Sassy 009 is the supersonic, hypnotic artist making electro-pop from her bedroom in Oslo. Heart Ego, the recently released mixtape from Sunniva Lingård aka Sassy, sounds like a soundtrack to another planet, one where neon flashes cut through a night sky and people move at super-speed. “‘Heart Ego’ is the most ambitious project I’ve done so far in my career, yet the project I have had the most trouble defining,” Sassy says. “Framing it as a mixtape was like finding home.” We spoke to Sassy about Heart Ego and her influences:

We love your vibe and sound. When was ‘Sassy 009’ born and what do you want to convey as an artist?

"I appreciate that, thank you. Sassy 009 was born in 1996, but it took her twenty years to realise her potential. Another five years to define her position. Now she is thrilled by the concept of being young and free. Maybe because she is, in fact, getting older… My visions are important to me. That’s all I have essentially If everything were to be taken away from me.”

You’ve said the main goal with the Heart Ego project was to prove you’re a better musician. How do you think you achieved this?

“I think Heart Ego is great documentation of me trying to prove that I’m a better musician, but I don’t see it as proof of that goal itself. Maybe I’ll be able to answer it more specifically in a few years.”

What was the most important thing you learnt during the process of making Heart Ego?

"That timing is everything.”

What was inspiring you while you made Heart Ego?

“The most defining approach to this project was that I allowed myself to use all my references - music I had listened to, movies, aesthetics, trends - and use them actively. Every track eventually turned out to be an interpretation of different references. Here’s a list:

Forever Seventeen - inspired by my earlier release, “KILL SASSY 009”.
Blue Racecar - UK as a concept, haha.
Mystery Boy - Nelly Furtado.
Here Comes The Weekend - intimacy, Billie Eilish and Bicep.
Red Plum - the scene where Donnie Darko enters school and “Head Over Heals” by Tears For Fears plays in the background.
Wannabe - MTV’s Pool Party, The Grind in 1997.
It’s Complicated - me in my teens when Tokio Hotel was my life.
Ego Heart Ego - the concept of ending the mixtape with something that felt like an ending.”

‍Who would you love to collaborate with? The ultimate Sassy 009 featuring ___?

“Right now, just myself. But I have a list of artists in mind that I would love to meet, learn from and create with when the time is right."

Which artists are on the Sassy playlist?

“I’m in an intense period of only listening to “Text While Driving If You Want to Meet God!” by Vegyn and “Rain Sounds” on Spotify lol.”

We love Vegyn! Tell us about the Nordic music scene - who are you working with?

“Fact is that I don’t know much about what’s happening outside of Norway in this context, but I think the Norwegian music scene is both interesting and not so interesting at the same time. The most fascinating thing is probably that we have a lot of different things going on here, although we’re quite few people in this country.”

How does living in Oslo influence you?

“I am extremely lucky to have grown up here. I think the most important influence it has had on me is that I’ve never doubted that things will be alright no matter what I do. That sense of freedom and safety is a privilege I am both grateful for and aware of that can easily change with how the western world has turned bluer and bluer for the past years. Long live the welfare state.”

How did it feel to release this mixtape? How do you hope people feel listening to it?

“It felt like revealing a secret you’ve kept for a long time, not knowing how it will be received. When the clock turned midnight, I closed my eyes in my bed and felt sad actually. Almost like a break up kind of feeling. And then I fell asleep and woke up the next day realising everything is just the same. If anything, I hope I can bring joy into people’s lives. If not joy, some sort of comfort.”

What’s next?

“I’m wondering about that, too. Really hope to play more live shows next year. I also work with new music, so it’ll be interesting to see how my next project turns out. I still want to be a better musician.”

Listen to Heart Ego now.

@sassy_009

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