Danish artist Kleo is one of the most intriguing personalities in the pop world. She grew up listening to brilliant-yet-troubled singers like Jeff Buckley and Kurt Cobain, but her life today is much sunnier than that. Kleo’s positive worldview is shaped by her love of Transcendental Meditation and Vedic astrology. And those uplifting vibes are evident throughout her new single “Beautiful Life.”
“For me, ‘Beautiful Life’ is about being open and holding on to the feeling of happiness I feel in the present moment,” she says. “For example, the feeling I get when I meditate, or when I’m completely head over heels in love with someone. I woke up one morning and thought, ‘This is the canvas. It’s the backdrop for life itself. If I can wake up in the morning and feel bliss, then it must be reality itself.’”
I recommend starting your day with “Beautiful Life” – and basking in its beautiful black & white video. Let Kleo’s music enrich the hours ahead. Unlike the Prince of Denmark (Hamlet), this Dane is brimming with positive energy and amazing talent.
“Beautiful Life” is one of my favorite songs of the year. What was going on in your life when you wrote it?
Wow, thank you so much! My producer and I both felt like we had something special in our hands while creating it! The universal forces conspired and created an experience for me that made me realize that we can – at any point in time – look at anything we are experiencing through a consoling lens of beauty and love and understand that that is the only truth behind it. Life is kind.
The black & white video for “Beautiful Life” is indeed beautiful. Why did you choose to film it in black and white?
The idea was to capture both pop-cultural references of the ’90s, Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and the vulnerable Calvin Klein ads starring the iconic Kate Moss for instance but also to share a hidden affection for the more artsy, classic movies from the 1920s.
Who were your favorite singers growing up?
I adored all male singers growing up actually. I especially had a soft spot for Jeff Buckley, I felt very attached to the whole aura of his being and his story. Other singers were Damon Albarn, Thom Yorke, Kurt Cobain and Robert Plant. It wasn’t until later I discovered and filled up my iPod with the amazing Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star, Stevie
Nicks, Julee Cruise and Elizabeth Frazer. In general great storytellers and conveyors of emotion.
How did you meet actor/dancer Ask Berntsen and what led you to casting him in the role of your partner in the music video?
I met him on set shooting the dancing scenes, haha. Super scary in a way. Casting him was purely based on intuition! I had only seen his school mug shot from acting class, but I knew instantly that he would make a mesmerizing co-star. His open energy on set took my breath away and I admire his courage. It made me open up right away.
