Tapping into one’s inner child has become more prevalent among dream-chasers. Demae, the North West London multi-disciplinary artist, finds herself in the same spot, diverting back to her roots, cherishing the now, and enjoying being playful rather than worrying about the finished product.
Demae’s rendition of Kelis’ mega-hit ‘Millionaire’ refers to her homage to her love for hip-hop and SoundCloud, the platform where it all began for her. Available to stream on SoundCloud, Demae’s version of ‘Millionaire’ unravels the deep and meaningful aspect of the song. She aims to highlight the underlying messaging of today’s society’s aimless chase of money and fame, but the empty feeling might never disappear.
While uncovering new sides of Demae and her artistry, she showcases her passion for hip-hop by releasing an unofficial Madlib mixtape, ‘Maelib.’ “Madlib is part of the reason I make music,” she reveals in the interview.
Demae thrives in her own music bubble; compared to her latest EP, ‘Deliver Me,’ she works on reconnecting with her inner child. Recent singles, ‘Ain’t Easy’ and ‘Love Like This’ are sensual and blissfully soft. You can learn more about Demae in our conversation as she rides the Bakerloo line.
What were some pivotal moments from your childhood/ teenage years that shaped your relationship with music and your passion for it?
Hmm I have really random memories. Being obsessed with A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Stressed out’ featuring Faith Evans, only because I was soo intrigued with my dads vinyl needle. First time hearing Little Dragon’s ‘A New.’ That track changed the way I heard music essentially, it was a real start to making music.
How does your songwriting process look like?
A lot of voice notes and mumbles. Eventually the lyrics start to form. Kind of magical that something literally comes from nothing. Seeing the process is wild.
You studied fashion at university. How did you move on from fashion to committing to writing songs?
There was always a natural ability with music for me. A chance for me to tap into my inner child. I wasn’t amazing with fashion especially pattern cutting and I remember the competition always being intense lol so I’ve always found it more enjoyable just living in my own music bubble.
Your latest single ‘Millionaire’ was exclusively released on SoundCloud to pay tribute to the platform where it all started. Could you elaborate on the thought process behind this decision?
It’s always important to embrace/acknowledge where you came from. SoundCloud was such an amazing period for me. It was raw, no one cared how rough the track sounded as long as it had the ‘vibe’. Millionaire was one of my most played tracks at the time so it just felt natural to reintroduce it.
Who were your favourite SoundCloud artists back in the day, whose careers reached beyond the platform?
Omg I’ve gone back into my archive !! Knxwledge, Mndsgn erm and Doja Cat.
What was it about Kelis’ ‘Millionaire’, you felt compelled to release your own version for?
I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of creating and making something that already exists and sounds brand new, and I think making songs that I really love my own and dissecting it by resigning the lyrics is just a really great experience. Just to see how a song was written and especially with this song, just talking about not being satisfied with having money, reaching the pinnacle of being a millionaire, but still feeling so empty. I think the subject speaks for today’s society the things that we were told to chase, all of the vanity of fame then when you suddenly get it and it’s actually not what it seemed and you feel empty/ unfulfilled. It’s quite a deep song.
Your SoundCloud name is Demae aka Bubblerap, was Bubblereap your initial account name?
Yes ! It was an alias.
You directed the music video of your first 2025 release ‘Ain’t Easy’, how did you find the experience of being in the role of a director?
Such a pure experience. I love working with friends and it happened to be a team of all women that day so it was really powerful actually and really relaxed, really beautiful, and we’re all creative so we just love sharing ideas and experimenting. It was a really free day.
Would you like to be more involved in other aspects of creative direction?
Oh my God, yes, watch this space.
How has the material you’re working on now progressed from your 2024 EP ‘Deliver Me’?
I think this time around, I’ve been really playful and kind of reconnected with my inner child. It’s so beautiful because I think making the sound is an achievement in itself so this time around I’m really just letting myself be free and not really think about the end product too much, and be more in the moment.
You supported Jorja Smith on her tour, how was performing in front of those audiences?
It was incredible. First time I’ve performed to that amount of people. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but Jorja’s crowds are so lovely, so receptive and engaged. I know there’s a history of people not really caring about the opener, but I didn’t get any of that, so I’m really grateful that I had a fantastic first experience and much love to Jorja for taking me along with her.
After partnering up with FAMM, you released an unofficial Madlib mixtape titled ‘Maelib.’ What does this collaboration mean to you?
So sick! I think there are a lot of sides to me that people still don’t know that I’m still discovering. One of the sides of my foundation is hip-hop, Madlib is part of the reason why I make music. He is a a legend in the game, so having the chance to express myself over his music was phenomenal.
You shared a new single ‘Love Like This (cover).’ What is your connection to this song?
Love Like This is a classic song by Faith Evans. It is one of those songs that you hear at every wedding, family gathering, and house party. So for me, it’s one of those reoccurring in my life and I just re-visited it at the perfect time. I actually recorded this song maybe about seven years ago over the Jake Milliner beat. The beat really spoke to me and immediately I just heard the Faith Evans song and it matched perfectly so it just became another one of my bubblerap experiments. It’s also cool to re-introduce people who may not even know about bubblerap to me now.
What notes did you take while watching music videos back in the day on MTV Base?
A strong visual lives forever.
What else can we expect from you this year?
The unexpected.
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Words: Karolina Kramplova