[Interview] Sissal: « Music is all about sharing a moment with people, not a competition »
Sissal won her ticket to Eurovision a few weeks ago. Talented and passionate, she won the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and will represent Denmark. Between two pre-parties and all the preparations, she gave us around twenty minutes to talk about her world and her journey to Eurovision 2025.
Hi Sissal, thanks so much for joining us today! We know you're super busy at the moment, so it's a real pleasure to have you. You said in the interview that winning the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix was a dream of yours. Mission accomplished! Congratulations! Can you take us back to that moment? What went through your mind when your name was announced?
Honestly... I was one of the big favourites, so the pressure was enormous. I tried not to look at the predictions too much, but (in the superfinal) there was only a one-point gap with the runner-up, so it was super tight.
When they announced my name, I had a moment of hesitation. And you can see it in my reaction: I'm not even jumping for joy, I'm just there, like... "Wait... Did they just say my name? » It was really surreal, almost like a hallucination (laughs). But above all, it was a huge relief. All that pressure built up... the victory was a real release.
We've got a few fun questions to help you get to know us better. If you were an ice cream flavour, what would it be?
Ooooh, I'd say... salted liquorice! (laughs) I don't think you get that in France. It's a black Danish sweet, both salty and sweet, that I love. So yeah, a salted liquorice ice cream... with white chocolate on top, that would be perfect.
We'll have to go to Copenhagen to get a taste of that! (laughs) What about your karaoke classic?
I always end up singing " I Have Nothing » by Whitney Houston. It's a classic, a song where I can really use my voice. But my mates get fed up with it (laughs), it's always the same one. I don't often do karaoke in real life, because I find it's more fun when you can't sing well. And I can't sing badly on purpose... so I avoid it.
Do you have any unusual talents that people don't know about?
I'm super handy! I sew my own clothes, I've built shelves, cupboards, even my bed and sofa. I've tiled my kitchen, changed the floor... I'm a real handywoman. People are often shocked by my long nails: "How do you deal with that?" But it works really well!
(showing us her nails) And do you do your own nails?
Oh no, that's my nail artist! It's the only thing I delegate (laughs).
You're also the mother of two little girls. How are they inspiring you on your Eurovision journey?
They mean everything to me. No matter what happens after Eurovision, they remain my priority. I have an incredible family, their dad is great and very present. I'm away a lot more now, travelling around Europe, and they feel it, of course. But it's temporary, until May. But I think the good thing is that they keep me stable. I've got my feet on the ground because I've got children and I've got to keep my feet on the ground.
I have two daughters, one aged three and one aged six. The little one doesn't realise what's going on. The older one understands. When I tell them that I'm leaving for a concert, she knows what that means, because she was at the concert. Dansk Melodi Grand Prix. She remembers what it's like.
The little one was there too, but she doesn't really remember, so she takes my absences a bit harder. But the older one... she tells everyone in the street:
"My mum, she won the Melodi Grand Prix!"
And here I am: "Oh no..." (laughs)
And the people: "Ah, well done then!"
Do they know your song? Do they sing it?
Oh yes, all the time. Even the little one! They sing it all the time, they hum it all the time... really, all the time. They support me to the hilt.
You said you wanted to enter the MGP with the right song. What made you decide that Hallucination was the right one for you?
I've always said that if I took part, it would be with a Eurodance song. I love ballads, especially at Eurovision, but that style doesn't represent me as much. The music I make outside this project is actually eurodance - it's really my world.
When we wrote HallucinationInitially, it wasn't even planned for me. I was in a writing session for other artists and we composed four tracks. But this one, I said to myself straight away: I want that. It's exactly my style.
And as I also co-wrote the lyrics, they speak to me enormously. I recognise myself in them, they're personal. And from the very first notes, I found the track really catchy. I really felt it had the potential to win the MGP.
You sang at the Amsterdam Pre-Party last week. It was incredible, really! Do you experience these pre-parties more as full-scale rehearsals or as moments of celebration with your fans?
For me, what makes the Eurovision adventure really fun are the pre-parties. The Final is a bit like the final stage, but everything before that, like meeting the other artists, talking to them, sharing moments... that's what's so precious.
And singing live in front of an audience is the most exhilarating thing about being an artist. In Amsterdam, as soon as I went on stage, I felt this crazy energy. The audience carried me so much! And when everyone started singing the chorus of HallucinationIt was crazy - I really felt all that love.
