Juliane Viktoria’s journey began in a small village in Denmark, before a move to Copenhagen helped shape her artistic evolution. Since her debut single, “Min By,” in 2021, she has embraced a more liberated approach to music-making, allowing herself to explore different genres and themes without constraint. Recently, the Danish singer-songwriter transitioned from writing in Danish to English—a shift that has granted her greater creative freedom. “There has been kind of a bad tone towards female artists in Denmark for some time now,” she told InMusic.
Just last week, Juliane released her new single, “Embarrassment”—a dark pop track that explores the frustrations of dating emotionally unavailable men. In her conversation with InMusic, she shared insights into the inspiration behind the song, explaining that it addresses the recurring expectation for women to act as emotional support systems for men who are unable or unwilling to express their feelings. Sonically, “Embarrassment” features horror-inspired production elements, including vocoder effects and distorted vocals, heightening the unsettling tone of the lyrics.
In her exclusive interview with InMusic, Juliane reflects on her early steps in the industry, how both she and her music have evolved, and the sonic and thematic boldness of her new single, “Embarrassment.”
How would you describe your music?
I would say it’s pretty honest, and both Friday and Sunday worthy. I write from the feelings I suppressed most while growing up, and ding-ding-ding, the winner is: anger. I’ve realized that when I write from a place of anger, a kind of ironic humor often sneaks into the lyrics, which I like.
I often like to create a call-and-response between the lyrics and the production. I arrange the music around my voice, trying to keep the same emotion I had while singing. It doesn’t work on every track, but I love it when it clicks like that.
In 2021, you released your debut single “Min By.” Looking back, how would you describe your evolution as an artist since then?
I feel much freer now. I don’t put as many limitations on myself as I used to, and I think I’m having more fun making music than ever before. In the past, I kind of shamed myself for wanting to do everything on my own, maybe because I secretly dreamed of being a more extroverted artist than I actually am. But now I know that working solo is one of my biggest flex. And I just love that I can roll out of bed at any hour, and make whats on my mind.
Recently, you started writing in English instead of Danish. What has surprised you most about the response from listeners outside Denmark?
What has surprised me the most is more love. There has been kind of a bad tone towards female artists in Denmark for some time now, and that’s very nice to get a break from tbh. Also, I have gotten some cute feedback on my honest and direct way of putting things, and that makes me happy, since English is not my first language. I generally feel like my listeners outside of Denmark don’t hold back if they like something, and that is just such charming vibes.
Can you tell us about your new single, “Embarrassment”?
It calls out man-child behavior in the dating pool. I’ve dated a lot of men who seemed to be looking for either a mom or a therapist, dates that felt like hour-long monologues with no questions asked back. I wrote this song because I got sick of that kind of behavior, and I started noticing it happening all around me. Sonically, the song lives in a dark pop soundscape, built with hard-hitting trap-inspired drums and deep sub-bass.
The song critiques emotional immaturity in dating. What moment or experience specifically inspired you to turn these frustrations into a song?
Going a bit deeper, it comes from a frustration with the lack of emotional maturity in men. I’ve often felt like I had to be their emotional support, because many of them don’t really talk to anyone about their feelings, let alone go to therapy. Most women I know don’t wanna be emotional crutches. We often deal with our emotions by talking to our friends or go to therapy, and when men don’t do the same, you can sometimes feel like a trashcan for some emotional baggage. I get that women have historically been expected to take on the emotional labor in relationships, but times are changing, and it’s about time men take responsibility for their own emotional wellbeing. It’s hot!
“Embarrassment” uses a unique horror-inspired production. What drew you to that sonic direction, and how did it shape the final sound?
As I mentioned earlier, I like to play the production up against the lyrics. And with a chorus like “Being with you is like a real-life horror movie”, it felt kind of obvious to bring in some scary elements. The rest of the production shaped itself during the vocal recordings, I used a lot of vocoder and distortion to enhance that eerie, horror-inspired vibe.
What’s next for Juliane Viktoria?
Wherever the wind blows, haha.
No, but really — I’m constantly making new songs, and I release them whenever it makes sense. Lately, I’ve been thinking more about doing a bigger release, and I’ve started collecting songs with that in mind. But I really thrive in the space where I write, produce, and release music quickly — so for now, I’m going to keep doing that. Stay tuned.
What’s a message you’d like to share through your music — and why?
Since we’re living in a world that feels kind of broken right now, and I don’t pretend I can fix that through music. But what I really want to contribute is a deeper understanding between people.
We’re all the same, but also very different — and I think we should try to be more curious about those differences. Even though a song like Embarrassment might come off as pointed, I only write it because I want to see a change in how we treat each other.
Listen to Juliane Viktoria’s “Embarrassment” on our Spotify playlist:
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