WORDS AND INTERVIEW: IRVIN RIVERA

Talented singer, songwriter and pop music creator from Helsinki, Finland, ALMA (Alma-Sofia Miettinen) creates brilliant, relatable, pop music that transcends across generations of music lovers. ALMA delivers infectious music that will compel you to move regardless of whatever it is that you feel.

Alma’s singing career was ignited in 2013 she placed fifth in the seventh season of the Finnish version of Idol. Her breakthrough came in 2015 when she was featured on the single "Muuta ku mä" by Sini Sabotage, and was subsequently signed to Universal Music Group. The following year she released the singles "Karma" and "Dye My Hair", both of which became top ten hits in Finland. Her 2017 single "Chasing Highs" repeated this success, and also reached the top twenty in Germany and the United Kingdom. ALMA recently released her high-energy track "Bad News Baby" (and its accompanying music video) off her upcoming debut album Have U Seen Her?

"Bad News Baby" follows the release of title track "Have U Seen Her?" and "Worst Behaviour" with Grammy nominated Tove Lo.

In this exclusive interview, we sat down with the pop genius on the rise in Los Angeles and talked about her constant music evolution, how performing is like drug, her desire to work with Lady Gaga, not putting her in a box, and how it’s okay to not be imperfect.   

What inspires ALMA? Where do you get your inspirations from?

My friends, my mom; I get inspirations from everything. There’s so many things that move me. And usually it’s when I meet people and I hear different stories and different struggles and memories; I love good memories.

Would you say that these memories helped shape your music and your songwriting process?

Yes. For sure. Good memories, bad memories, sad memories. All of them- they’ve made me who I am. They’ve made me how I write my music.  

How would you describe your style and your music?

I would say it’s pop with a lot of guitar with dance-y, funky elements.

Your Youtube description reads: the polar opposite of your stereotypical plastic pop princess. I love it! Seems like an obvious social commentary in itself. Would you say you’re anti-stereotypical yourself?

You know I hate boxes and I hate when people compare me to somebody else or something that is already out there. I love to live without any genres or boundaries- in my personal life, in my music and everything. I like that. When I started people were like, “Oh, you’re this new pop princess, queen…” I don’t know. That’s a lot of responsibilities. I just wanna be me. I know it’s hard sometimes for people. Sometimes boxes are important for people to be like—“this is this, and that is that” but for me, I’m just like, oh no, let me be.

Cause it puts order in people’s brains.

Yeah exactly!

So you’ll never know what type of music is gonna come out from me, and what kind of music video, or what I will be wearing. You’ll never know. I’m always growing and learning.

Which is really amazing!

I learned that you were studying to be a social worker before Idol. How was life before and after idol like

After Idol, I actually went back to school. That didn’t start my career. I was 16, so I went back to school. I studied to become a social worker, which I love. I still love that work.

Everytime I meet my fans, or young people, and if they’re struggling with what they wanna be, I wouldn’t recommend [for them] to get famous and do something big. Social workers, nurses, doctors, are all inspiring. I think, they are the real heroes. I always have that side in my heart that maybe I wanna go back someday. I think, for me, it’s so important to actually see that the world is changing to become better. And I need to see young kids to have hope in their hearts. I’m doing that with my music, I know.

Maybe someday, I can be a social worker.

I mean, you’re sort of doing your own social work through your music, inspiring these young kids. It is awesome in itself.

Yeah it is and I am privileged to do that.  

How was your songwriting process like?

Very easy. I just go to the studio and I was like, “this is how I feel, just letting everybody know” and just start to write. I have a very authentic and real way to make music. I never struggle for an hour thinking about what should I write about. I always have so much emotions, since I was a kid.

If I woke up sad, then I’ll be sad the whole day screaming, crying and fighting. But if I’m happy when I wake up, I’ll be like, I love life! I’m still like that.  Everytime I go to the studio it was just easy to start.

You just let it flow.

Yeah.

That’s amazing!

When you write, do you write for yourself or do you think of other people and fans as well?

I write for myself. Maybe sometimes, I’m like, maybe I can do something diverse that other people can relate but I think if I can relate, I think other people can relate.

Very well said. How was it to write songs compared to performing them?

I love to write songs. It keeps me sane. I keeps me from going crazy and going to the streets and start talking to myself. But performing is like a drug. It’s a crazy feeling after the show is done. Especially when you’re backstage, and you’re just high. Making music keeps me sane. Performing is like a drug.   

What’s your favorite song so far? And why?

I love all my new stuff coming out. But I love to perform a song called Worst Behaviour that I did with Tove Lo because that message is very important. And everytime I’m feeling a bit anxious on the stage, I just can’t wait to perform that song cause I know that’s gonna help me through the show. The story is about my head being in a bad place and don’t expect me to be perfect right now. Let me be a bit imperfect right now. It’s very empowering on the stage to perform that.

You have collaborated with so many amazing artists and I am sure you will collaborate with more soon. But in the meantime, which artist do you wish to collaborate with next?

The first that came to my mind is Lady Gaga cause she just put out a new song. I don’t know. I just love her. I’ve met her a couple of times and she’s the nicest. Someday I would love to work with her. We don’t even have to put a song out. I just want to learn. I wanna be in a studio with her and learn from the best.

That would be great! This is gonna happen! We can’t wait for it to happen!

What do you think is the best lyric that you have written so far? Or a song that you’re really proud of. There’s a song coming out soon. The second verse starts like, “My famous friends forgot again that everybody dies” which I really understood. I wrote that in LA.

I just feel like sometimes, when you’re just in a bubble and life is just very good- you got money, and life is treating you well, sometimes you can forget that there are other people too, that there’s still struggles in the world,

When I was a teenager and I didn’t have anything, I was super rebellious, like I wanted to protest everything and I love that in me. I always want to remind myself that even though I have a little bit money now, and my life is in a better place, never ever stop and forget that the world is not perfect.  Life is treating you better now, but there are still humans struggling.

And that keeps you grounded.

Definitely keeps you grounded and help me make songs that are important.

What are you most excited this year?

Put out my album.

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

I would probably be, my girlfriend makes books. So maybe she’s gonna write a book about me in the future. That would be the one.