Start Listening To: DJ Suzy

Swedish artist and producer DJ Suzy takes us inside the seductive and destructive world of Kira Krash, the alter ego at the heart of her debut album.

DJ Suzy has always built worlds around her music. Moving between R&B, indie and electronic sounds, the Swedish artist, writer and producer has developed a universe where the digital and deeply personal regularly collide. On her debut album, Kira Krash, that world now has a character of its own.

First imagined with her best friend while still at school in 2019, Kira Krash began as DJ Suzy’s chaotic alter ego before gradually becoming something darker: a seductive shadow representing the parts of herself she needed to confront and eventually leave behind. Across the album, that relationship becomes a way of exploring identity, growing up, love and the strange grief that comes with letting go of former versions of yourself.

Following the viral success of her ‘Digital Girl - funk remix’ and live shows stretching from Stockholm to New York, DJ Suzy speaks about refusing to chase a repeat hit, creating Kira Krash entirely on her own terms, growing up online and why she’ll always trust her instincts over expectations.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

DJ Suzy: I’m a swedish artist, writer and producer and I call myself DJ Suzy. I’m moving through worlds of R&B, indie and electronic music.

Kira Krash is named after what you’ve described as your chaotic alter ego. Who exactly is Kira Krash, and when did you first realise she could become the character at the centre of an entire album?

DJ Suzy: I got the idea while I was still in school, back in 2019. I came up with the name together with my bestie, Elvira. We were playing around with the idea of creating an alter ego for me, and that’s where we really planted the seed. Since then, it has grown and blossomed into something much bigger, eventually becoming the character at the centre of this entire album.

Kira Krash is my opposite persona, a shadow I can’t seem to get rid of. At first glance, her world is fascinating and seductive, but as the album unfolds, I begin to realise that it’s dangerous for me, and that I need to find a way out. Throughout the album, I explore themes of identity, the transition from childhood to adulthood, the grief of letting go of who you once were, acceptance, and love.

There’s this tension in the record between a dreamy dollhouse fantasy and something much more destructive underneath. What interested you about putting those two sides next to each other?

DJ Suzy: This album represents the tension between darkness and light within me, and Kira personifies that tension. She embodies the part of myself that I need to face in order to grow up, let go off, and move on to whatever comes next. I feel like there are more planets in my universe I need to explore…

Your music has always felt closely connected to the internet and the way relationships exist online. What do you find interesting about love and intimacy in the digital age that you might not get from a more traditional love song?

DJ Suzy: I mean, that’s simply the reality of my generation. We grew up on the internet. It’s in our DNA, and it would be difficult for me not to include the digital world in the music I make.

‘sw33t’ is about falling for someone while simultaneously trying to convince yourself that you’re not. Why do you think we’re sometimes so determined to deny feelings even when they’re completely obvious to us?

DJ Suzy: I’m really drawn to themes like hidden truths and forbidden fruit. I think there’s something fascinating about the things we’re not supposed to know, want, or touch - and the curiosity that makes us reach for them anyway. I once heard a Swedish artist say, “What you would feel uncomfortable writing about, like it would almost have consequences in real life, that’s what you should write about.” For some reason, that mindset has stuck with me. My best songs come from raw feelings, and most of them are ugly, but that makes the music beautiful.

Your earlier work, particularly Haunted Disc, already had a very distinctive identity. What did you want Kira Krash to do that you hadn’t been able to explore on that project?

DJ Suzy: I really wanted to make a full album that felt cohesive and intentional from start to finish. I didn’t want it to be too long, and I wanted as many new songs as possible. I’ve written so many unreleased songs, but for this album, I was very deliberate about choosing each song and making sure it belonged in Kira’s world.

Before this, I had released two EPs that were eventually merged into one mixtape, so with Kira Krash, I really wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to create something that felt like one complete body of work, with a clear thought and purpose behind it.

‘Digital Girl - funk remix’ took on a life of its own and has now been streamed millions of times. Did seeing one particular version of a song connect on that scale change anything about the way you approached your debut album?

