Danish artist tackles the ‘irony of social media’ in song
Early last year, an anti-bullying and proequality international charity released the video “Are You Living An Insta Lie? Social Media Vs. Reality.” The three-minute clip portrayed the “lie” people have on social media vis-à-vis their real lives.
With many guilty of twisting the “truth” (even a bit) in cyberspace, out comes the song “Irony,” written and recorded by Danish artist Christopher.
He, who credits social media as a big part of his career, thinks the platform has become dangerous in presenting manipulated truths.
“I just got a new tattoo/I’m embarrassed ’cause I didn’t even tell my own mom/So every time I’m home visiting my parents I always keep my sweater on/I don’t care if it’s truth or not/All I care about is getting’ likes/Reading the comments like everybody’s honest/While they’re cheering for my fake life...” go some of the lines.
“‘Irony’ is the one of the most personal and honest song (I wrote). Social media has allowed people to publicly share their feelings and their lives but not everything you see on social media is true,” he told
“We often portray our perfect lives out there, but it’s really hard to know whom, what or where to trust now.”
Christopher mentioned it’s also a symptom of a bigger issue, “social media depression,” which can be triggered by spending too much time online following other people’s lives.
“Posting glamorous things online could trigger someone to have low-self esteem. We should not compare our life to those of others we see on social media. It’s only a matter of perspective,” he noted.
The singer believes life would be easier without social media and phones.
“Many people have become addicted to it. I see imbalance the way we use it. We should be connecting with each other, not online, but in a personal way.”
Bulletin Entertainment.
Still, Christopher believes the platform has important utility for artists like himself, relatTelling ing that he began in the industry by posting cover songs online.
In 2011, he released his debut single “Against The Odds,” reaching number 23 on the Danish Singles Chart. His follow-up single, “Nothing In Common,” entered the Danish Singles Chart at number five a year later.
Christopher became “internationally-known” when his hit “Tulips” from his third album “Closer” came out in China.
“It opened up doors in Korea, Malaysia, and Taiwan. I feel like China was really the turning point (in my career),” he shared.
To date, Christopher’s music has had millions of streams on Spotify, with sold-out concert in and out of Denmark too.
The Danish singer gets his inspiration from Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, and Ed Sheeran. He described his music as “soulful,” more into the pop genre.
At 26, he also listens to artists as Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, and Frank Sinatra. Yes, he is what you might call an “old soul.”
him that some people see pop as a “loosely defined category,” Christopher has this to say.
“Pop is just a term for a great song. I don’t see it as being ‘common.’ You know, the important thing is you just do what you are comfortable with. You just don’t rely on what you hear on radio,” he said.
Behind everything else, Christopher said his main goal in the industry is to touch people’s lives with his music.
“I want to connect with them. I want to be part of someone’s life without actually knowing them. I want my songs to be the soundtrack of their lives,” he said.
On a lighter note, we asked him if he ever contemplated assuming a screen name since Christopher sounds, er, generic.
“When I was 18, when I was trying to break a deal, I was thinking of something special, like Christopher Cross (American singer-songwriter),” he quipped. “But it felt unnatural. I think there’s no need for me to change my name. I believe that if the music is good enough, people will remember me as Christopher, the singer.” (Report by Regina Mae Parungao)