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Hips is the brainchild of LUKI, a Swedish Grammy- and Denniz Pop Awards nominated songwriter and producer. The project was founded in 2016, driven by his frustration with the lack of “happy” music in the mainstream. When his production partner, Arnthor Birgisson (Janet Jackson, J Lo, James Arthur), suggested that Luki create his own act and release the music he wanted to listen to, Hips was born.
What started out as a collective of musicians transformed to a solo act during the social crippling of the pandemic. With the ambition to put all the focus on the songs and a bad case of stage fright, Luki covers his face to become Hips. He draws inspiration from musical idols such as Prince, The Weeknd and Drake. The name comes from the concept that all movement starts from the hips and Hips only mission is to make the listener feel good and dance and released his debut EP ‘Swoon’ in 2019 with great success on Spotify alone, alongside hit single ‘Loose Tonight’ currently sitting at 13 million streams.
Following on from his huge success so far, Hips’ second release of 2023 is feel-good alt-pop anthem ‘Gimme Gimme’. The unique quality that Hips possesses is that his music transports you to another place entirely, blending nuances of synth-pop with an 80s pop underbelly, coupled with a modernised and infectiously catchy rhythm that captivates you from the first second.
Hi Hips, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?
Thank you! And thanks for taking time to throw some questions my way. It’s been a retrospective year but I feel that these new songs are leading the way for the next phase in my career.
Can you talk to us more about your latest single “Gimme Gimme”?
I wanted to make a song that felt fun and flirty and I had the hook “gimme gimme” first and built the story around that title. I had the pleasure of adding Brent Paschke, who’s been guitarist for N*E*R*D and Pharrell for years, to it and his guitars really made the song come alive. “gimme gimme” is about that feeling of having someone just within reach but still not in your arms.
Did any event in particular inspire you to write this song?
Not really. I actually wrote it in mid 2020 when there was absolutely no clubbing going on so it was a bit of a puzzle to come up with a story and put it in a song. But I was super inspired by The Weeknd and The 1975 for production.
Any plans to release any sort of video for the track?
Yes! It’s already out and is directed by Paris based creative Kewan’n Tauliaut (@viewsfromthecloud). I love his way of capturing romance on camera and was fortunate that he wanted to create his first ever music video to “gimme gimme”.
How was the recording and writing process?
The song came about from just playing around with a beat idea and the first thing that popped in my mind was the “gimme gimme” hook. I had been obsessed with the idea of making songs with stupidly simple choruses and “gimme gimme” was an exercise in making a song like that. And it came out pretty good, I think.
What was it like to work with Arnthor Birgisson and what did he bring to the table?
Arnthor is one of the most talented creatives I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. He has an ability to listen to a song or production and hear where it can go. He’s an expert at finding a songs magic and taking it to a higher level.
What role does Sweden play in your music?
Sweden has a rich tradition and culture in making music, especially pop music. I carry that tradition with me every day and am happy to be surrounded by friends and colleagues who are continuously striving for greatness.
Does the new single mean we can expect a new material – how’s that coming along?
Yes, I have one more single coming out 2nd June called “lotion”.
What else is happening next in HIPS’ world?
I’ll be spending more time as a songwriter and writing with other artists. I’ll be spending some time in London and Los Angeles writing with some exciting artists that I can’t name!
