Based in New York, USA, poptoken is a half-Russian, half-Ukrainian artist emerging as a new talent in the industry. Taking his name from pop culture combined with the tokenisation of stereotypical assumptions, the two phenomena pair to express the essence of his artistic vision.
Despite the happenings on the geo-political stage this year and its consequence for the artist and both sides of his family, that hasn’t stopped him taking strides in his music career. Last month he dropped the first taste of his sonic offering with his debut single titled “Living My Fantasy”, a song dedicated to people in their 20s who constantly have to jump hurdles in life as they try to find their feet in the world.
Taking influence from the implications of the war that’s impacted him more than most in the Western world, his debut single captures the emotions he’s felt while wrapping it up in a fiercely catchy and upbeat modern pop sound. We caught up with poptoken to talk about his debut track, his inspirations and what he’s got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with poptoken below.
How did you first get into making your own music?
I realised I had some urge to make music when I listen to the first songs of Lady GaGa. They were so fresh and unique for those times. It made me feel so special and I felt like I want to make something like that in the industry as well. Obviously, itâs been a while since those times and I grew and changed but that was the beginning.
How has your sound progressed since you first started?
A lot, Iâm a self-taught musician. Back in the day, I just had a feeling of music I wanted to create. I even didnât know about music notes and tunes but Iâm very grateful that I have friends and mentors that saw my potential to evolve, cheered me up, and helped me to bloom. Iâve been experimenting a lot with my previous music project which later took me to the creation of âpoptokenâ. Now I really understand what my values are, what artist I want to be, and how I want my music to sound. I canât wait to share more of my music in the future.
Which artist do you draw most influence from?
Itâs a hard question for me because I donât feel like Iâm being ‘influenced’ by any artist. There are artists that inspire me because they like experimenting and they keep bending genres like Sophie, Charlie XCX, Lady GaGa, Grimes, M.I.A., etc. In general, I believe a good pop record can be in any music style and Iâm so happy when one comes out and then becomes a smash hit.
What artist have you been listening to most recently?
I feel like I have a very eclectic music library. I can listen to very diverse music from various times. For example, right now Iâve been listening to F.R David, Sevdalisa, C.C. Catch, Arca, Lewis of Man, Magdalena Bay, Raffaela Carra, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kali Chis, Ottawan, and, of course, poptoken.
What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?
While working on âLiving my Fantasyâ I wanted people to enjoy this song in all types of environments but my main focus was the people who just walk around, doing their stuff and listening to songs in their earbuds. I want people to live their fantasies anywhere their want. I love listening to it with my AirPods on.
Whatâs the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?
I would like people to break from labels, stereotypes, and cliches. Just be your true self! Experiments, and trying something new can be scary but this is an essential component of personal growth as well as the evolution of our society.
What was the main inspiration behind your new single “Living My Fantasy”?
This song is basically about living through difficult times. This year hasn’t been easy for me. Iâm half-Russian, half-Ukrainian. When this war started it felt like I started losing touch with reality because I have real existential concerns for myself and my family but at the same time you need to continue living your life. You need to stay on track for your family, your friends, and your own self. One day, you might need to do laundry and plan an evacuation of your relative or buy groceries and help your friends not to get drafted, and so on. Itâs wild.
I made this song intently to sound stupid and childish but through the progression of the lyrics, Iâm trying to deliver this narrative that right now the world has some global issues that are not getting fixed and they can impact not only our future but our present as well. Thus, each of us becomes partially delusional about this all cuz we need to stay sober to continue living our everyday life. And thatâs why I called it âLiving My Fantasyâ because itâs what each of us does.
How did you go about writing and producing the track?
This record is a combination of some samples and my instrumentals. Also, I used non-conventional sounds to create some mood throughout the song. For example, in the second verse, I used and pitched air alarm sound (what people hear if a bomb gets dropped in the area). Can we dance to that sound? In my song it seems like yes, surrealistic but yes.
But the main focus in the song was vocals, I made multiple layers and used various effects, sometimes hyperbolised, again to create this distortion in reality. Honestly, I never thought that I would write anything like that but I’m so happy I did because this song perfectly describes how I’ve been feeling this year as well as establishes my identity as an artist.
Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?
Donât follow in my footsteps, create your own! I believe if you have enough will, anything is possible. Just donât be delusional and be persistent. Sometimes it feels that flying to the moon is easier than breaking into the music industry but that wonât stop me cuz music is my oxygen and if you feel the same way, if you think about it every time you wake up then nothing can stop you as well.
Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival?
I donât think it can be possible but if Lady GaGa, Grimes, and Lana Del Rey would perform at the same festival I would definitely have the time of my life.
Finally, what do you have lined up for the near future?
Of course, more songs are coming. I want to establish my unique narrative within the industry. I believe that I can provide an interesting take on music and lyrics due to my background and just life experience. Also, I have plans to expand poptoken universe to other creative fields as well because there are a few other things that Iâm passionate about as well but I canât give any more details yet. Stay tuned!
Listen to Living My Fantasy below
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