Meet the talented young emo rapper from Norway, Naits. For fans of alternative, emo-style rap like artists Iann Dior and The Kid Laroi, they will love the sound of this emerging artist.
First starting to release his music in 2017, Stian, the artist’s real name, describes music as a therapeutic tool to work out his feelings, and that he has found love in music his whole life.
“I was nervous to start releasing my music since many of the songs are very personal, but I knew if I wanted to get somewhere I had to step out of my comfort zone. As soon as I started releasing the music I realized that many others finds help and comfort in my music. This made me motivated and confident to open up even more.”
Following the release of his latest song “gone,” a track the artist describes as “a feel-good song, but with sad lyrics,” BTS had a conversation with Naits to learn more about his latest release, his creative process, advice for other aspiring musicians, and who his favorite movie character is.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:
BTS: What would you say is your biggest inspiration behind your music? What drives your creativity?
Naits: Most of my inspiration comes from just living life. My music is usually about personal experiences which can be anything from a breakup to losing a friend or about the fear of not accomplishing my dreams. My studio is my “safe place” where I’m allowed to express myself and talk about whatever I want to. There are no rules and nothing is right or wrong. It’s just me in my own world creating music to help myself and hopefully others as well. I also listen to a lot of music from artists like Iann Dior, Machine Gun Kelly, Juice WRLD, and The Kid LAROI to help me get new ideas and inspiration for new music.
BTS: What is the emo rap scene like in Norway? Is it as popular as it is here in the US? Or is it still an emerging genre that you are getting to be at the forefront of?
Naits: People in Norway listen to emo-rap and pop-rap, but it’s not as popular as in the U.S. and we don’t have many artists in that genre over here. I have some Norwegian listeners, but many of them probably don’t even know that I’m Norwegian too. I often get messages from Norwegians written in English, and it’s fun to see their reactions when I answer in Norwegian!
BTS: Name an artist that is completely outside your genre but that you think would be dope to work with?
Naits: I would love to work with Kygo! His music gives me such good vibes and it would be a dream come true to spend a day in the studio with him. When I started making music I listened to a lot of his work and it gave me so much inspiration and motivation to pursue my dream in music.
BTS: You just released your latest song “gone” which is filled with fantastic vocals and raw emotion… what was the story behind this song?
Naits: I was really excited to release “gone”. The response has been crazy and it has been a very motivating way to start the new year! My Norwegian producer and friend Adrian sent me the demo back in November 2021 and I immediately heard that the song had so much potential. The lyrics came very naturally to me and most of the song is a freestyle. The goal was to make a feel-good song, but with sad lyrics. I think a lot of people think of the song as a “happy song” and not a sad song, and that was exactly what we were going for. I’ve been in touch with Jan Metternich for about a year now and I knew that he would fit perfectly on the track. I sent him the demo and got the vocal for his verse back in about two hours. It was a really smooth process and I’m super happy with the song!
BTS: What does your creative process look like? How do you go about writing lyrics and creating beats?
Naits: I usually start creating a song by freestyling over a beat that I really like. Most of the time I end up with a couple of lines or words that sound extra good or have a nice meaning. Then I create the full song out of those lines or words. I always write down ideas in my notes too, so I can always go back and look at those for extra inspiration if I feel stuck. I get most of my beats from my producers here in Norway and I also find a lot of beats on YouTube. It’s crazy how many talented producers there are out there!
BTS: What would be your greatest advice to others looking to embark on a music career? What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned by pursuing this career path?
Naits: I think the greatest advice I can give is that you have to trust yourself. People will always have an opinion on your music and you can’t let that stop you. Make music for you, not someone else. It takes time to get the hang of everything when it comes to making music and it can feel impossible at times. You just have to keep going and keep practicing and you will get better and better. I have learned the importance of taking breaks and I used to sit in the studio frustrated and angry when I had writer’s block trying to force something out. This makes things a lot worse and it’s a lot better to do something else for a couple of days.
BTS: What can we expect to see from you next in the coming year? What were your big goals to accomplish for 2022?
Naits: I’m going to release a bunch of singles in 2022 and if everything goes as planned I’m releasing my debut EP by the end of the year along with merch and a couple of music videos. I made a lot of unreleased music in 2021 that I can’t wait to share! My goal is to keep improving and make a lot of new music.
BTS: A speed round… favorite movie character? A quote or phrase that inspires you? And what food could you eat for 30 days straight without getting sick of?
Naits: For my favorite movie character I have to say Spider-man. I just love the concept of the character and the way he swings around in the city with his spider web is something I have dreamed of doing ever since I was a kid haha 🙂 My favorite quote is, “Life has no limitations, except the ones you make”. I could eat fried noodles with chicken for 30 days straight without getting sick of it no doubt!
Don’t forget to check out Naits’s latest release “gone” above, and keep up with him and all of his upcoming new music releases (we can’t WAIT for the EP!) on Instagram and Spotify.
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