Singer-songwriter Christopher Nissen is born to be a star, writes Syahirah Mokhtazar
IT’S 3pm on a warm Monday afternoon and a small crowd fills up Intermission, a sports bar-cafe located in the VSQ building in Petaling Jaya City Centre.
They anxiously wait for the arrival of Christopher Nissen, a 24-year-old Danish singer-songwriter to appear on stage for his performance. Flashing his sweet smile, Christopher kicked off his mini showcase on a vibrant note with his latest track I Won’t Let You Down. The day before, he had performed the same song as guest performer at Astro’s reality talent show Akademi Fantasia’s Week 5 concert aired live on Astro Ria (channel 104).
After I Won’t Let You Down, Christopher continued with Tulips, a funky song from his latest album Closer, about winning a girl back. He mellowed down with Heartbeat before moving on to a cover of Justin Bieber’s Cold Water.
Christopher ended his 30-minute performance with Twerk It Like Miley, a pop/hip-hop song he collaborated with American singer-songwriter and producer Brandon Beal. The music video, has to date, more than 125 million viewers on YouTube.
The singer was in Kuala Lumpur recently on a Southeast Asia promo tour, which also saw him performing in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Thailand.
BORN TO DO IT
While his stardom has not quite yet reached the ranks of Bieber or Harry Styles, his journey towards acquiring that same recognition doesn’t seem too far off. It’s almost as if Christopher was born for international success, with his supermodel good looks, coupled with his sweet harmonious voice and an affable personality.
He has paved his way through the music industry since 2011 following the release of his debut single Against The Odds in September that year. Another single, titled Nothing In Common, was released in January the following year and garnered a lot of attention.
It climbed to the No. 5 spot on the Danish singles chart. The two tracks were included in his first album titled Colours which saw its release on March 2012. It was only in 2014 when Christopher garnered fans internationally after amassing a huge following on the social media platform. He currently has 495,000 followers (and counting) on his Instagram account alone.
His second album Told You So released on March 2014 offered more R&B tracks like Mama and Crazy which were some of the biggest hits in Denmark. The album topped the Danish chart on Spotify more than 50 days after it was released.
His third and latest album Closer which took two years to make is the most personal album so far, said Christopher in an interview after the show.
“I love writing songs about my life experiences, about love and of course, about girls. But in this album I show a different side of myself. While the previous albums were incorporated with more funky beats, fans can see a softer side of me in Heartbeat,” says the singer who looks up to John Mayer for music inspiration.
His breakthrough was solidified when he was honoured with the awards for Best Album, The Audience Award and Best Club Track at the Danish Music Awards 2014. A year later, he actually returned to the show as a host.
With Denmark conquered, the singer-songwriter is now busy building his fan base in Asia. Following his sweep of Southeast Asia, Christopher moved on to a six-city headline tour in China, covering Najun, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chengu, Shenzhen and Wuhan.
Just before his performance at Intermission, Christopher was busy devouring the traditional Indian banana leaf rice with his fingers, just like the locals. He even added that the food wasn’t too spicy for him, saying it was just nice.
“I also like eating chicken satay, I’ve ordered it with almost every meal I had throughout my stay here!” he says with a laugh.
JUST CHRISTOPHER
Let’s face it, most celebrities would have a stage name in order to be easily recognised by the public. For example, Katy Perry’s real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. But Christopher on the other hand would simply like to be known as just Christopher.
“For six years I’ve been known as just Christopher in Denmark so I figured it’d be a little too late to change it now,” he quipped.
On differentiating himself from other artistes, he says it’s all about being yourself. “There’s only one you. I’ve had that dilemma before where I tried to sound like someone else, but at the end of the day, that’s not differentiating you from others. It comes with age too. As I get older, I become more confident in my own skin.”
NO EXPECTATIONS
Christopher is a close friend to Brandon Beal. The duo have worked together multiple times, creating tracks for Christopher’s albums.
“I’ve known the guy for eight years now and we’ve worked on songs like Twerk It Like Miley, and I Won’t Let You Down, to name a few.
“He’s a talented writer. Brandon brings out the best of me in the studio when we’re creating music,” he says.
Brandon has in fact collaborated with Malaysian girl group DeFam for their song With You. He contributes his rapping skills in the song, which surpassed a million views on YouTube. When asked if Christopher would collaborate with a local act, he says: “Of course, I’d love that!”