Australian pop artist Orlano Kallen chatted about his new music, Billboard success, and being a part of the digital age.
His hit single “Greece n’ Paris” made the Top 10 in the Billboard charts peaking at No. 6.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
My experiences and emotions inspire me the most. Everything I feel shows up in my music, whether it is through the lyrics, the beat, or the overall vibe. I try to stay honest about whatever I am going through, and that honesty usually sparks the best ideas.
My fans inspire me to keep going. They understand me. They relate to what I write, and that drives me to push harder and make music that really speaks to them. Sometimes inspiration comes from chaos.
Sometimes from peaceful moments. Sometimes it is one small thought that snowballs into a full chorus. Every intense feeling I feel gets poured into the music one way or another.
Tell us about your new holiday single ‘Don’t Break My Heart This Christmas.’
I wanted to find that sweet spot between heartbreak and sexiness with this song. Winter holidays make a lot of people feel a lot of different emotions.
I know during Christmas I’m feeling a bit moody or cheeky, and I wanted to capture that mix of emotion in one track.
I grew up loving Christmas music. I was always told my voice sounded best when I was singing Christmas carols cause my natural deeper tone would always pop out. So, I always loved singing these songs, but I never thought I would make my own holiday song.
When I finally decided to do it, I wanted to land in a place that feels both intimate and heartbreaking.
There are so many directions you can take with Christmas music, so I focused on something that really spoke to me and made myself and other people feel warm and like they’re not alone during Christmas.
Congrats on the success of your single “Greece n’ Paris”… How does that feel?
“Greece n’ Paris” was a real risk for me. Up until that song, most of what I released was emotional and moody, so leaning into something fun and flirty felt new. Seeing it connect the way it has feels surreal.
It became my first track to land on Billboard, which still blows my mind, and it helped me earn an “Independent Artist of the Year” award. The way it took off online and how my fans pushed it forward has been wild to watch.
I am grateful to everyone who streamed it, shared it, and made it part of their lives. It is one of my favorite songs I have ever made, so it feels special to see it resonate.
Have you ever been to Greece, and if yes, what were your thoughts?
Greece is definitely one of my favorite places to visit and I have been many times. It always feels special because my dad is Greek and his whole side of the family speaks Greek.
I don’t speak much Greek beside the bad words, but every time I go back, I feel like I’m connecting with where I come from.
The last time I was there, I filmed the “Greece n’ Paris” video in a vlog style while exploring the islands. It was not planned at all.
We were recording our summer, then realized we had some cool footage and turned it into a full video.
I love the energy there. It is calm and beautiful, but it also makes me want to work and create. I will sit by the pool or at the beach with my laptop and feel inspired.
I loved spending time in Mykonos, Zakynthos, and Athens. We had some crazy nights and made a lot of memories.
What do your plans for the future include?
There’s a lot I’m working on right now, but I can’t share too much yet. I’m excited, and 2026 is gonna be a big year.
This year helped me find my sound and figure out who I am as an artist. Next year is about taking that identity into bigger spaces and giving people an even clearer version of my vision.
I want to perform more, grow more, and bring everyone with me as everything gets bigger.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age, now with streaming, technology, and social media being so prevalent?
It’s a wild time to be an artist, in a good way. The digital age has helped me a lot. It is still crazy that I can sit on my couch and connect with someone across the world through my music.
Social media helped me build a real community, especially through TikTok, and many of the big things that happened for me this year came directly from the fans who found me online. I’m grateful for them.
There are challenges. There is a lot of music coming out every day, so you have to figure out how to stand out but stay true to yourself.
There is also a lot of toxic behavior and negativity coming from haters online, but I’ve learnt to filter that out and focus on the people who are there to support me.
Overall, the digital world gave me a way to control my narrative, release music
directly, and build something real with my fans.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
Experiment with everything. When I started, I tried so many genres. I made rock music, then R&B, and now pop with dance influences. Playing around like that helped me understand my voice and what feels like me.
My advice is to avoid boxing yourself into one thing too early. Try sounds, styles, and visuals until you figure out what feels honest. Think about what you want to represent and what you want people to feel when they hear you.
Build your own vision, stay true to yourself, and have fun finding that version of you as an artist.
Which artists would you like to do a dream duet with someday?
Billie Eilish is my No. 1 dream collab. Billie and Finneas were a huge reason I started
writing my own music. During COVID, I had her albums on repeat and they opened my eyes to what songwriting could be.
I love how they build full universes around each era and how she speaks about mental health and complicated feelings in ways that people of all ages connect
with. I really saw myself in her growing up.
I would also love to collaborate with Sabrina Carpenter. I love how much personality she puts into her songs. She is funny, honest, and unafraid to say exactly what she wants. I admire that confidence and playfulness. I think we could have a lot of fun in the studio.
What does the word success mean to you?
The definition of success is different for each person. For me, it’s not one moment. It is a series of steps. In the short term, success looks like taking the next step as an artist.
Right now, that next step is touring more and getting to perform these songs live. Performing is my favorite thing to do. I get nervous before I go on, but once I am on stage, I never want to get off.
Long term, success is about building a real legacy. I want to tour the world, meet as many fans as possible, and play to massive crowds.
I would love to win a Grammy someday and I think it would be cool to make a soundtrack song for a film. But at it’s core, success is about setting your own goals and chasing them as hard as you can. It should be defined by you and what you
dream of.
What would you like to say to your fans about your new music? What is the one thing
you want them to get out of it?
My new music is meant to take you on a ride. There are songs that are purely fun, meant to be screamed in the car or danced to in your room, and there are songs that are more emotional and heartbreaking.
That mix is very true to how my life feels. Lots of highs and a few lows.
My writing comes from my real experiences, especially the intense emotions, so what I want more than anything is for people to feel something.
I want you to feel seen in your happiest moments and your messiest moments. If these songs help you dance through the good times and push through the sad ones, and make you feel less alone in both, then that means everything to me.
To learn more about Orlando Kallen, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.
