Wikipedia

Erika de Casier

Erika de Casier is a Portuguese-born Danish singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her career performing as half of the R&B duo Saint Cava. After the duo disbanded, she independently released her debut studio album, Essentials, in 2019. She signed to British record label 4AD in 2020 and released her second studio album, Sensational, in 2021.

Erika de Casier
de Casier in 2023
Background information
Born1989 or 1990 (age 34–35)[1]
Portugal
OriginCopenhagen, Denmark
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
InstrumentVocals
Years active2014–present
Labels
  • Independent Jeep
  • 4AD
Websiteerikadecasier.com

Early life

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Erika de Casier was born in Portugal[2] to a Belgian mother and Cape Verdean father. She attended Catholic school until 1998 when, at age eight, she and her family moved to Denmark.[A] She mostly grew up around her mother. She was unable to speak Danish when her family first moved, and was bullied at school due to her and her brother being the only mixed race students. She spent time painting and watching MTV throughout her adolescence.[4] At age 16, she spent a year living with a host family in the United States. Upon returning to Denmark, she joined her school's choir and band and began producing her own beats. After graduating from school, she moved to Copenhagen.[3] Before performing as a solo artist, she worked at a kindergarten.[5]

Career

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2014–2019: Saint Cava and Essentials

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Starting in 2014, de Casier performed with Andreas Vasegaard as part of the R&B duo Saint Cava. The duo performed at the Roskilde Festival in 2015 and released a string of singles through Danish record label Forbandet Ungdom before eventually disbanding.[5] During this time, she also worked with the Danish electronic collective Regelbau after meeting Natal Zaks, a member of Regelbau, in Aarhus.[3][1]

In 2017, de Casier released her debut single as an independent artist, "What U Wanna Do?", and released her second single, "Intimate", the following year.[3] She released her debut studio album, Essentials, on 16 May 2019 through her own label, Independent Jeep Records, which spawned the two prior singles as well as the singles "Good Time" and "Do My Thing".[6][7][8] Essentials was well received by critics, and appeared on several lists of the best albums of the year from publications including Vice,[9] Crack Magazine,[10] and Gorilla vs. Bear,[11] which also named Essentials as one of the best albums of the 2010s.[12]

2020–present: Sensational and Still

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de Casier performing in 2022

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, de Casier experienced writer's block, but was later inspired by the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement to begin writing her second studio album, Sensational. She wrote and produced demos for each song independently before working with Zaks, who produced under the name El Trick, to complete them.[1] Her April 2020 remix of English singer Dua Lipa's single "Physical" appeared on the remixes for the song after Lipa reached out to her.[13][4] She performed a set for Boiler Room's Streaming from Isolation series in May 2020.[14] In October 2020, she signed to UK record label 4AD and released her first single with the label, "No Butterflies, No Nothing", which also served as the lead single from Sensational, with a music video.[15][2] The Fader named the single as one of the best songs of 2020.[16]

In March 2021, de Casier released her second single from Sensational, "Drama",[17] which Pitchfork named among the best songs of the year.[18] She announced the title of Sensational and its scheduled release date, and released her third single from the album, "Polite", in April 2021.[19] The fourth single from the album, "Busy", was released in May 2021.[20] Music videos released for the last three singles and "Someone to Chill with" starred De Casier as her alter ego Bianka, a self-assured woman.[21][22] Sensational was released on 21 May 2021 through 4AD. It was described by Mixmag's Patrick Hinton as "bolder and more assertive" than her debut album.[4] Sensational entered the UK Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart at number 13 and drew critical praise, appearing on year-end lists of the best albums compiled by The Guardian, Pitchfork and Dazed.[23][24][25][26] In November 2021, she released The Sensational Remixes, a remix album of Sensational.[27] "E-Motions", her single with British record producer Mura Masa from his 2022 studio album, Demon Time, was released in September 2022.[28]

De Casier co-wrote several songs for K-pop girl group NewJeans's second EP, Get Up (2023), including the singles "Super Shy" and "Cool With You". De Casier said in an interview with GQ that it was her first time writing music for other artists, a process that she found "freeing". The EP and its singles were commercially successful and critically acclaimed;[29][30] "Super Shy" was named among the best songs of the year by numerous publication, entering the top 10 in lists compiled by The Guardian, NME, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork, among others.[31][32][33][34] For their work on the EP, De Casier and fellow Danish songwriter Fine Glindvad were awarded Danish Songwriter of the Year at the Danish Music Awards 2023.[35]

De Casier released her 3rd studio album, Still, on February 21st, 2024.[36]

Artistry

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De Casier's music is mostly pop,[1] contemporary R&B,[4][3] and experimental pop,[37] and has taken inspiration from music of the 1990s and early 2000s, incorporating genres such as G-funk, bossa nova, breakbeat, and trip hop.[8][5][4] She has listed Avril Lavigne's 2002 album Let Go, Brandy and Monica's 1998 song "The Boy Is Mine", Craig David's 2000 album Born to Do It, and Aaliyah's 2001 self-titled album as influences on her music.[38] She has cited Sade and Destiny's Child as groups that shaped her sound, while stating that Portishead, Tricky, and Mariah Carey influenced her vocals.[1] She sings, writes, and produces much of her music.[39] For Sensational, she developed an alter ego, the "fabulous", "Hausfrauen" Bianka.[4][27]

Personal life

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In 2021, de Casier earned a master's degree in Music Creation from the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, and presented parts of Sensational as her final project.[4] She has described herself as "not a spiritual person at all".[5]

Discography

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Studio albums

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List of studio albums with selected details
Title Details
Essentials
Sensational
  • Released: 21 May 2021
  • Label: 4AD
  • Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
Still
  • Released: 21 February 2024[40]
  • Label: 4AD
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Remix albums

