TikTok sensation Michael Aldag shot to prominence back and 2020 for his caustic observational sketches on everyday life – and has teased new music as he vowed that fans can expect new The Killers and Lewis Capaldi-inspired tracks.
The 23-year-old from West Kirby, Merseyside is gearing up for a memorable summer, with fresh tracks on the horizon in the form of his ‘The Carousel’ EP – which he is aiming to release in the coming months. Previous works ‘Entitled’, ‘Tonsillitis’ and ‘Ghosted’ proved a hit with listeners due to his unique brand of sincere songwriting, which combined lyrical musings on the experiences of Gen Z life with enlivening anthemic choruses.
His social media posts during lockdown garnered attention from around the world, as he experienced the power of viral content first hand. His TikTok videos, which saw him lampoon aspects of modern life from a young person’s perspective, helped him to carve out a niche for himself as an unlikely social commentator and he boats over 900,000 followers on the platform – along with a further 220,000 on Instagram.
Reflecting on the experience of becoming an overnight viral sensation five years ago, Aldag’s level-headed outlook speaks of a maturity beyond his tender years. He said: “I started doing the sketch videos when I was 18 and I remember doing my first video after being added into uni group chats and it doing my head in!
“I was sat on my couch doing nothing, writing songs in my room and watching Netflix. So I thought ‘I’ll keep doing them’. That kind of grew and as that grew, my music did too. I would sit on TikTok live and would tell people that I had a new song out.
“So it wasn’t planned out. Social media definitely helped me reach an audience and build an audience for myself which was quite important, I guess.”
A prolific songwriter, he admits that he often finds his life ‘split’ between juggling his responsibilities on TikTok, representing himself and organizing gigs. Coming off the back of a secret performance at Liverpool’s famous Jacaranda – which launched the Beatles to superstardom and has welcomed esteemed artists such as Blossoms in recent times – he appears enthused when asked about the process of making music.
Having first begun writing at the age of 14, he still recognizes that period of his life as his most productive in terms of penning tracks in his bedroom. However, the craft of songwriting remains his first love, with his passion for his art palpable.
“When I was 16, I got really deep into that and would stay up all night, producing and making songs – just getting lost in that world. Then I’d look up at the clock and it would be 1am and I’d need to go to sleep to get up for school the next morning.
“I’d just be taking my laptop everywhere and producing stuff. I still try and do that but I also just love writing on my guitar and keyboard piano that I have now and taking that idea and sharing it with a producer.
The Merseysider acknowledges seeing the Killers’ Brandon Flowers perform when he was a teenager as a major seminal moment in his journey to embarking on a career in music himself. He recalled: “I think that was one of those moments where you feel like your life slowed down, I remember watching him and the Killers when I was 15 in the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool – it was incredible.
“He was such an amazing showman and I remember just before that, getting into them as a teenager and thinking ‘these songs are just really well-written’. Seeing their show, with all the massive lights, it wasn’t trying to be coy, it was like ‘here’s one banger and here’s one after that’ and he was just singing his heart out.
“It was really inspiring, I got really jealous I think. It was one of those times where I couldn’t bear being in the audience, I wanted to be out there doing it. It’s when you try and do it that you realize just how much hard work it takes!”
Aldag expects to release new music in the coming months, with his previously unheard tracks which make up ‘The Carousel’ representing some of his most introspective work to date. The starlet has become known for his witty portrayals of northern life but it is clear that he is more comfortable than ever with writing about his own trials and tribulations when it comes to romance, breakdowns in relationships and navigating heartbreak.
He admits that beneath the surface of The 1975-esque tracks which feature catchy pop choruses and bright, uplifting melodies lies a more melancholic lyrical tone to the lyrics – particularly when it comes to the songs ‘Three Minutes’ and ‘Happy’.
Aldag does not shy away from acknowledging that he is unapologetically baring his soul like never before on these songs, which he wrote in Sweden while working with producer and former Eurovision contestant, Robin Stjernberg. They first worked together last year, with their songwriting partnership having blossomed ever since their initial encounter in a studio in Stockholm.
“It was freezing, the middle of winter, we’d never met each other before but we got put into a session. That was the first song we ever wrote. Both of us were feeling quite jaded and feeling like we were doing things that we didn’t feel rewarded by and out of nowhere [the song] happened,” Aldag remembers.
“I was kind of tired and just did what came naturally. I was very honest in the lyrics and it’s quite tough to sing that one.
“If you took away all the production, they are just heartbreak songs but what we’ve done with ‘Three Minutes’, for example, is write something which is a kind of 80’s dance-inspired, disco tune. The same with ‘Happy’, lyrically it is pretty devastating but there is a kick of a snare going throughout it. “
Addressing inevitable comparisons which will come with Lewis Capaldi for his vocal delivery on the title track, he admits: “I probably sound like Lewis Capaldi when he’s got a sore throat! I love that song – from there that song sparked the rest of the music.
“From there, I thought ‘there’s something in that experience that I had’. That was the embryo of that song and then that grew and became all the different sides of it, which became the rest of the music. Hopefully it’s a cool world that we’ve created.”
Aldag also opens up on creating a first concept record of his career so far, with all of the songs created as part of this project stemming from the same source of inspiration. He said: “I then tried to tell a story in the lyrics of this relationship and of the nature of it going round and round like a carousel – that’s where the whole thing has come from. It’s a concept album in that regard, yeah.
“It’s all been very diaristic in my music before and quite brazenly so at points but with this, it’s still my life and honest and I did try with Robin to explore different sounds and make sure it has a signature sound.”
Aldag is now setting his sights on building on his previous successes with his next release, with ‘The Carousel’ expected in summer. The youngster is also brimming with excitement about playing his songs for audiences at festivals including Chris Evans’ CarFest this year.
He added: “I’m looking forward to playing CarFest. I first played it when I was about 17, with my acoustic guitar and I remember it vividly because it was the first festival that I played. I was so nervous. I was buzzing. I’ve got the video still of myself doing a Shaun Mendes cover so maybe I’ll bring that back for old time’s sake.
“To be able to go back is incredible and it’s got a great cause behind it. It’s the biggest charity fundraising festival there is – so to be there will be special. I’m also so excited to put my new music out and see what people think!”
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