An Interview with Swedish Pop Star Manda Malina

Rising Swedish Pop star, Manda Malina, jumped into the spotlight when she placed in the Top 7 of Swedish X Factor in 2012. She then went on to perform her original song, “Glow,” on the Swedish election of Eurovision in 2014. The singer-songwriter then went on to garner more success with her iTunes chart-topping Electronic single, “Sweetest Heartbreak.” She wrote and performed the song, “Loved By You," produced by Lordnox, which boasts over 4.5 million streams across the world.

As a queer/LGBTQ artist, Manda Malina dedicates her sound to encourage listeners to embrace their sexuality and feminine power. Deriving her sound from the influences of the late 90’s/2000’s, her music is uplifting and hopeful with powerhouse, soulful vocals. Her single, “f*ck myself," was released in the beginning of May 2022 and got instant traction from PopularTV, Dopecausewesaidso, MusicCrowns, to name a few.

With her single, “f*ck myself,” out now, we took some time to hear more from Manda Malina. Read below to learn more about Manda Malina, the story behind her single, and what’s to come.

Hi Manda Malina! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?

Hi! It’s actually my real name. Manda is my first name, and Malina is my middle name. My parents liked the names Amanda and Malin, and couldn’t decide on either, so they merged the two.

What city are you from and where are you based now?

I was born and raised in Sweden, but based in Los Angeles since 2015.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?

I’ve always known my passion is singing, writing, and performing. My dad is an audio engineer, so he let me record some songs in his studio when I was a kid, and I just loved it. It’s always been "my thing." When I placed 7th in the Swedish X-Factor in 2012, it kicked off my career, and I’ve been doing music ever since.

Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?

My family is extremely supportive in everything that I do, so pursuing a career in music has been a no-brainer all along. They’re my biggest fans, for sure. Soundwise - I’m definitely influenced by Swedish music as well. I listened to Roxette as a kid, and I love Max Martin’s writing. My dad used to listen to Phil Collins a lot, so when I want some writing inspiration, I listen to his 90’s stuff.

How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

I would describe my music as uplifting, catchy empowering Pop hits with a nostalgic R&B feel. My songs are definitely memorable, and I love to add some sass and sexiness to them.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

I love being in nature, doing yoga, hiking, and going camping with my partner. I love traveling and doing random road trips. We just moved into our new house, so I spend lots of my free time decorating at home and unpacking still. I’m trying to find a good balance right now between my free time and work, and keep my creativity alive, so being in nature helps me stay inspired.

What do you do for self-care?

I like to do yoga, in my yard. I have ADHD, so my mind is never quiet, and yoga is the only thing that calms it down. I love to read and eat junk food in the couch with my partner watching trash shows, haha.

If you weren’t an artist, what would your profession be?

I’d probably be a crime investigator or working with animals somehow. I’m super into true crime, and I’d love to get a criminal justice degree eventually (don’t think it’ll ever happen though), haha. I love animals SO MUCH, and a big dream of mine is to open an animal sanctuary one day.

Who are some of your main musical influences?

Celine Dion will always be my biggest idol, and she inspires me vocally. I listen to a lot of throwback music - Backstreet Boys, Britney, Brandy, etc. Musically, right now I’m very inspired by Hayley Kiyoko, Anne-Marie, and I absolutely love Emelie Sandés' new album.

What are some of your future music career goals?

I’ve been so focused on launching my new project, with “f*ck myself” being the first single, that I have a hard time thinking really far ahead right now. I really want to cherish the love for the song and my upcoming music right now, and what an amazing response that I’ve gotten. I tend to forget that sometimes and get caught up in the future. BUT, I’d love to go on tour, do a song with LP, be the opening act for another huge queer artist, and possibly be in Eurovision Song Contest again.

Now onto your release, “f*ck myself.” What inspired this song?

So, I wrote this song together with my co-writers, Jason Boulé and Deanna Villarreal. When I still identified as bisexual, I was so fed up with the guys being so selfish in bed, and getting pissed off when I tried to teach them how a female body works.

What is “f*ck myself” about in your own words?

It can be straightforward, haha. About f*cking yourself, but also about loving yourself in every capacity, about listening to your body and your mind, becoming comfortable in your body and your sexuality, unapologetically.

What is your favorite lyric in “f*ck myself” and why?

"I don’t wanna fake it, fake it til I make it, you aren’t finished yet just cause I’m naked." It literally means what it means - you aren’t done with the act just because you got the girl naked in bed, and I think many men have misunderstood the assignment.

What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from “f*ck myself?”

To literally embrace your sexuality and your self-love in whatever shape and form it takes.

What’s one of your proudest moments of your music career so far?

I’ve done TV performances and all, but my proudest moment has been releasing, "f*ck myself." I took a pretty long break from my solo artistry during and after the pandemic, coming out as gay and finding myself as a human and as an artist, so I was pretty darn nervous releasing music again and that’s a big achievement for me.

What would you say are the greatest lessons you’ve learned so far?

To not overextend myself when I’m mentally and emotionally drained.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects that we should be on the lookout for?

I’m performing at the Gritty Pride Jam at the Echoplex in Los Angeles on June 9th. I’m also gonna be performing at Sacramento Pride on June 12th, and I’m currently planning for my new single, “next x,” to be released very shortly.

Where can we follow you on social media?

https://www.youtube.com/c/MandaMalina

https://www.instagram.com/mandaamalina/

https://www.tiktok.com/@mandaamalina