While his music is very autobiographical and 100% written by himself, fantom loves the mystery around his character and loves the intriguing vibe surrounding his art. Previously praised by acts like A.G. Cooke (PC Music), Slayyyter, Isaac Dunbar, Promis3 and Caro<3 (PC Music), he already has some important fans in the music scene and is determined to blow everyone away with his very own take on pop music.
fantom’s first steps indicate that big things can happen for him soon. “Illuminati” is only the start of a year full of new music with a new single coming very soon.
“Illuminati” is available on all platforms.
What’s your story as an artist?
As a young kid, I have always adored and admired pop stars like Madonna or Lady Gaga and secretly dreamed of becoming a pop star myself. After working behind the scenes in the music industry for a couple of years, I decided to give it a shot and wrote my first songs. Everything I do is inspired by all the amazing pop stars that paved the way for me and illustrated that you can get far if you have the right mindset.
What do you want your music to communicate?
I want my music to inspire other people and make them feel comfortable. All the songs I made so far are totally different and will appeal to different audiences. I want it to be refreshing, new and super exciting. I hate boring music, so I really try to make music that stands out and grabs everybody’s attention.
What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?
I know it sounds cliché but I just try to write songs to get some specific sentiments off my chest. For example, I’m a super confident person but not when it comes to love because somehow, I always get friendzoned and have never been in a relationship before. The desire for love inspired a lot of songs but I also explore my mental health. Every song is written from a different perspective and my songwriting really depends on my mood.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
I really adore Dua Lipa. She’s making effortless pop music that just gets everybody on the dance floor. I’ve been to many shows of her first album era and it’s just crazy how she grew as a performer. She’s the moment.
What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?
I think there’s not a specific song or an artist that inspired me to make music but if I have to name someone, I’d say Madonna. I went to her MDNA World Tour years ago – it was my first concert – and she has been defining pop music for a couple of decades.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about.
“Illuminati” is one of the first songs I wrote and recorded. I went into the studio with the idea to make an atypical pop song with techno references and wanted to capture the insecurity love gives me. Sometimes, I just want to be so captivating that I have everybody under my spell and be the most intriguing person on earth. “Illuminati” is my attempt to get into that character and is just super catchy. I immediately knew that it would be the first single as all my friends were begging me to release the track.
What inspires your sound?
I would describe my sound as a very pop-inspired sound with references to many other genres. I love to experiment with sounds and just want to keep it unpredictable. You’ll never know what to expect from new singles and I’m sure the upcoming releases will surprise a lot of people. All the songs are an ode to pop music, in all its aspects.
What’s your favorite tune of yours?
I literally can’t pick one because it changes every day but I’m very excited to release my next single. It’s a more radio friendly song that I wrote when I was in quarantine and felt lonely. I don’t want to give away too much but the song will probably come out in April.
Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?
The first step was to get my first single out and create a concept around the single. The next step is to work on a full project and perform all my songs live. I have my first shows confirmed and I really can’t wait to get on stage with my amazing drummer. I hope I can tour one day and be in a different city every night, that has always been my dream.
Favorite lyric you ever wrote?
It’s in an unreleased track and goes: “fasten your seatbelt baby, cause I will drive you crazy”.
Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?
NEVER! As I’m an independent artist at the moment, I can really decide when or how I want to work on music. Whenever I’m not in the mood, I just focus on other things. Music is my escape from reality and I can’t live without it anymore.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Be grateful for every opportunity you get and always be the best version of yourself. I really live by that.
Where do you think the next game-changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
That’s a good question. Of course, I hope it’s going to be me but there are a lot of Belgian acts that could do super well internationally. Stromae and Angèle already conquered the world and I’m sure that this new album era of Stromae will make him even more popular in the US.