In the end, I think I enjoy the pre-parties even more than the idea of Eurovision itself, because there's no pressure to compete. It's just pure pleasure, sharing it with the people who love your music.
And speaking of fun, we saw you having a great time in Amsterdam (on the networks) with some of your new friends. JJ, Kyle Alessandro... Are you really close?
Yes, very close. It's crazy... Sometimes you meet people with whom you feel an instant connection. There's a real chemistry, and you can't really explain it. With them, it was instant. For a few weeks now, we've been calling each other every day on FaceTime, talking all the time. It's become really natural.
And it's quite strange for me because I usually hate awkward silences. But with JJ, for example, we were in the car on the way to the airport, exhausted, and we didn't speak for a long time... and it was perfectly comfortable. It's that kind of silence that makes you realise you're safe in this friendship. There was nothing forced, no awkwardness. It's rare and precious to find that.
So yes, this link is real. It's not just for the show or for now. I'm sure we'll remain friends even after Eurovision.
And more generally, with all the other artists: do you feel a sense of camaraderie or a competitive atmosphere?
Oh no, there's really no competition between us. It's a really friendly atmosphere. All the artists I've met are lovely. I haven't come across anyone who's given me a bad impression or who's just there to win. On the contrary, everyone is super open, happy to be there, curious about others... There's a real spirit of sharing.
And that's exactly what music should be, in my eyes. If I don't make it through to the final, I'm not going to say to myself that I'm a bad singer or that my song sucks. It's just that this time it didn't work.
And I think a lot of the artists at Eurovision understand that too. As a result, no one gets worked up about it - we're there first and foremost for the music, for the encounters.
It's really great to see, from the outside, all these wonderful interactions between the artists. You mentioned that the staging at the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix left you a little disappointed. And that your victory was down to your voice - which is totally true, by the way.
But when it comes to the Basel performance, how much say do you have in the artistic direction?
I still have my say, yes. Even though I'm not a very 'visual' » person or aesthetically inclined in the artistic sense, I did have a few specific desires. What I really wanted was to create something that would stand out on stage. Something that sticks in your mind. When you think of performances like Loreen's with her famous square, or Nemo's with his circular platform... everyone had a strong element that left a mark.
So for HallucinationThe idea was: how do you convey this feeling on stage, how do you amplify it, without overdoing it? Because sometimes too much staging can be a disservice to the song. We had to find the right balance to sublimate the universe of the song.
How do you prepare physically and mentally for an event of this magnitude? There's a lot of pressure. Do you have a routine or a sort of lifestyle to keep you at the top of your game?
So at the moment it's a bit unusual... I've fallen ill twice in three weeks, which is really rare for me - I'm hardly ever ill normally. I think it's to do with stress, and also with the fact that I don't eat the same when I'm away as I do at home.
When I'm at home, I eat a diet rich in protein and I do a lot of sport, especially to keep my lung capacity up, so that I can run on stage and sing without losing my breath. So physically, my preparation relies heavily on a good diet and regular exercise.
Mentally, on the other hand, I feel great. I'm really trying to enjoy every moment. I know I'm not one of the favourites to win Eurovision, so I don't feel that enormous pressure. My only real objective is to reach the final.
So I take things as they come, have fun and live the experience to the full. It's my own way of preparing myself: by having fun.
A few days ago, we all had a good laugh watching your Instagram video in which you commented on your own performance. How do you stay so upbeat, despite the pressure of qualifying for Eurovision?
I think it's just my way of dealing with things. Humour is really my defence mechanism. I'm not always in "I take everything lightly » - well, I do a bit! I'm very ironic and sarcastic, it's true, but in reality I'm also a very sensitive person. I feel a lot, I cry easily.
But if I couldn't laugh at myself, especially after a performance that I found boring, it would make things a lot harder. For me, the best thing was to laugh about it, to say to myself " Well, I still won, so what's next? What can I do better?"
I think I'm naturally optimistic. I've always tended to see the glass as half full rather than half empty. I don't know if it's a character trait or just a way of approaching life, but that's how I operate.
I know you're very busy, so thank you for your time. Good luck in Basel, and we'll be rooting for you on stage!
Entry Details - Sissal
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