Today, June 15, Måns was the guest on Nyhetsmorgon on TV4 in Sweden to perform Better Now and Grow Up to be You and to give an interview.
Grow Up to Be You
Better Now
Interview
Transcription of this interview
in English for all the non Swedish speakers:
J: Program leader Jenny Strömstedt
M: Måns
A huge thank you to @leif_svanberg on Instagram who offered to do this hard job!
J: Måns! You are most than welcome to take a seat here!
M: Sorry what did you say?
J: Hej, I said. I get so tearful about hearing this song.
M: Thanks! Me too!
J. What did you think when writing Grown up to be you?
M: It’s written to my son Albert! That he should grow up and have his own personality and not have to feel that he must walk into my footsteps! That he can make his own choices!!
J: It’s a nice gift! Do you think yourself, becoming a father? That you have got different perspectives on your own childhood?
M: Yes, I have such a hard time understanding that my own dad stood there at night and rocked me for hours… It is a lot you understand that you have a big debt of gratitude to my parents! It is very fun to have children, but it is hard to!
J. Has grandmother and grandfather stepped in and helped?
M: Nah, they live in Sweden and we live in England. So it gets too rare. It would have been great !! If mom and dad were able to come over and help.
J: A little pass to them! And today’s parents / pensioner generation has so much to do for itself!
M: Yes they do! Both my parents are still working! And they have a lot with everything. Very much Padel…
J: But this, with Grown up to be you, Did you think you’ve had to walk into the same footsteps as your dad?
M: No! But I felt like I … I thought I needed to walk into their footsteps and become an academician like them. But at the same time they were very good at supporting me in doing music. I got the chance to go that way! I am very grateful for that today!
J. What has been the biggest challenge to become a parent? Because it is a very big change.
M: Yes it’s the nights! I’m used to getting up at lunch time. I no longer get that. Fortunately, I have learned to take a nap when Albert sleeps! But I would say that is the biggest challenge! Then find the dynamics, between work and the family.
J: Do you feel trapped in this baby’s bubble sometimes?
M: Yes I definitely do. I’ve been half on dad’s paternity leave now, this first year. I have missed coming out and playing and so. Although it was amazing 98% of the time to be at home this time!
J: You don’t have to be ashamed for saying this!
M: I think the first seven months were pretty boring if I had to be completely honest. Before getting in touch for real. Now I think it’s amazing. From eleven months!
J: You get to know each other and there are more things you can do together.
M: Yes, actually. And now we can practice climbing up the couch and climbing down from there.
J: Yes and you have a bonus child and a future wife at home. How does the work distribution look at home?
M: I cook all food at home, what do I do more … Dishes I do too! Then we share the nights, which is a bit stupid. We will try to share so that one of us may take the hard nights, every other night and one of us may sleep. Otherwise, you walk each other on the very nerves. You can get get very annoyed. If we both got bad sleep…
J: I work with relations programs too, if you have any questions. But you have also moved to London. And is there much of the time. Do you think it affects your artistry? That you live and work in another environment?
M: Yes I especially think it has affected me in my song writing. I have written on this album that will come in October… For many years. Especially with English songwriters. I think it has developed me very much. In my lyrics above all.
J: In what way?
M: I can’t hide behind the lyrics. The texts must be founded, have personal roots from my life.
J. Was there more fancy words in the beginning?
M: Yes on my first album I had a song called Work of art. And I had just put together cool sentences…
J. Do you remember any meaning?
M: Hmm… I don’t? I haven’t sung it in 12 years !! Ha ha ha
J: Okay but more grounded? There are many completely different influences… London It’s a multi-cultural city! That lives…
M: Yes absolutely! It sounds much more English. This record… I think. And then, just what you say. You always are very much in the musical context. There are concerts you often go on .. and you get very many influence. Then it’s my English! It has become much better.
J: Yes, exactly, what kind of English do you speak now? Mid-Atlantic .. or is there anyone, recew pronautiation.
M: It is approaching some sort of Posh London accent.
J: Do you use the Rr that they put in?
M: whyr Stockholm?
J. How would you say otherwise?
M: Why Stockholm?
M: Whyr in Stockholm?
J. How would you say otherwise?
M: Why in Stockholm? Yes, I’ve started doing that, and I was so disturbed by it when I got there! But it’s hard to stay away from saying.
J. Yes if you are going to say an ugly word, if you should say… ass then it will be arss .. Or?
M: Yeah? Well … you put in a R in the middle of the word? J: Yeah, that’s what I’ve heard. But I may have misunderstood something? M: I usually think that when a word ends with a vowel, especially an a, then you adds a R at the end of the word.
J: Yes there is probably some Anglofil that knows. But you are probably right because it is you who lives there!
M: Yes but Arss… can you also say .. Ha ha ha
J: We simply move on.
M: Yes we do.
J: Yes then it is so that you should .. It has been completely open that you will be married this summer. The invitations were out on Instagram.
M: Really?
J: Yes, you did it yourself.
M: No, I haven’t posted anything!
J: No, your future wife put it out.
M: Yes, I had nothing to do with that.
J: She is an actress and influencer in the UK. It was so that the invitation looked like. We understand that you will be married in Croatia.
M: Yes we should. Towards the end of the summer.
J: Towards the end of the summer … More specifically it can’t be.
M: No, it doesn’t have to. Ha ha ha
J: Has it become any « gromzilla » You usually talk about « bridezilla ». Nervousness builds up, expectation.
M: No, I don’t think so. But it is a bit … We are both so spontaneous so our anticipation/foresight is equal to zero.
M: So we … The big stuff is in place. Now we have to work on the details.
J: I now ask some specific questions. You can answer if you want. Or not.
J: Who should be your bestman?
M: My cousin Kasper!
J: What fun! Will it be a wedding cake?
M: Cake … No … It will be a more modern cake I would say.
J: Modern cake? How interesting! What is it?
M: That’s … I think … No one takes the cake! You are so tired of eating then. But I think, if you instead get a small glass package. As in a form of a cake, you can just go and take it and eat.
J: Will you, with a guitar, appear at the wedding?
M: It usually happens so after a few glasses of wine. So yes, absolutely.
J: Will some Swedish friends perform?
M: They will absolutely do it!
J: What fun! Yes it is very fun to get married!
M: Yes, it’s very fun! And it has been very fun so far with the planning too. And above all, I know it will be a great party!
J: We hope there are no paparazzi photographers in the bushes! But you may be able to post something on Instagram or something.
M: Yes there will be something there I think.
J: Then you go back to Stockholm in the gray snowy weather and the winter darkness. And make a Christmas show. At Grand Hotel.
M: Yes, I’ll do that, 12 shows, I think, for Christmas. It gets a little mixed. Own songs, cowers and Christmas songs. The idea is that you should come in Christmas mood.
J: Do you get a little nausea of thinking about Christmas this week before Midsummer?
M: Yes it really feels strange! But it will be nice when it comes.
J: Thank you so much for coming here. It is vacation that is approaching. What are your Midsummer plans?
M: It’s my summer place here outside Stockholm. With some friends and for the first time with all children. Everyone have children at the same time. So it will be different.
J: So no one will be seated at the lunch table.
M: No, it feels so.
J: I suddenly feel it is nice that the children are big.
M: I can imagine that.
J: But have fun and thank you for coming here Måns Zelmerlöw and playing for us. Thanks!
