I really like FKA twigs. She's wonderful. She's so cool. Like, insanely cool.
— MO
A lot of my songs are about being a teenager with a tornado in your head.
It's like when something good is happening with young people, then the old, grey people in power will be like: 'No! It cannot be like this!'
Obviously I am a huge Major Lazer fan.
Obviously there's so many great artists out there that I'd love to work with.
I definitely think the best songs are written when you feel something strongly.
Back in the day I had a tendency to fall in love with people who were very challenging to be in a relationship with. But truth was I just loved the fire and the drama.
As a teenager my favorite band was Sonic Youth, and everything they did was always obviously them, and always so artistic. There was another layer of meaning, underneath everything, that you could search for.
For me, it's all about making a song that communicates something to a big crowd, but you still feel like it's authentic to who you are. That's that kind of pop that I hope and wish to do.
It's always been a mantra to me, when making music or creating art, that you have to be vulnerable.
I remember coming home when I was 14 and being like, 'Yeah, I'm a communist now!'
A fear of not being good enough? But that's what drives me.
In my heart I believe that the best pop is the weird stuff.
Blur' is about feeling lost, and on a personal level I would be lying if I didn't mention that this song, for me, was about feeling creatively and artistically lost in the city of all great opportunities, Los Angeles.
I think it's exciting, working with new people. There's something refreshing about not knowing what's going to happen. It's like an open sky of possibilities.
Sometimes I like to write the lyrics while I'm on the road, because then you get even more melancholy.
I had never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would actually be singing on a top 10 Billboard song.
I've been in many bands and every time I try to be a character that's not me it has failed miserably.
I love Duolingo. I'm learning Spanish on it, and it's such a good way to pass time on flights or the bus.
I think it's to do what's important to you, and having a lot of people - hopefully - listening to your work. It also involves being a credible artist, and being able to reach out to those who will buy into it for some other reason. But on a more personal level, success comes from having many close and strong relationships.
I was a bit of a tomboy.
I dream of doing something where people are like: 'That's different, but it's still something I can relate to,' because that's the way of moving forward.
I don't know if Kim Gordon does collaborations but I'd love to work with her on something one day.
Nostalgia has always been a key player in my songwriting cause within that space I find a great deal of inspiration.
I think the most radical thing you can do is be yourself.
I was very ambitious in my dream of being a pop star.
I got into music around the age of eight years old, and I think the reason why was because I discovered the Spice Girls. I fell in love with them, and it was the first time I ever felt like the music was just directed to me.
People find it hard to place me. I'm doing pop, but I'm this weird quirky Dane that used to be in a punk band. And she's singing about being messed up but at the same time she seems normal? I don't know.
I've always liked the idea of being different.
The thing I loved about my old punk band, it wasn't really about being vulnerable, it was about shouting and being fun and being aggressively political, which I thought was really cool and really fit that energy.
What I love about working with Diplo is that it feels very free and fluid - we can work on a song apart from each other or in the studio, and it's always, 'Let's brainstorm, here are new ideas.' I like that kind of workflow, where it's constantly moving.
There's so much talk about female artists doing their own thing but being super supportive, coming together and doing projects together. I love that whole wave.
The songs I write are about how I feel and the vibe I'm in. So whether I'm on a tour or at home it's like all about how you feel in the certain time you sit down.
I feel so grateful for the whole ride that I've been on.
My music is about all these things that happen to you while growing up in search for some kind of truth.
I'm a huge fan of the Moomins and my fans are called Momins. They're the best, so creative, talented and sweet - just like Moomins.
I've always wanted to make songs.
I had everything you could collect. I had these Spice Girls postcards. I also had the stickers and Barbie girls. I had all five of them. I was a real fangirl. They were actually preaching some cool stuff, the thing about girl power and sticking together with your best girlfriends.
Not to be a bummer, but heartbreak is great for inspiration - we all know that - and it's really hard to write songs if I go through a phase where I don't feel much.
Linking With You' is about being in love with somebody and obsessing about 'playing the game' right.
You don't want political acts to become something you just have to do in order to look good.
I think it's very important of course that you're politically aware of what you do.
I guess after the whole success with 'Lean On' - me being introduced into this more mainstream audience - I was a little scared of being my true self, and being vulnerable and being gritty.
I tend to learn from mistakes that I've made. Even though it sucks to make bad choices, sometimes it's good to fail.
I love those days when you get up super early and get stuff done.
I didn't fit the mold of a popstar.
Ever since I was a little kid, there was something about change that scared me so much, but, at the same time, I've always been terrified of being stuck, so it's kind of like a paradox that I'm living.
When I'm in a session with someone I don't know, I like hanging out for a moment and talking and seeing if we can find some similarities in whatever conversation we're having. The best thing is when you just go for it - just do something that feels good and makes you feel free in the moment.
You get very inspired on tour.
You cannot just be the feature act, not that that's a bad thing, because that's a good thing, especially nowadays. But as an artist, you want to express yourself and you want to know what you want to express.
