Back in 2012, Danish singer Christopher released his first-ever single “Against the Odds.” Little did the pop sensation know that this song would mark the beginning of his journey as an international artist.
Christopher has released 3 albums and over 20 singles since his debut. He’s even earned the number one spot at China’s music streaming service QQ Music for his latest single “Bad.”
In this exclusive interview with Christopher, InqPOP! gets up close and personal with the singer on his identity, his music career, his inspiration, his ideal song collaboration, and his views on the Philippines and his Filipino fans.
Here’s what we found out:
On being ‘Christopher’
The singer may be known to the world as just “Christopher” but his full name is actually Christopher Nissen. When asked why he dropped his surname, he answered, “I just felt like ‘Christopher Nissen’ was too common in Denmark — like it’s a [common] Danish last name. I thought, ‘that’s not cool at all,’ so I felt like I was just going to go with ‘Christopher’ [in my music career.]”
From then on, the singer is known to his fans and the music industry by just ‘Christopher.’
On growing up in the industry
Though his name might be common in Denmark, Christopher stands out in the music industry because of his killer vocals and unique artistry. And his accomplishments in the international music scene is proof of his undeniable talent.
His success, however, is not one that’s been easy. He admits that it was a learning process and that he’s grown artistically because of it.
“I think I released my first album when I was 20, 19 maybe, and there’s a lot of things that are different when you grow up in this industry and in this business,” Christopher explains. “It makes you better in taking all the impressions that you get from around you and put them into songs. You just grow naturally and you grow as a writer, as well. And just become better and better after every outcome.”
On finding inspiration
As a singer-songwriter, Christopher finds inspiration from his own experiences. His 2018 single “Bad,” for instance, focused on an issue he personally relates to.
“The song is about being in a relationship with someone that’s a little bit ‘bad’ — someone that’s not all-the-way good for you but you can’t really let that person go because you still love that person or you still have some sort of attachment to this person. It’s a really honest and personal song. So, I can definitely relate to it,” Christopher says.
Christopher hopes that his fans may also be able to connect to the song’s message when they listen to it.
“I think a lot of people can relate to it since we all have that one person in our lives that is just a little bit bad.”
On collaborating with other artists
When asked if he would be interested in collaborating with another artist, Christopher immediately said he’d love to work with British singer Ed Sheeran in the future.
“One of the people that I look up to the most right now is a guy like Ed Sheeran. I think he writes amazing and beautiful songs. And getting in a studio with him and writing a song will be a huge honor. I would love to see how he works [on a song] — that would be a good day,” Christopher expounds.
Christopher further adds that if given the chance, he’d like to write an “up-tempo, rhythmic-driven song with a lot of lyrics” with Sheeran.
On his experiences in the Philippines
Christopher remembers a number of things during his quick visit to the country two years ago, particularly the food, the weather, and the insane Manila traffic.
“I remember I had some great food [there]. It was [also] super hot and the traffic was crazy! The traffic was super, super, super crazy,” Christopher narrates.
But what he remembers the most about the country is the warm welcome he got from fans.
“I remember I was greeted by some really sweet fans at the airport and people were just so sweet, in general,” he recalls.
In fact, the singer teased that he will be returning to the Philippines soon with new music and (hopefully) an upcoming concert.
“I’m coming back to the Philippines in 2018! I have a lot of new music coming out and I probably have a few more singles coming out before I come there. But I really hope to sing and perform for my Filipino fans.”
Finally, he has this special message to his Filipino fans:
“To all my fans in the Philippines, I just want to say thank you so much for the love and the support. I really hope that you would love all my new songs that are coming out in 2018 and I promise you that I will get back to the Philippines and play and sing some of them for you. I just want to say a massive thank you!”
We definitely can’t wait to see Christopher once again in our country. Until then, we can still listen to his song Bad through social media and Spotify!
