Cover the kid’s ears for this one because Iceland’s Kristin Sesselja has released one of the most sweariest and catchiest pop songs you are probably ever going to hear this side of 2020. We caught up briefly with Kristin to discuss her new single ‘FUCKBOYS’, what is behind the lyrics, and where to get the best pizza in Iceland.

Tell us who you are and what is your sound?

I’m Kristin Sesselja, an Icelandic singer and songwriter. I’ve been writing songs since I was about 12 years old, usually pop music with influences from other genres and artists.

What exciting projects have you got coming up?

I’m in the midst of releasing my second EP titled “Breakup Blues”. It’s the music I’ve always wanted to make so I’m super excited. I just released my final single “FUCKBOYS” which is my favourite song I’ve ever written. It’s basically an anthem against boys that treat you like dirt. It’s also a reflection of my relationship with myself, love, boys and heartbreak. Honestly it’s more about me than it is about the fuckboys. My biggest concern when writing it was that I was gonna get angry messages from people saying I’m a feminazi and that I hate men which I obviously don’t but I also realised that if you take offence when you’re listening to the song, you need to fix something in your life since you’re obviously one of those people I’m referring to that treat you poorly. I’ve also got an exciting music video for the song coming out very soon!

Where did you grow up and what music influenced you?

I grew up in Reykjavik, Iceland and I didn’t always love it because it was so small and isolated, sometimes that can make you feel trapped. What really helped me was listening to musician’s that I felt understood me and Taylor Swift was definitely the biggest influence. At first I just idolized her and related to her songs but as I got more passionate about songwriting I started understanding what made her music so great and that really improved my songwriting. I love listening to female songwriters, both cause I’m a bit nosy and I want to know what’s happening in their lives but I also think it’s so important for female artist to support each other. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Lily Allen, Maisie Peters, Violet Skies and Julia Michaels. I love their styles of writing and they’ve really influenced me as well as made me feel seen and understood as a person.

What cool places do you recommend to visit in your city (bars, restaurants, etc)?

My favorite restaurant in Iceland is this Italian pizza restaurant called Flatey. Their pizzas are sooo good!

We love recommendations – what have you been listening to, watching, or reading recently?

My biggest recommendation is Folklore, the album by Taylor Swift. I can honestly listen to it on repeat for days. I recently finished Money Heist on Netflix and it’s great. I also feel like this time of year is a great time to start watching Gilmore Girls, if you haven’t yet because it’s just so good!

Finally, what was the last thing that made you swear out loud?#

The last thing that made me swear out loud was probably singing the words to my song FUCKBOYS. When it came out me and my sister went for a drive and we put all the windows down and put the volume to the maximum and absolutely screamed the song on the highway. It was a really great moment and I recommend listening to the song that way! 

Interview by Alex Minnis

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