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Det tjeckiska stjärnskottet THERA ger oss ett smakprov från sitt kommande andra album. Singeln ”heartless romance” fångar spänningen i en relation där man är mer än vänner, men där någonting ändå hindrar kärleken från att på riktigt spira. Man hamnar någonstans mittemellan. Hennes låtar har idag sammanlagt flera miljoner streams och på den nya singeln, ett samarbete med producenten Jake Erixson (David Guetta, Charli XCX), låter hon bättre och tyngre än någonsin. Det här är en låt vars refräng känns gjord för större kläder – inklusive en skrikande publik. Jag längtar redan efter att få vara en del av den publiken, och kanske till och med en liten del av de händer som syr de där större kläderna. Idag pratar jag med THERA om nya singeln, samarbetet med Jake och en fantastisk spelning i Zürich.
- I think the biggest thing that has changed is that I have grown up, and am no longer 12-14. When I started writing music, I didn't necessarily know what I was doing, but it was my own therapeutic outlet. Since then, I have learned who I am as an artist, and what I want to say with my music, which has come from all of the things that I have experienced in these past two years of my career. When writing heartless romance, I knew what story I wanted to say, and especially the sound direction I wanted to go in, which is a bit darker than in my previous tracks. So it was just putting the pieces together to create the first single of the new era.
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The song seems to live somewhere between desire and detachment. Was there a particular experience or feeling that inspired that tension?
- Yes there was. All of my music comes from a personal experience, and heartless romance is no exception. I wanted to write about the feeling of being stuck in a situation where you are more than friends, but less than lovers. The thing that keeps pulling you in is the never-ending chemistry, which is why you just can't seem to quit it, even when you know it's wrong. However, I didn't want the song to necessarily feel "negative", because I think sometimes these situations can be a little fun, when you're in the moment. So we focused the song on following the thought process of that person in the situation. All of the up's and down's, thinking "no i'm not going back, I won't let myself", but then when you see that person again, you fall right back into it.
Jakke Erixson has worked with some huge names in pop. What did you learn from working with him, and how did his production shape the sound you had in your head?
- I honestly adore working with Jakke for so many reasons. I remember the first time we sat in a room together, we ended up writing and producing a song in about two hours. I left that session thinking that we definitely were going to have fun making music together. The biggest thing Jakke has done for me is push me as an artist, especially when it comes to vocals. When I compare my singing four months ago to now, it's honestly crazy, and you can definitely hear that in the tracks that we are going to release. However, the most important thing for me has been how aligned we all are (myself, Jakke & Tor Eimon) when it comes to the making of a song. I'll share my idea and where I would like to go with it sound wise, and the guys always pick up on it immediately and we just get to work. The sound comes almost naturally, when we're working together.
Your earlier music has been described as electronic and emotional, while heartless romance feels more hypnotic, sensual and rhythm-driven. Did you consciously want to leave some of your old sound behind?
-Yes, definitely. I wanted there to be a difference with heartless romance, compared to my older tracks. Mainly, because I wanted to show my audience that we are stepping into a new era that is leading up to my sophomore album. Everyone can definitely expect more emotional tracks as well, but I wanted to start off with heartless romance to not only show this new sound, but to also connect my music with dance, which everyone will be able to see very soon with the music video.
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There’s something quite universal about wanting someone to come back even when you know the relationship may not be good for you. Why do you think we so often get drawn back to people we should probably let go of?
- I think there are many different reasons for why this happens. But I would say a part of the reason could be because that person has something, whether it's potential or the chemistry between you two, that you just can't get out of your head. And that potential is what makes you want to come back, because you're hoping for a different outcome. Or just for that sweet relief of living in the moment.
You’ve already shared stages with artists such as Jason Derulo and supported acts like Loreen. Has playing alongside such established artists changed the way you see yourself as a performer?
- I'm not sure if I would say it's changed the way I've seen myself as a performer, because that's something I work and prepare for long before going on these tours. However, having the honor to share stages with such artists, especially at the start of my career, showed me that really anything is possible if you put your mind to it. So it's changed my thinking process a lot, and allowed me to just fully be myself on stage and enjoy every single moment.
Your live EP everywhere, all at once captures your energy on stage. What is something about THERA live that you think people might not understand until they actually see you perform?
- How much the songs truly mean to me personally. When we play them live, every emotion does come out, and I really feel every word and every beat of all the track and communicate it to the audience through my singing. So I would say that.
You’ve played shows in London, Manchester, Dublin and Zürich, as well as in the Czech Republic. Where have you felt the strongest connection with an audience so far, and what made that particular crowd special?
- I've always felt a lot of love from the UK, but that's also because my fan base is currently the strongest there. I don't think I could ever just choose one city or one crowd that made me feel the most special. However, there are two shows I will never forget.
- The first was Zürich, when opening for Loreen back in early 2025. That was my first show ever as THERA, and the love from the crowd was just unreal, especially since they were listening to an artist that they had probably never heard off before.
- The second was Manchester CO-OP Live, this year with Jason Derulo. When we got to playing our third track of the setlist rain, I had introduced the song and the story behind it, which I suppose connected with the audience, and they all ended up putting their lights up in honor of that story, and it was a very full circle moment for me.
- To sing the song I wrote when I was 12 in my room, to then singing it to a sold-out crowd of the biggest arena in Europe. It was just unbelievable, and I honestly still get emotional just thinking about it.
You’ve had an impressive start internationally, including Spotify and TikTok milestones. Does that success make you more confident, or does it actually create more pressure to keep proving yourself?
- I wouldn't say it's created more pressure to keep proving myself, but rather motivated me to continue breaking the boundaries of what is possible, especially as a singer-songwriter from the Czech Republic. But the successes definitely built up my confidence at the start of all of this and helped me on my journey of learning who I wanted to be as THERA.
If heartless romance is the beginning of a new era for THERA, where do you hope this era takes you - musically, creatively and personally?
- The music itself will show the musical era we are going into, but for the rest, I plan on just enjoying the ride and seeing where everything takes me. I want to continue writing music from the heart, being vulnerable with my fans, and creating a safe space for anyone who listens.
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