A mix of dark, experimental pop and R&B, that’s how you could describe Emma Philine’s “17 2 20”. The newcomer’s first EP, which was released at the beginning of January, was even better received than she could have imagined. Together with her producer Dennis Behrendt aka Zoetrop she made it onto three official playlists straight away and now, just over a month after the release, she already has 15,000 listeners per day on Spotify. You want to know more? So do we. That’s why we decided to introduce you to Emma Philine in a ‘My best fan moment’ extended.
Emma tells us about her future plans, about fan moments from her perspective as an artist and as a fan herself; about her Fanklub, what she expects from it, and of course what you will find in it. She explains that the reason she is so surprised by her own success is because of a certain crudeness towards the music business. After all, you never know how people will react. But that does not mean that Emma doesn’t have big goals, because she is just getting started. It is important to both her producer Dennis and herself that not too much time passes before the next release. One, two, maybe three more singles will be released in the coming months. And there are already plans for a whole album too.
She hasn’t been able to present her own EP live yet, but that doesn’t mean that Emma Philine doesn’t have a live experience. The Leipzig artist started out on the theater stage, and has even presented her own songs there, which have been integrated into plays. However, she describes her appearance at the IFZ Leipzig, a trendy techno club, as her most impressive one. There she just slipped into the line-up, without any announcement like a kind of phantom, and was able to present her music in front of about 1000 people.
Emma herself is very selective about the concerts she attends as a fan. For her, only artists who she really loves are eligible. When Billie Eilish, one of her favourite singers performed her first EP in Berlin, she took the chance. But while clinically speaking she would describe the performance as very successful and impressive, she left the concert rather depressed. According to Emma, Billie did her job brilliantly, performed like a queen, but there were those negative vibes, you could tell she wasn’t feeling well. “Billie was like an animal in a cage, and everyone was filming, but there was no connection.” Later, Eilish talked about problems with her mental health and mentioned this concert as one of her lowest points.
For Emma it was a depressing and impressionable moment, how would she deal with such a situation herself? Touring can be extremely stressful, so many people relying on this one person. Of course, one always tries their best and cancels only in case of emergency. Nonetheless, she would understand it if, in exceptional situations, concerts would not take place because of the mental issues of the artists. After all, the health of all those involved, both mental and physical, should always be the most important thing. If someone can’t understand this, she doesn’t want them to be her fan.
As an artist herself, Emma has had some small moments that mean a lot to her. For example, just before Christmas, she received a generous donation that allows her to put even more resources into her music. Her performance at the Schauspiel Leipzig was also very moving for her. There she sang a cover of Billie Eilish that moved her fellow actors to tears.
“When I can touch someone like that with my music, it’s something very special. You can’t fake that, it’s either there or not. This connection is something very individual, but this feeling, I feel what you’re feeling, it’s so magical for me. I’m so proud and impressed of myself every time that I can create it.”
Because to Emma and Dennis, the most important thing is the connection to the people, which is also reflected in their idea of their Fanklub.
The two of them already have precise plans for it: behind-the-scenes glimpses, exclusive videos and pictures, as well as personal insights and the stories behind the lyrics. In addition, the two also want to offer merchandise on their Fanklub, which will only be available there. You can also look forward to some unreleased versions of songs, such as “Ghost of Mine.” There’s a speech intro that Emma likes but changes the whole song completely. Therefore, it didn’t make it onto the EP, but maybe it will make it onto their Fanklub.
The Emma Philine Fanklub should become a place where she can earn some extra money, but above all create an exchange between her and her fans. Here you can reveal something about yourself, talk about political or feminist issues, build a deep relationship. For her, the interest in her as an artist is even more motivating to reveal more of herself. “I’m just looking forward to people who want to know me as an artist, who are there and who are active.”