How waterbaby went from make-up artist to Sweden’s next star

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Photography LeviAxeneFebruary 10, 2026Music / Q+AMusic / Q+AHow waterbaby went from make-up artist to Sweden’s next star

As she releases her latest single, ‘Clay’, we sit down with the rising alt-pop singer to discuss her eclectic musical upbringing, why Sweden produces so much talent, and freestyling as emotional catharsis

ShareLink copied ✔️February 10, 2026February 10, 2026TextGemma Samways

“Wistful, lyrical, soft.” Dialling in from Stockholm, these are the words Swedish singer waterbaby selects to sum up her sound. But the truth is, they barely scratch the surface of her talent.

Blessed with a feather-light coo of astonishing clarity, the 28-year-old’s alt-pop productions are by turns lithe and pillowy, but nearly always steeped in the sort of saudade that leaves you gazing longingly into the middle distance. On forthcoming debut album Memory Be A Blade, she explores this long-standing inclination towards nostalgia, specifically in the context of recent heartbreaks. As she puts it so beautifully on Amiss, over sonorous strings and the cyclical strum of acoustic guitar, ‘How can you miss something that has never been?”.

Born and raised in Stockholm, waterbaby got her start doing make-up and singing back-up vocals for fellow Gambian-Swedish artist Seinabo Sey, before receiving break-out success with a feature on Stockholmsvy, a track by her friend, the alt-soul singer Hannes, which became a viral hit. Extremely softly spoken in person, as a solo artist she continues to keep her circle small, working closely with producer Marcus White (YG, Anna Of The North), whom she first met six years ago at a songwriting camp.

The pair’s productions have come on leaps and bounds from 2023’s EP Foam. Her exquisite, multi-layered harmonies are positioned close in the mix, lending a quietly conspiratorial feel to her songwriting. Whether gently caressing the cello lines of “Minnie”’s Clairo-esque bedroom pop, swooping and soaring over “Beck N Call”’s kinetic, clarinet-laced neo-soul or sweetly harmonising with her brother ttoh on “Clay”, waterbaby’s voice draws listeners deep into her world. As she puts it today, “For the first time, I feel ok with being seen.”

Below, she discusses her eclectic musical upbringing, Swedish talent and freestyling in the booth.

I understand there’s a strong musical tradition in your family?

waterbaby: Yeah, my great grandfather was a jazz pianist and my grandma worked arranging concerts. My mom’s a singer as well, and she took me into the gospel choir. My uncle is a live promoter. He would bring acts from Latin America and Africa to Sweden, from Zimbabwean punk rock to Ethiopian jazz and big West African pop artists.

How did you nurture your passion for music growing up?

waterbaby: I went to a classical choir school from age 10 to 15 but we did a lot of dancing and singing at home. My mom loves music and was culturally quite Americanised, so she played mostly hip hop and neo-soul artists like Amel Larrieux at home, and was always singing and teaching me harmonies. It was the same with TV: dad would buy box sets of all the Black family sitcoms.

Who are your biggest vocal heroes?

waterbaby: I would have to say Usher. Confessions is one of my favourite albums ever. Stevie Wonder too, which I didn’t even realise until recently. Subconsciously, I think I fell for the prettiness of his tone. Jazmine Sullivan is definitely [an influence] too, and I absolutely adore Vashti Bunyan’s voice.

Stockholm has an enviable tradition of producing incredible female artists. What is it about the infrastructure there that encourages women to create?

waterbaby: I actually don't know why that is, but I’m really glad that it’s true. I will say that, unfortunately, studios and rehearsal spaces are getting less attainable, just because of our current leaders and their priorities. But there are people trying to keep [that tradition] going.

Photography LeviAxene

Who are some of your current favourite artists at work in the city?

waterbaby: She hasn’t released in a while, but one is PB Girl, which stands for Piano Beats Girl. Venus Anon is really good. And Izza Gara, obviously.

Why do you create, and what you take from it?

waterbaby: I create because I feel as though I do not have a choice. There has never been anything else for me [but music]. When I was 22 I was like, “I feel like there's a Kendra-shaped hole in the world”, and I want to fill it. Basically, that’s what it feels like. Music is everything. And making this album was truly so cathartic – it helped me process a whole lot last year.

How so?

waterbaby: I think because my producer, co-writer and collaborator [Marcus White] pushed me to freestyle more. Even though we’re very close and have been working for a long time, I can be quite shy in the studio, so it was about getting into that flow. I would sing in a stream of consciousness about things that I had not figured out yet, and it could take me weeks or months to even realise what a lyric was about.

These songs weren’t even meant for an album: it just formed in our hands. The music really showed us what it was meant to be. And so I had to really make peace with, like, “Oh my God, this really is my debut album.”

To what extent was the intimacy of the production designed to accentuate the subject matter?

waterbaby: Yeah, a lot of the songs are about reminiscing and the blurred line between memories and dreams so we always wanted it to feel very intimate, with my voice up close. With the exception of “Clay“, the vocals have not been tampered with. So yeah, there’s a lot of self-reflecting and then reflecting upon the self-reflection. Because writing this music in my mid 20s, there's so much stuff going on. It’s an intense period.

What have you learned from it?

waterbaby: I guess I’ve learned to let go a little bit. With music, with personal relationships, with everything. Doing your best in front of everyone - it’s scary, but you don’t have any other choice.

What has been the highlight so far?

waterbaby: I think playing Way Out West [festival] in Gothenburg last year. I played in a church at almost 1am and it was after Charli XCX had closed the festival down. But people came to hear me in a church – no alcohol, no nothing – and listened and sang along to our music. I don’t think it’s ever felt as good to be on stage as it did that night. Because sometimes it feels like you’re singing out into a void, and you almost forget that people are actually receiving it. So any inclination that people are truly receiving the music means the world.

“Clay” is out now. waterbaby’s debut album, Memory Be a Blade, releases March 6

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