DJ Suzy: I’m very grateful for all the success that song has had, but as the name suggests, it’s a remix. It was always intended to be that. After that, I’ve still chosen to follow my own path and create music that I genuinely like, rather than being too influenced by what people might want or expect from me or trying to make a “Digital Girl Funk Remix No. 2.”

I had already been playing around with remixing my own songs on my Haunted Disc Remixes mixtape. I think it’s really important to follow your gut feeling, keep on creating and not overthink what everyone else wants from you. After all, following my own instincts is what brought me success in the first place, so why should I change course now?

You release Kira Krash through your own imprint of the same name. How important is having that level of control over not only the music, but the imagery and wider world surrounding it?

DJ Suzy: I think I’ve always created my own worlds. Even my dad has a song about me called “Suzy i din värld” (translated from Swedish as “Suzy in Your World”). I was encouraged to play, sing, and do whatever I wanted creatively as a child, and that always made me feel like I had control over what I created.

As I’ve grown up, more and more pieces have fallen into place with my artistry, and I don’t think I could do it any other way. I need to be involved in every creative decision. But what I’ve learned along the way is that I don’t have to know how to do everything myself - I don’t have to play every instrument or know every command in Photoshop - to bring my vision to life. That’s why the people I surround myself with creatively mean so much to me and my project. They play a big part in bringing the world I envision to life.

You’re a producer as well as a vocalist, and your voice often feels like another texture within the production. Do you think about vocals differently because you’re also the person constructing the world around them?

DJ Suzy: My voice means everything to me. It’s my main instrument, it’s how I express my feelings, and through singing, I’ve really been able to release a lot of suppressed pain and trauma. I rely heavily on my voice, so I take good care of it.

I went to a choir school for six years, so harmonising with melodies is really imprinted in my DNA, and it plays a big role in my production. Since I’m also the person building the world around my vocals, I think about my voice as another instrument within the production, not just something that sits on top of the music.

You made your live debut at Way Out West in 2023 and have since played everywhere from Stockholm to New York. How have you figured out how to translate music this detailed and production-heavy into something that works physically in a live room?

DJ Suzy: Right now, I’m exploring more ways to combine electronic music with organic, live instrumentation. That feels very natural to me, as I grew up in a home filled with live music, so having that human element on stage is really important to me.

It’s a little ironic that I’m DJ Suzy, but I’ve consciously chosen not to have a DJ behind me on stage. I am the DJ & I’m the creator, and I want to be the one shaping the electronic world around me. For me, it’s not about simply recreating the record live. Only singing over tracks as the live performance seems a bit dead to me. I want people to have a real live experience when they come to see me, which is why I’m bringing my incredibly talented keyboardist, Mikael Wilhelmson, on tour.

What do you love right now?

DJ Suzy: Autumn is just around the corner, my favourite season. This time of year, I’m usually very creative, coming back from summer with so much joy and a renewed sense of relaxation. I'm ready to jump into the studio, and if I have time I'll do some gardening outside of my apartment hehe.

What do you hate right now?

DJ Suzy: That polarization and social gaps are increasing. I hate that young people don't have money to go to concerts and enjoy their lives. I’ve seen it this summer. It's really depressing.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

DJ Suzy:I’ve recently started listening to more music on my CD player, and it’s such a different experience from listening through streaming platforms. I was given all of Norah Jones’ albums when I was young, so they’re part of my collection, and it’s really cozy to put one on in the evening when I’m trying to wind down.

My favourites are the classics: Come Away with Me and Feels Like Home.

When someone hears your music for the first time, what do you hope sticks with them?

DJ Suzy: I hope they love my chords as much as I do. I’m really picky when it comes to chord progressions, and when I find one that feels right, it’s all I can think about. I can completely lose myself in it and end up in a trance while writing on top of the chords.

But most of all, I hope they can feel my emotions through the vibrations of the sound - that something comes through beyond the words and melodies, and that they can feel what I felt when I made it.