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List of studio albums with selected details
Title Details
The Sensational Remixes
  • Released: 12 November 2021
  • Label: 4AD
  • Format: LP, digital download, streaming

Singles

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List of singles, showing year released and album title
Title Year Album
"What U Wanna Do?" 2017 Essentials
"Intimate" 2018
"Do My Thing"
"Good Time" 2019
"No Butterflies, No Nothing" 2020 Sensational
"Drama" 2021
"Polite"
"Busy"
"Someone to Chill With"
"E-Motions"
(with Mura Masa) 		2022 Demon Time
"Lucky" 2024 Still
"Ice"
(featuring They Hate Change)
"Ex-Girlfriend"
(featuring Shygirl)

Guest appearances

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Title Year Artist(s) Album
"Relax & Run" 2022 Blood Orange, Eva Tolkin Four Songs EP
"Crush" 2023 Shygirl Nymph_o
"You're Not Alone" Courtesy, August Rosenbaum Fra Eufori
"Bikini" 2024 Nick León TBA
"When" Ragz Originale Bare Sugar: Sweet Nothings

Remixes

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Title Year Artist(s)
"Physical" 2020 Dua Lipa

Songwriting credits

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Title Year Artist(s) Album
"s.e.x.y.o.m.g." 2022 Jada, Debbie Sings Elements
"New Jeans" 2023 NewJeans Get Up
"Super Shy"
"Cool with You"
"ASAP"

Notes

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  1. ^ While an interview with Crack states that she moved to Aarhus,[3] interviews with Clash and Mixmag state that she moved to Ribe.[1][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Hussain, Shahzaib (27 May 2021). "Astral Realm: An Alternative Roundup #2". Clash. Archived from the original on 5 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b Hatfield, Amanda (20 October 2020). "Erika de Casier signs to 4AD with new single "No Butterflies, No Nothing"". BrooklynVegan. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e Cliff, Aimee (15 May 2020). "Erika de Casier: Quietly confident". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Hinton, Patrick (June 14, 2021). "Fired up: How Erika de Casier grew into an R&B sensation". Mixmag. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Reed, Matt (17 March 2020). "Erika de Casier". Metal Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  6. ^ "Stream Erika de Casier's stellar debut LP Essentials". Gorilla vs. Bear. 16 May 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Video Premiere: Erika de Casier shares intoxicating new single "Good Time"". Gorilla vs. Bear. 3 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b Goldner, Sam (15 May 2019). "Erika de Casier's R&B Feels Like Hitting the Club with an Old Friend". Vice. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2019". Vice. 12 December 2019. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  10. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of the Year". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of 2019". Gorilla vs. Bear. 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Gorilla vs. Bear's Albums of the Decade". Gorilla vs. Bear. 20 September 2019. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (1 January 2021). "Irish drill, jazz violin and supermarket musicals: 30 new artists for 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  14. ^ Sherburne, Philip (29 May 2020). "The 7 Best DJ Mixes of May 2020". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  15. ^ Rettig, James (20 October 2020). "Erika de Casier – "No Butterflies, No Nothing"". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  16. ^ "The 100 best songs of 2020". The Fader. Archived from the original on 20 December 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  17. ^ Ihaza, Jeff (March 2, 2021). "Song You Need to Know: Erika de Casier, 'Drama'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2021". Pitchfork. 6 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  19. ^ Darville, Jordan (April 13, 2021). "Erika de Casier shares 'Polite,' announces new album". The Fader. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Rettig, James (May 12, 2021). "Erika de Casier – 'Busy'". Stereogum. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  21. ^ Kendall, Zoe (21 May 2021). "Erika de Casier is making Y2K music for the future". i-D. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  22. ^ "Erika de Casier : 'Someone To Chill With' Video & Added EU/UK Tour Dates". 4AD. 17 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  23. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Albums Chart (30 July 2021 — 5 August 2021)". Official Charts. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  24. ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (17 December 2023). "The 50 best albums of 2021". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  25. ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  26. ^ "The best albums of 2021". Dazed. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  27. ^ a b Whiteley, Caroline (7 December 2021). "First Things First: Erika de Casier". Electronic Beats. Archived from the original on 22 April 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  28. ^ DeVille, Chris (9 September 2022). "Mura Masa & Erika de Casier Share New Song "e-motions": Listen". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  29. ^ Ang, Raymond (4 August 2023). "Meet the Secret R&B Weapon Behind NewJeans' Catchiest Hits". GQ. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  30. ^ Enos, Morgan (21 July 2023). "New Music Friday: Listen To New Songs From Travis Scott, Britney Spears, NewJeans & More". Grammy.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  31. ^ Ahmed, Aneesa; Beaumont-Thomas, Ben; Snapes, Laura (4 December 2023). "The 20 best songs of 2023". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  32. ^ "The 50 best songs of 2023". NME. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  33. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Rolling Stone. 1 December 2023. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  34. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2023". Pitchfork. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  35. ^ Karl, Kristian (16 November 2023). "Her Er Alle Vinderne Til Danish Music Awards 2023 – Store Priser Artigeardit Og Ida Laurberg". Sound Venue. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  36. ^ Hefland, Raphael. "Erika de Casier shares new album Still". The Fader. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  37. ^ Corcoran, Nina (20 October 2020). "Erika de Casier signs to 4AD, releases new single "No Butterflies, No Nothing": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  38. ^ Dunn, Frankie (26 November 2018). "10 things you need to know about copenhagen musician erika de casier". i-D. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  39. ^ Martin, Felicity (June 4, 2019). "Erika de Casier sounds like pop's past and future at the same time". Dummy Mag. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  40. ^ Minsker, Evan (January 10, 2024). "Erika de Casier Announces New Album Still, Shares Video for New Song "Lucky": Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
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