Griff, the Popstar of Generation Z
She has already performed with Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, and Dua Lipa. And with Taylor Swift, who is an absolute fan of hers. Yet Griff is still only 23 years old and is now releasing her debut album "Vertigo" for the first time. With ntv.de she talks about her truly astonishing career.
ntv.de: I have read some articles about you with headlines like: "Griff - the new Popstar of Generation Z". Do you enjoy being named the figurehead of an entire generation right from the start or would you rather say, I'm just doing my thing?
Griff: Uff, that's definitely a big compliment. But it's not as if I woke up and said, I want to be the spokesperson for my generation. I think it's just about the songs I write and how I write them. Probably many people of my age group find themselves particularly well reflected in them. But I don't think about that consciously - I just write songs.
In fact, your texts seem to resonate with many people of your generation. They often deal with the uncertainties of growing up in a world that also seems increasingly uncertain. Where do you find the inspiration for that?
All my songs are quite autobiographical. I think I owe it to the listeners to write about things that feel honest and real to me. That's where it all starts: I try to think about my situation and my feelings and how I can express them appropriately, perhaps in a new way or with an analogy. On my album, I draw many new pictures to give expression to the feelings of heartache. To inspire me, I also listen to various types of music. I read books to train my lyrical brain like a muscle.
There's a song called "Vertigo", which is about emotionally hanging in there - in life as in love. "Vertigo", or "dizziness" in English, is also the title of the album ...
Yes, because "Vertigo" sums up the album well for me. I think almost all the songs on it deal with this emotional dizziness. Part of this concept is also the symbol of a spiral, which is supposed to embody these feelings. The album is like the expression of a great emotion, which I hope people can identify with.
At the song "Astronaut", Chris Martin of Coldplay is heard playing the piano. Okay, you've already performed with Coldplay. But how did you get Chris Martin to put on the role of background musician for you?
One of the first things Chris said to me when I went on tour with Coldplay was that he would like to listen to my music. I still thought he was just being polite. But a few weeks later, I played some songs for him in the studio. "Astronaut" had particularly impressed him, even though the song still sounded quite different at the time. He advised me to pull it back a bit so it could breathe better. He sat down at the piano and played it in his Chris Martin style. I recorded it. When I later listened to it, I thought, It makes no sense to record it again. So I asked him if he would help me finish it - and he was so nice, to say yes.
Chris Martin was an immediate fan of "Astronaut". Which song from your album would you recommend to someone else first?
Probably "Vertigo". It makes sense that it's the title track because it best represents me. It's euphoric, but also sad, cinematic. Yes, that's my favorite.
Your breakthrough came during the Corona-Pandemic. While everyone was in lockdown, your Mixtape "One Foot in Front of the Other" suddenly shot up the British charts. How did that feel?
That was quite strange. I mean, we all went through this pandemic, none of us knowing how we would ultimately cope with it or how we should deal with it. At the same time, I had no idea what it would lead to when I then released this Mixtape during the lockdown. It felt a bit like a dream. I had never expected such success.
This time it will surely be a completely different experience ...
Definitely. I'm nervous and excited, but also ready to release the songs.
As already mentioned, your texts often deal with uncertainties. As an artist, you seem to know exactly what you're doing. You will be described as a "360 Degrees" star: you write your songs not only, but also produce them. You take care of the designs, artworks, videos, your looks ... Are you a control freak?
Yes, I guess so. (laughs) I would say, that's me. But I believe that's the case with most creatives. When you put so much time and effort into the music, from the track to the text to the production, and spend hours and days on fine-tuning - it wouldn't make any sense for me not to care about how it's visually or on stage implemented. Of course, it all starts with the music. But I want everything else to be in line with the music as well.
You grew up in a small town near London. Your father has Jamaican, your mother Chinese roots. How much has this multicultural background influenced you as a musician?
I think it influenced me a lot. Growing up in such a way, you never really feel fully part of a community. That's quite isolating and confusing, especially when you grow up in a very white environment like I did. I always felt like an outsider who didn't quite belong. But from each culture I received something. Much of the creativity in my music comes from my Jamaican side. From my Chinese side, I got discipline and work ethic. My upbringing was definitely colorful.
You have two biological brothers. But you also grew up with many foster children whom your parents took care of. In this respect, your upbringing must have been quite diverse ...
Yes, it was. We really had many children in our household over the years, many of them still very young. For example, we once had three sisters who were all under seven. It was always loud, chaotic - and fun.
And then there was a day when you were barely eight years old, when someone handed you an iPod with the album "Fearless" by Taylor Swift. They say it changed everything for you ...
Yes, that was a turning point. I met a cousin again after a long time. He wanted to impress us and gave me an old iPod Shuffle or something ...
Many who are younger than you probably don't know what that is anymore ...
(laughs) That's true. In any case, "Fearless" was on it. I grew up with gospel, a lot of Christian music, R&B, and soul. Taylor Swift was something completely different. For me, it was an "Aha" moment because suddenly there were songs that I could play myself. I could look up the chords for a Taylor Swift song, sing the melodies, and identify with the lyrics. I fell in love with "Fearless".
A few years later, you met her personally at the Brit Awards 2021. Meeting your own idols can't be completely without being disappointing. How was it for you?
Not at all disappointing! My first encounter with her on that day was actually when she sent me a few flowers to my dressing room to wish me good luck for my performance. A Taylor Swift, with all that she has achieved, is quite insane for a new singing sensation from Britain - just that was already crazy! Then we met after the Brit Awards and she was just lovely. But I believe that one can only be disappointed when one puts their idols on a strange pedestal. I'm very aware that ultimately everyone is just a human being. In my industry, there are all creative people who try to give their best, publish their art, which they love.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift is even a fan of yours. When the song "Vertigo" came out, she publicly praised it. You have already performed as the opening act for her at Wembley Stadium. You have also performed with Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran. Do you sometimes have to pinch yourself to believe that all of this really happened?
Yes, it's really surreal. At the same time, there are still so many things I haven't done - milestones that I still need to reach. For example, publishing my debut album. Or, just recently, touring Europe for the first time under my own name. I've accomplished a lot, but strangely enough, not as much under my own name. It's exciting that this year it's finally about building my own world, releasing the album, and making my first world tour. It feels like it's finally time for that.
You said it: You were already on your own tour in Europe. Of course, the concert halls were still significantly smaller. How hard is it for you to switch between playing in front of a few hundred and in front of tens of thousands of people?
Both is challenging in different ways. When you perform with other artists in a stadium, the pressure is less on you. Strangely enough, I'm less stressed in such cases. On the other hand, the more intimate a room is, the more nervous I am. It's like this: In a stadium, there might be 100,000 people who don't really know my songs, spill beer, and aren't really into it. But then there are places where there might only be 100 people who sing my songs from beginning to end, are there for me, and bought the tickets because of me. I find that much more satisfying.
So, only one question remains: When will you play your first solo concert at Wembley Stadium?
(laughs) Give me a few years. Then we'll make it happen.
Volker Probst spoke with a grin
As part of their world tour, Griff will perform in Germany in the fall of 2024: Cologne (18.11.), Hamburg (22.11.), Berlin (24.11.), Munich (27.11.)
GRIFF: I'm a big fan of Taylor Swift's music, and it's surreal to now be on the same stage with her.
NTV.DE: Your songs seem to resonate particularly well with the younger generation. Do you think your multicultural background has something to do with that?
