It’s important to enjoy your work. I won’t go as far as some do and say that loving your work makes it all easy. At the end of the day, work is still work no matter how you slice it. But a genuine enjoyment for what you do makes it easier to do said work. That enjoyment is also extremely evident in the final product. Whether it’s a dish cooked with care or a hand-carved chair for your cabin, the love and joy that goes into the process makes a noticeable difference. This is especially true for art. When an artist is enjoying their work you can feel the energy through the speakers. Even on songs with more serious or sad feelings, an artist’s love for their craft still comes through. If there’s one thing that’s true about Quebec native and pop-star Betta Lemme, it’s that she loves her craft. Whether on her EP Bambola that has won her praise around the globe or on her upcoming projects, Betta Lemme is having the best time in the world.
That energy and positivity is not just about the music; Lemme exudes positivity at all times. When we talk over the phone it is early on a Monday morning, and she is cheerful from the moment she picks up. “It’s Monday, let’s do it. It’s amazing! It’s a fresh start,” she proclaims to begin the conversation. At times throughout our conversation she punctuates a point by saying “you know what I mean?” She explains this is a call and response she and her friend have developed to which the correct response is “jellybeans.” She jokes about the audio delay on the phone call and describes her life as “wonderful” with very little prompting. The energetic, bubbly personality you hear on her breakout hit “Bambola” is no act. Betta Lemme is the real, fun-loving deal.
Lemme has every reason to be thrilled recently. After the huge success of the three song Bambola EP in France, the EP generated even more positive reviews and reactions upon its wide release in October. It goes without saying, but she’s ecstatic about the reaction. She describes the feedback as a “big hug” and further explains “It’s cool that it’s being embraced, especially ‘Bambola’ because I was really nervous [and] kinda shy to put it out.” While her fun-loving music and sense of humor may lead people to believe otherwise, that shyness is a trait she says she carries in general. She says Bambola EP is like a “dear diary,” and putting such personal thoughts into art consumed around the world would be scary for anyone. At the same time, she’s definitely ready for more.
You’ll notice when listening to Bambola or any of her other music that Lemme doesn’t just sing and speak English. She also know French and Italian, and uses both frequently in her music. The process to determine which language comes out is very natural for her. She says “whatever comes on the mind first usually” is which language will come out, and sometimes it’s as soon as thinking of the first word that causes a song to blossom. As an example, she explains in the recording process of Bambola that the flow of the title song immediately drew her to French, while EP close “Sea of Silence” was an English song from the very beginning. If anything, she tells me she wishes she spoke more languages. This desire stems not only from the writing possibilities, but from the ability to connect with her fans as well. She explains she gets messages and tweets from all over the world and in all different languages, and she wish she knew how to respond to all of them in their native tongues.
The intense feeling of connection and expanding her knowledge extends to the musical portion of songwriting for Lemme as well. She says she has to absolutely love the beginning element of a song before she moves forward, and most often that element is a certain chord (one of her favorite chords is A minor). The foundation is key for her on a song, as she says “I think the strongest ones are essentially ones that could be played acoustically and that’s what I would hope for and what I aim for when we write.” At the same time, she says with a laugh she starts thinking about production “like immediately” and often has to slow herself down while writing. She doesn’t slow down too much, though. She says “I think it’s really important to act on things that make you feel alive as fast as you can if you’re able to,” and that life philosophy extends to her music.
The other aspect Lemme values in her music is honesty. What you’re hearing when you listen to a Betta Lemme song is 100% the real deal. “I don’t want to put anyone to sleep at all, I want to still have fun while being honest, but yeah,” she explains about her line of thinking. She again goes back to the diary analogy for Bambola, and it’s clear from her voice that every note and every word she says or sings comes from the bottom of her heart.
While she loves the music she has out so far, Lemme is eager to get new music out into the world. She explains she has several tracks lined up to begin 2019, and fans should expect a lot of experimentation. “There’s a couple in there, they’re different and they’re odd and some of them I think they’re very cinematic. I’m very excited. I don’t think they’re similar to Bambola. These ones are very cinematic and super super different,” she reveals. That cinematic bit is something she says she loves in both her own music and in the music she listens to in her free time. She jokes about missing her train stops because she’ll be envisioning a scene in a fictional movie while listening to music. That drive for mixing her sound up has also led her to a great admiration for one of the most prolific artists of the last century: David Bowie. “I love how broad his sound was,” she says. While she won’t be using characters and personas like Bowie did to differentiate his musical phases, Lemme also wants to branch her sound out in numerous directions. “There’s a lot of songs I want to put out to lay some groundwork down sound-wise, sonically before jumping super back into pop,” she explains.
In addition to the new music, Lemme also hopes to start touring in 2019. With only a few songs out in the world, she reveals she’s never done a show entirely on her own. In fact, her first time ever performing live came after the success of Bambola when she performed on Italian TV on what she describes as “the Jimmy Fallon of Italy.” While she says her nerves were (understandably) all over the place, she also explains “I’m really glad because I think it’s important to get scared.” She already has her plan in place for what she wants her show to be like. “I guess I want it to be simple, but still interactive and bright,” she says, which would perfectly match her glowing personality. Her vision also includes a show just as eclectic as the music she’s preparing to release. “It’s probably going to go from raging club vibes to very intimate moments of maybe just a piano,” she says wistfully.
Through it all, Lemme is just trying to spread the joy, fun, and positivity she feels to as many people as she can. As our conversation comes to a close she reflects on what make her happy. She says “I think it’s very important to be a goof, and make friends with strangers around the globe and make the most of it. I just like humans, you know? I like when they’re nice. I like when they smile.” She tries to demure by claiming it sounds corny, but you can tell it’s completely sincere, and the poignancy of her statement shines through.
Betta Lemme has already had a fascinating, rewarding, and global career since she started, and it’s only going to get more exciting from here. That goes for both Lemme’s audience and herself, and it’s hard to say who is going to end up enjoying it more. It’s a safe assumption everyone will walk away filled with joy and a smile on their face, though. For Betta Lemme, that’s all that matters.
