Anja Seelos is only 17 years old and has already reached 1.8 million people on TikTok with her music.
About her music, but also about how she deals with her success.
Schwabsoien
– The musician Anja Seelos from Schwabsoien has created her own stage on the internet.
Around 1.8 million people follow the 17-year-old pop and rock singer under the name "Damona" on the TikTok platform, where she shares videos of her music.
The 17-year-old has now produced her first record.
In the interview, Seelos talks about her breakthrough with a song by "Ärzte", why she suddenly found herself without friends at the beginning of her career and how she wants to catch others with her music.
Ms. Seelos, how do you tell people who aren't on the internet how you earn your money?
This is difficult.
I recently had this situation again.
I went to the doctor and somehow had to explain what I was doing.
He didn't know what TikTok is.
Did you explain it to him?
no
Most of the time, in moments like this, I just say that I make music.
I won't start with major social media explanations.
"I covered a song by the doctors and got discovered"
You have always sung and played the guitar. Millions of people listen to your music online today. When did the breakthrough come?
When I was on The Voice Kids in 2020, I started using TikTok.
At first I had no intention of making it big, but it was fun and I stuck with it.
At some point I covered a song by the doctors and uploaded it.
That's when my management discovered me.
In a small town like Schwabsoien, your career path tends to be out of line. What were the reactions?
Let's put it this way: It was good that I started doing it during the Corona period.
Thanks to homeschooling, I didn't notice as much when someone at my school spoke badly about me.
It became more difficult when face-to-face classes started again.
I had to experience how some people were quite antisocial to me.
"My best friends stopped talking to me - not an easy time"
Because of TikTok?
Yes.
A lot of people found that I was doing TikTok “cringe”, i.e. uncomfortable.
Even my best friends suddenly stopped talking to me.
It wasn't an easy time for me.
How did you deal with it?
I flipped a switch and I was like, fuck it.
And luckily I found new friends who were there for me.
Was the music any consolation?
In any case.
In a few songs there are lines that refer to this time.
“Fix This”, my new song, is also about losing friends.
That's why the song is so important to me.
"Imagine it cool to live in Munich, on the other hand I like living in Schwabsoien"
Wouldn't you struggle so much in a big city?
Probably not.
Sometimes I think it's cool to live in Munich.
Everyone can do their thing without having to explain themselves.
On the other hand, I like living in Schwabsoien.
Here I have my friends, the forest, nature.
Let's get back to the music. Her role models are AC/DC and Queen. Why exactly these bands?
I know AC/DC from my dad, he must have been to one of their concerts eight times.
I inherited a bit of being a fan from him.
And Queen was probably the first band I consciously listened to.
I found their songs so blatant from the start that I got goosebumps all over my body.
"I'm always happy when someone texts me"
Do you want to do the same with your music?
My goal is to help others.
I'm always happy when someone writes to me that my songs helped them through a difficult time.
Even if only a few people are better off with my music, it's worth it.
Your first EP "Chaos" was released on December 2nd. How did this step feel?
It was nice.
All songs have previously been released individually.
The EP is now the summary that ties everything together.
It is a section of my life summed up in music.
And now it's time to go on stage?
Several performances are planned for next year.
I'm looking forward to it.
People stick together in Schwabsoien, no matter where you come from.
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