NEW TRACK: Vamilla – “What Do You Want?”
Vamilla explores the double-edged sword of irony and joy that defines the internet in her synth-pop track “What Do You Want?”, taken from her forthcoming album You Are Freed. The Copenhagen-based artist turns her ethereal gaze toward the contradictions of online self-help culture.
After gaining early recognition by winning Danish X Factor, Vamilla (aka Mille Justinussen) has since carved out a distinct voice, writing intimate reflections on modern life from her bedroom. Her lyrics often dwell on the tension between our authentic selves and the curated personas we present online.
Blending electro-pop and hyperpop elements with lush, synth-laden backdrops, “What Do You Want?” delves into the paradox of being both chronically online and painfully self-aware. Over a saccharine synth-pop beat, she sings of fleeing to the ‘big city’, quitting her job, and cutting ties with friends in search of the elusive idea of ‘life’—only to realize, upon arrival, that she still doesn’t know what she’s looking for.
The track’s philosophical undercurrents are matched by its clever, self-aware execution: a pop song that parodies pop songs while still honoring the genre. Glittering synths and dreamlike, layered vocals create a sonic landscape filled with promise and possibility, subtly undercut by Vamilla’s scathing—and delightfully ironic—lyrics.
Vamilla describes the inspiration behind the track as “a neon pink ray coursing through my veins – like a shot of adrenaline,” adding that she wanted it to feel like “a sugar rush (…) like the beginning of a pipe dream.”
Rachel Chandler is an English Literature with Creative Writing graduate from the University of Birmingham. She has previously written for RADICL Mag reviewing music and currently writes for Screen Queens and The Simple Cinephile reviewing film.
