Danish sensation MØ redefines cool “No Mythologies To Follow”

by Elizabeth Parker

“Bubble gum is the perfect way to look cool if you don’t like smoking or are underage”, states MØ about the album art for her upcoming LP, No Mythologies To Follow. The cover, a bubble gum pout in grainy black and white, encapsulates the 25 year old’s persona on the brink of fame: fun, carefree and ultra hip. Her genre, defined as “electronic soul” falls somewhere between pop, alternative and hip hop, making the record surprisingly diverse in appeal. 

The Danish soon-to-be-sensation, who’s real name is Karen Marie Ørsted, is just cool. And it’s not simply because she’s super Scandinavian, fashionable and has a great voice. Apparently it comes naturally to her – in the album’s centerpiece, “Walk This Way,” she belts out, “All my life / I’ve stepped to the rhythm / of the drums inside / Hey yeah yeah yeah.” Unruffled and unapologetic, Ørsted has been compared to Santigold, Twin Shadow and Lykke Li, but maintains her own.

Straight out of a galaxy of glitter and gold, platforms and cool hair, MØ is hardly bursting onto the scene, having released more than a handful of singles and an EP since 2012. It’s more of a slow burning success hinged upon genius marketing of a contemporary babe. Whatever the case, she’s going to be big.

It’s hard to imagine that the full-length recording could top the quality of her already released singles, but somehow she’s done it – the album delivers anthem after sparkling anthem.

Her brilliant collaboration with renowned producer and DJ, Diplo on “XXX 88” shows her versatility with hints of Major Lazer, while the previously unreleased tracks on the album are creative gems, including “Slow Love,” a sultry, echoing ode to Grimes, and “Red in the Grey,” with its solid hip hop groove.

Although, on certain tracks, MØ’s moody pout is hardly discernible from Lana del Rey’s, particularly in “Dust Is Gone” as she croons, “Have you kissed the lips of the one you like so hard / you couldn’t stay alive?” Luckily she makes up for her sad streak with incredibly catchy hooks and danceable rhythms. At times, No Mythologies also plays like a dark and brooding breakup album, and switches to a soundtrack to dancing in the mirror, heavily punctuated with “hey yo’s,” “uh’s,” and “holla’s”.

Despite her glamour-infused ballads, she’s simply real. Amongst a parade of polished, present-day artists, here comes MØ, stripped down and raw, with wild, untamed hair, unkempt eyebrows and a pieced-together grunge look. She’s like your coolest friend who is living life to the max and doesn’t give a damn. Her authenticity thunders throughout the album’s tracks and you can tell MØ is an artist who’s here to make the world a little bit cooler.