French DJ, singer-songwriter and electronic producer Martin Solveig spoke about his new single “Now or Never.”
He collaborated on this track with Faouzia. “During my 2022 tour, I felt a unique electricity in the air, a deep desire to live for today, and almost a sense of urgency,” he said.
“It’s this very specific energy that inspired the title ‘Now or Never,’ which I wanted to make powerful and euphoric,” he added.
Music and songwriting inspirations
On his music and songwriting inspirations, he said, “I draw elements of inspiration from my daily life, from current events, and from observing people’s behavior during my shows.”
“Cinema has always been a huge source of inspiration for me, through the films of Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Oslund, Claude Sautet, and even David Fincher,” he elaborated.
“I listen to a lot of music and am particularly inspired by sounds that don’t come from the electronic sphere,” he added.
Future plans
Regarding his future plans, Solveig responded, “I’m making fewer and fewer plans for the future, aware that it’s very uncertain, perhaps increasingly so. I mostly try to enjoy the present. Nevertheless, I can say that one of my major goals in the coming years will be to work less, spend more time with my family, as well as take more time for myself.”
The digital age
On being an electronic artist in the digital age, now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent, he said, “I would say that it’s mainly humanity that is evolving extremely quickly, and it’s not necessarily easy to become the human of the 21st-century digital age.”
“The artist is somewhat more protected in the sense that they can retreat into their bubble, let their inspiration guide their actions, and ultimately present a work as they see fit, without initially worrying too much about the influence of feedback or the algorithms that are prevalent in our ultra-digital era,” he explained.
Dream collaboration choices in music
He listed Pharrell as his dream collaboration choice in music. “There are hundreds of artists with whom I’d sincerely love to collaborate. If I had to name one today, it would be Pharrell Williams because he has been my hero for over 20 years now, and I really have no doubt that he will continue to be,” he said.
“I think he is a major creator of our century. We’ve crossed paths quite a few times, but I’ve never had the opportunity to collaborate with him, and that would be incredible,” he said.
Future of electronic music
On the future of electronic music in the next five years, Solveig said, “It’s really impossible to answer that question. First, because it’s increasingly difficult to predict what’s going to happen, and as time accelerates, the gap between what we think and what will happen in five years seems… very long.”
“Second, it’s very hard to categorize electronic music as a whole,” he admitted. “There are so many different genres. We’d probably have to separate electronic music that has a pop aspect, which belongs to pop, and that which is much more alternative, much more experimental. Clearly, these two worlds are not evolving together. In short, I don’t know what to say.”
Success
On his definition of the word success, Solveig said, “In my case, I boil it down to a fairly simple answer: doing something that has a positive impact on a group of people.”
“When I hear an audience of thousands of people singing along to a song I wrote one day, I consider my life a success. Because for those few seconds, those thousands of people are together, and bringing people together holds great value for me,” he elaborated.
“Of course, that’s relatively trivial and there are other forms of successful lives, mainly involving people who dedicate their lives to others. That’s obviously a huge achievement for them and I admire these people a lot,” he added.
Closing thoughts on ‘Now or Never’
Solveig concluded, “It’s a track I’m very proud of because I feel like I’ve invested a lot creatively in this title. I also feel that the result is quite close to the idea I had for the track.”
“Now or Never” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
To learn more about Martin Solveig, check out his official website, and follow him on Instagram.
