Happy Halloween! This year for the fright-filled holiday, I decided to do something a little bit different and d'luvvly—interview Swedish pop minx Agnes Carlsson! After all, she's performing here in Los Angeles (at Cherry Pop—click flier below to enlarge) tomorrow night, on All Hallows' Evening.
Agnes' European hit "Release Me" is currently haunting iTunes, and her second U.K. single "I Need You Now" is set for a November 16 release.Here now is Agnes talking to D'luv about the delightfully spooky Swedish vampire flick Let The Right One In, cutting her hair to look like Robyn and—shriek!!—Whitney Houston!
ROBBIE DAW: So, you're performing here Los Angeles—or, more exact, West Hollywood, at Cherry Pop—on Halloween. You do realize there are going to be thousands of folks dressed up?
AGNES: Oh, my God! I haven't decided yet, but I don't think I'll be wearing really crazy stuff. Maybe something, because it's Halloween.
RD: Maybe toss on a pair of devil horns, to show what a naughty vixen you are.
AGNES: Exactly! [Laughs]
RD: Oh, who are we kidding? You don't need devil horns. We already know. What's your favorite horror movie?
AGNES: You know, I think those kind of movies are too scary. But if I look at a really scary movie, I have to look at a comedy after. I can say that a movie I really like is The Shining.
RD: Yeah, that one freaked me out as a kid.
AGNES: Oh, yeah. I remember when I saw it, I had my fingers in front of my eyes. It was hard to see anything—I was like, Aaah! I can't look at it!
RD: Did you see the Swedish vampire flick, Let The Right One In? I think it's one of the best horror movies in the past decade.
AGNES: Yeah! It's really good!
RD: It's really sad, too.
AGNES: You've seen it?
RD: Yeah, it came out here in the States last year.
AGNES: Oh, I didn't know that.
RD: It's sad and it's scary. Those two kids in it are really good.
AGNES: I know! It's beautiful, in a way.
RD: You've been to Los Angeles a few times now. Do you ever have time to go shopping while you're here?AGNES: I haven't, but maybe this time. I love to shop! I hope I'm gonna have some time to just look around.
RD: So, your album Dance Love Pop comes out in the U.K. in November?
AGNES: In December!
RD: When can we expect it here in the States?AGNES: In January, maybe. I don't know exactly yet. But I'm also going to record some new songs for the U.S. release.
RD: Congratulations on your MTV Europe Music Award nomination, by the way.
AGNES: Thank you! Actually, I'm not going to be there because I'm going to be in Sweden. I think [the show] is in Berlin. I'm not going to do that.
RD: Is it true that when you were younger, you cut your hair to look like Robyn?
AGNES: [Laughs] Yeah, I did! I like her. I love her music. I thought she was so cool. I had to have my hair like her.
RD: You've been traveling nonstop since you won Swedish Idol in 2005. Are you ready to fall over yet?
AGNES: You know, it's exciting, but of course you get tired when you only sleep, like, three hours. But I love it. I'm so happy now that everything is going so well. That gives me energy.
RD: When you go back to Sweden, do you have time to visit with family?
AGNES: I hope so! [Laughs] I'm going back on Monday so I hope to have a day to just meet with my family.
RD: When you're back there, does the paparazzi follow you around?
AGNES: You know, we don't have paparazzi in Sweden. So, no, it's really cool.
RD: Were you surprised at how huge "Release Me" became in England?
AGNES: Well, I remember when me and Anders Hansson, the producer, wrote the song—and also Sharon [Vaughn]—and I remember when we started to record it, all of us said this is a really, really good song. But I'm so happy that a lot of people think that, too. Of course, I was surprised that everything went so well because "Release Me" is on Dance Love Pop—it's my third album and it's also my first album I released outside Sweden. I'm just really happy everything's going so well.
RD: Another artist you've said you always liked is Whitney Houston. Have you heard her new album?
AGNES: I haven't heard her whole new album, but I've heard the single. You know, I saw her when she performed live on Oprah. I think she's really amazing. Of course, she doesn't sound exactly the same, but I think she's still amazing.
RD: She's still had an amazing career. I hope your career turns out just as well!
AGNES: Yes, but without the drugs! [Both laugh]
RD: Well, just don't marry Bobby Brown, doll.
AGNES: Exactly!
RD: Who are you listening to these days?AGNES: I love La Roux! And I love the song with Kelly Rowland and David Guetta...
RD: "When Love Takes Over!"
AGNES: Yeah! I love that song. I always work out to, [singing beautifully]"When love takes over—"
RD: [Singing horribly off-key, a bird falls out of the sky and plummets to its death] "Yee-aaah!" Speaking of working out, you look great! Do you work out every day?
AGNES: I try to. I have a book, Give Me A Quarter Every Day. The workouts you can do at home, in your hotel room—[she's interrupted by someone correcting her]—[Laughs] Oh! I mean Give Me 50 Minutes Every Day! [Both laugh] It's a really good way to work out when you travel a lot and you don't have a gym everywhere.
RD: Well, you have very nice legs.
AGNES: Oh, thank you!
RD: I posted your U.S. video for "Release Me," and a lot of people have commented on your hairstyle changing. Do your fans bring up your hair a lot?
AGNES: I think they talk about everything! [Laughs] But I just wanted to do something different.
RD: Alright, have a safe flight to L.A. from San Francisco!
AGNES: Are you coming when I perform?
RD: Well, if you twist my arm I might.
AGNES: I hope I can meet you then.
RD: Sold!
Download "Release Me" from U.S. iTunes or the Amazon MP3 store.