Only 18 years old, Danish pop star Benjamin Lasnier is already a star in Europe — so much so he took home the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Danish Act this past year, beating out “7 Years” hitmakers Lukas Graham and “Lean On” singer MO, among others.
If you’re not already familiar with Lasnier, chances are strong someone you know is a fan on social media. He has nearly a million followers on Instagram, over 200,000 You Tube subscribers and three separate music videos on You Tube with over a million views. And his new single, “Somebody To Hurt,” seems destined to surpass all of those.
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In the clip for the catchy pop jam co-written by Lasnier with Andreas Ohrn and Christoffer Lauridsen, premiering here, Lasnier takes viewers into a day in the life of the 18-year-old ascendant talent.
“The whole idea behind the music video was to recreate my past year in a short montage,” he tells Billboard. “Anything from long studio nights, practice at home, or just hanging out with friends, it takes you behind the scenes and gives you a good idea of where I’m heading as an artist.”
The fun montage splices together footage of Lasnier in the studio recording the track, hanging with friends and finally on stage. For Lasnier, playing live is where he most likes to find himself these days. “Even though I haven’t been on a [full] tour yet, performing has definitely been the highlight of this year,” he says.
There is more touring to come, including U.S. shows, according to Lasnier. “Currently I’m doing a school tour in Denmark for Red Cross,” he says. “But I’m planning on having shows in the States this coming year.”
The touring was one highlight, along with his upset win for the MTV Europe Music Award, which he calls “definitely a surreal moment.” That kind of win gives him momentum going forward, which he plans to use to make sure he is releasing new music at a steady pace — for now, it will simply be singles, he says, but there will be an album eventually.
For ideas on how Lasnier wants his career to progress, one can look to the recent success of Post Malone. “His music is dope. He is true to himself and genuinely loves what he does,” Lasnier says. “The way you see him have fun on stage and how he writes his music reminds me that life shouldn’t be taken too seriously, and you should have fun while doing it.”