It’s an extended method to the highest. Simply ask VASSY.
With a slew of Billboard No. 1s, billions of streams, a particular efficiency on an NBA court docket, and collaborations with the likes of Afrojack, David Guetta, and Tiesto, the Australian singer and songwriter is correct on the peak of EDM. And he or she’s travelled additional than anybody to get there.
VASSY (born Vassy Karagiorgos) grew up in a Greek family, and calls Darwin dwelling, the distant, high finish capital of Australia’s Northern Territory. Inhabitants — 150,000, or thereabouts.
Now based mostly in america, VASSY grabbed her personal slice of historical past final month when she gained the Icon Award on the 2023 EDMAs in Miami, changing into the primary girl to take action.
That newest honor got here after she reigned over the Media Base Dance Radio Chart with “Items,” the sweetness and light-weight membership quantity with Bingo Gamers and Disco Fries. “Items” went to No. 3 on Billboard’s Dance/Combine Present Airplay chart.
“It truly is so particular, to be acknowledged by my neighborhood and acknowledged in that means. I simply really feel actually proud as a result of I’m the primary girl to ever obtain an Icon Award,” she tells Billboard. “Look, the dance style is so male-driven. I imply, it’s a boy’s membership, let’s be actual. And it’s a DJ-driven style. And I’m not a DJ, I’m definitely not a boy, despite the fact that I might be a tomboy, however undoubtedly not a boy,” she says with fun.
“I simply wish to open that door now.” The door that permits feminine artists to be recognised for his or her function, maybe their iconic function, in a DJ-fueled tradition. “It simply makes me actually proud.”
Satisfaction has created a robust inner pressure for VASSY. Her father died 20 years in the past, however continues to supply inspiration.
“He taught me a tough work ethic,” she recounts. After finishing a level in structure, which noticed her saddled with over A$150,000 in pupil debt, VASSY moved forward with fulfilling her goals. “I needed to determine it out. I actually needed to determine it out alone.”
Roughly ten years in the past, she took the leap to america, re-starting from scratch. “The factor that I’m essentially the most pleased with is that I did every little thing with integrity. That’s so necessary, as a result of I owe my father that. He labored so laborious, as an immigrant to Australia, to provide us the life that he couldn’t have. So I’ve to honor my father’s legacy.”
She has completed that, and extra.
Across the time of her relocation, VASSY in 2013 turned the primary Australian artist to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Membership Songs chart together with her solo quantity “We Are Younger.”
Her hit the next yr, 2014’s “Unhealthy” with David Guetta and Showtek, has eclipsed one billion streams on YouTube, and a whopping two billion performs throughout all platforms.
She’s gone on to land six No. 1s on Billboard’s Dance Membership Songs chart (together with “Unhealthy” and 2018’s “Misplaced” with Afrojack that includes Oliver Rosa), she’s had songs synced to movie and TV, together with the trailer for Disney’s Frozen, and joined APRA AMCOS’ The 1,000,000,000 Checklist (she’s an envoy for the PRO).
An artist album is one thing VASSY and her teammates are “speaking about proper now.” However first, a batch of recent information are within the pipeline. “Now we have so many alternative issues happening proper now,” she admits. Choices will have to be made on whether or not any of these forthcoming tracks will seem on an LP, and “then who we do the album with? We haven’t determined but. However there’s lots of new conversations going down proper now that in a second.”
VASSY headlined Sydney World Satisfaction final month, additional exhibits and tour dates are on the playing cards, together with a return go to to Australia for a competition in June. And a few additional alternatives with the NBA are within the offing. Extra on that to come back.
This EDM icon has sound recommendation. Errors, make them. Unhealthy enterprise relationships, get out of them. Keep centered, be a boss, imagine.
“I at all times say to the women, be a boss. Don’t be bossy, however be a boss and know what you need, what you don’t need,” VASSY explains.
“The rejections will come; rejections are merely redirections. Each single rejection I’ve acquired in my profession has really been a blessing in disguise.”
When she got here to America, “I used to be younger, I obtained burned, I obtained exploited, made errors. And right here I’m, like an icon. And I simply wish to encourage different those that you are able to do it, you possibly can actually observe your goals. And never simply in music, however in something. When you imagine in your self.”
