensive, and revenues are down from streaming – do you have any advice for young artists trying to break through?

Yeah, it’s been a while. 13 years. Time flies. But you’re right, it feels like a crazy time on a lot of levels, but unless you have a lot of money, being an up-and-coming musician is hard. My advice is not to think and worry about the obstacles in the way, and keep focusing on making your music as truly and purely as possible. I think if you let the worry in, it will bring you down artistically. You need to keep it out and do the best fucking work you can do, and be yourself as much as fucking possible.

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What do you think it means for the future of music if it’s only rich people who can make and enjoy it?

Without being an expert in history, it seems like it’s always been like this – if you’ve got money, then you have a pathway forwards. And things got a little bit better for a bit, but it seems like it’s getting bad again. Obviously, I don’t think it’s a good thing if it’s only people with money or privilege who get a front seat and can truly succeed. It would be one-dimensional for the arts and not showcase the full spectrum.

You hosted the Nordic Climate Justice Coalition at your Roskilde set this year. How did that come about?

That came about through the Roskilde Festival organisation – when I heard about the, wanting to join my performance I was super psyched. I don’t even have words for the crazy times that we live in, so if you get a good opportunity to do something political, it’s a great opportunity. And the Nordic Climate Justice Coalition is really cool and has so many incredible and inspiring people, it was definitely special.

Music and protest has seemed like a big theme in 2025. In a time when technology and authoritarianism has made it increasingly dangerous to protest on the streets – how important is it that artists and musicians create these alternative spaces to challenge power?

I think it’s super, super important. In Denmark there has been a lot of politics in music, both in festivals and [their recordings], and some of the dialogue was: ​“Oh, politics doesn’t belong at festivals.” And I’m like: ​“What world have you been living in?” What about Woodstock, which shaped the whole concept of festivals, which started as a protest? In my world, music and politics go hand-in-hand. I grew up listening to Björk and Patti Smith, and politics is so deeply rooted in it.

That’s not to say that if you’re a musician and you don’t want to speak about politics, you’re wrong, but it’s really important to me and I think it’s powerful. I also know the pressure of speaking up and if you are personally in a bad space, it’s also okay to make space for yourself and take a break. It’s important that we protect ourselves as well, but I think if you have the energy it’s super important.

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You were an activist a couple of decades ago as the far right was growing in Denmark. Do you see parallels with what Denmark went through those years ago, with what much of the world is seeing now, and what would you say to people who are feeling scared?

This is something that I talk so much with my friends and family about all the time. For me, I think getting involved in local demonstrations and politics, and having conversations locally helped me on a personal level to deal with the situation in the world. Not letting it break you down too much, and to keep making sure that you’re doing your art and the things you believe in, and to do it truthfully. It’s pretty fucking bad and things are getting worse, but find the people you love and try to do what you can without crashing.

Take care of yourself, and then do your art. Not to be positive about a shit situation, but I think hard times are also when really great and important art comes to surface, so that gives me hope as an artist.

You’ve just kicked off a Europe and USA tour – what should fans expect?

Some things have changed and then some things have stayed the same. With this live show, it’s obviously the Plæygirl tour, but I also play all of my favourite songs from the past, and I’m really happy about this set. I think it’s a great selection of songs, and also the light show right now is really sick.

What direction do you see your music moving towards in the future, if that’s something that you’ve even thought about?

I’m already working on new music. It’s funny, because this album is electronic, punky and free spirited, and I think maybe this has something to do with the world being in a pretty shitty place right now. Many of the songs for the new era that I’m writing right now are actually more ballad-type – I’m sure the productions will still be electronic and pumping, but more emotional.

What does Plæygirl mean to you personally?

Actually, it’s talking about quite a lot of the things that I’ve been talking about in this interview. Realising that you can’t control things, so you better try and have fun. The world is fucking scary, so live your true self, have fun, let go, and be chaotic if you are chaotic and do your thing.

Plæygirl is out now. For tickets and tour dates, visit her official website.

Isaac Muk is Huck’s digital editor. Follow him on Bluesky.

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