Never Mind
Em Beihold the queen of “anxiety but make it pop” has been in the spotlight only recently since 2022 with the release of her platinum hit “Numb Little Bug.” in which she established an open space to be both blunt and bold about your feelings, Em attracted an array of listeners, garnering nearly 1 billion streams across platforms thus far. In 2023 she released her hit single “Roller Coaster Make Me Sad,” and most recently this past February she released her newest hit “Maybe Life is Good”, and is currently on her first headline tour of the same name.
I had an opportunity to attend a press conference, interview and listen to Em discuss goals, influences and vulnerability in her music.
What are some of your goals for 2024 as an artist?
EM: Honestly my goal for this year is to maintain the happiness that I have found. Because 2023 if i'm being real, was a very long depressive episode with a lot of writer's block and a lot of things you don't want to happen when you have just entered the music industry [laughs]. So I feel like yeah I have just focused on like I think a healthier lifestyle and being easier on myself. Little things that make me more productive. I was really pushing myself like, I need to know the answer to this song and always have ideas, but by pushing myself so hard I just completely put this wall up between me and creativity. I feel like kind of backing off of that a little bit, I have been doing what I have been aiming at doing without a forceful mindset so really maintaining happiness is my biggest goal because I believe all the stuff you want follows that.
What was the experience of writing “Maybe Life is Good”?
EM: Writing “Life is Good” was what I call a life vest out of depression.
I was not feeling any of the feelings that I say while I was writing it. But it truly was like manifesting more positivity. The song talks about how we always want it to be good but the truth is life is good and bad at the same time and that’s okay. And it’s like I went through a dark time but you have to go through it. You can’t just put a bandaid over it and be happy all of a sudden. But also I think, I tend to lean more pessimistic than I like, and I like to call the song a pessimistic optimist song like maybe life is good! There’s a little bit of maybe not maybe it is so why not look at the glass half full instead of half empty. So I think it's about finding the positive. So far as naming my tour that I feel like, it sort of summarizes everything I am trying to capture as artists. Which is just the truth of, the good and the bad. Like “Numb Little Bug” is also a song that’s about sad things. I am never going to just be like “it’s great” cause that’s not realistic so it felt like naming my tour that just felt right to create a safe space for people who maybe feel the same things that I sing about in my songs.
Who are some of your current musical inspirations?
EM: Lorde, Melanie Martinez, Marina, Regina Spektor, Lily Allen, the early 2000’s songwriter and kind of “quirky pop” is where I want to be.
You often call your style, “Anxiety but make it pop” a lot of people relate and respond to your music. Were you ever hesitant to be vulnerable in your music? Or has writing always been a cathartic experience?
EM: I have never been hesitant to be vulnerable, because that’s the reason I started writing in the first place. Before even releasing anything, I just wrote for myself because it was my journal it was just how I got through things so I will say it’s funny when “Numb Little Bug” came out, my mom was just taking a walk and there was a neighbor that was like “I'm so sorry your daughter is on antidepressants” [laughs] so sometimes I guess I don’t realize like outer world consequence of me being so vulnerable but that’s all I know how to do so that’s not changing
And thank goodness for that, because Em's vulnerability is what makes her music so relatable to millions of listeners.
Be sure to check and see if Em is coming to a city near you soon! "Maybe Life is Good" is streaming on all music platforms.
