Crucifixes and Emotional Hangovers

Speaking of FKA Twigs. Did you go see her in Brussels last March? I’ve heard you’re a fan.

Yes! I’m still processing what happened. It was a crazy show.

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‘The Worst Parts of You’, the song that got you selected for De Nieuwe Lichting, is about nightlife and how superficial it can be. Do you experience that often?

Yes. I wrote the song after a night out. I didn’t quite remember what had happened the night before, and I felt very empty. I was suffering from an emotional hangover. The intimacy we experience at parties is so fleeting. It’s a pity that being intimate is so often limited to nightlife and drinking, especially for queer people.

It’s a pity that intimacy is so often limited to nightlife. Especially for queer people

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Yet at the same time nightlife has historically been very important for queer people as it was one of the first places where they were free to be themselves.

I agree; ballroom culture has made a huge impact. But I believe that nowadays, intimacy should be possible everywhere. It’s not something we have to hide.

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You also explore intimacy and pleasure in Peekaboo, a theatre performance by Maxime Dreesen. Was this your first time acting? 

Yes, it’s something entirely new to me. But I enjoy it a lot and would like to keep pursuing it. I accepted the offer as it could be an opportunity to learn to be more confident on stage. It was hard at first, but now it feels like the most natural thing in the world. The past shows went very well. The play has been well received even though it has a risky subject and is brought daringly and openly. It’s a very activist, sex positive piece.

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You describe your work as a way to ‘explore the tensions between your queer identity and your multicultural background’. Did you struggle with that?

Yes, a lot. That’s why I want to become an advocate for queer people who are struggling with their identity. I grew up religious, which made it difficult for me to open up about my queerness.

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I want to become an advocate for queer people who are struggling with their identity 

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Can you tell us about your coming out?

I was 14, and it wasn’t by choice. So it came as a shock, even for me. It was hard, but I had great friends and the queer community to support me.

I’m sorry you had to go through that, and thank you for sharing.

Of course.

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In a previous interview, you said Belgium needs a new gay pop icon. Do we have a current one?

Hmm. Not that I can think of. But Gustaph is doing very well.

So are you. You were a finalist in De Nieuwe Lichting, you won the Zebrastraat Showcase#Music-contest, and Charlotte Adigéry said on Studio Brussel: ‘We will hear from you.’ How does that make you feel?

To be honest, I submitted my song impulsively to De Nieuwe Lichting, so I was slightly overwhelmed when I actually got selected. At least at the start. A lot was coming at me, and I’m still not entirely comfortable doing interviews. But I love making music far too much to give it up for that. Overall, it was a great experience. I received a lot of cute messages from people saying they recognized themselves in my song.

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At the Sound of the Belgian Underground, you brought a fluffy crucifix on stage as a prop. What does it stand for?

It’s a compass pointing from Belgium to Senegal, where my mom is from. It’s both a reference to Christianity and a symbol for my coming out. The crucifix stands for the connection between my background and my queer identity and for the understanding we needed to achieve, both me and those around me.

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My crucifix is both a reference to Christianity and a symbol for my coming out

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Will you bring it to your show in S.M.A.K.?

I’m not sure yet. I have a few new ideas I want to explore. My past shows I played with a full band, but I would like to turn my set into a performance and experiment with electronics. So at S.M.A.K., we’ll have a smaller line-up. But the crucifix symbol will somehow be involved.

Since your song is called ‘The Worst Parts of You,’ what is your worst characteristic?

Oh. [laughs and thinks] Probably that I lack some discipline and should write more music.

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And your best?

My best part is that I’m very passionate about music. So I’m not thát worried I won’t write enough. [laughs]

You just have to do it.

Exactly.

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @biramemusic<br/></div>