After more than two decades in the music industry, Danish pop star Jon is experiencing a remarkable new chapter. Following the global success of ‘Turn The Lights Off’, Jon reunites with Jaxstyle for ‘What Are We Gonna Do’ — a fresh, dancefloor-ready reimagining of The O’Jays’ ‘Now That We Found Love’. With the track already generating plenty of love in Australia, Futuremag caught up with Jon to talk nostalgia, his creative process with Jaxstyle, the Australian artists on his radar and whether we might finally see him Down Under.
Futuremag: Congratulations on the new release. You’re following the enormous success of ‘Turn The Lights Off’ with ‘What Are We Gonna Do’. Did that success create any pressure around what would come next?
Jon: No. I started in music 25 years ago and if I was a young new artist, it probably would be something I would be thinking about. But now, no, I just enjoy the ride and I’m extremely happy about the good things happening.
Futuremag: Why was The O’Jays’ ‘Now That We Found Love’ the song you wanted to reimagine?
Jon: I’ve been wanting to do it for five or six years. I started working with samples during COVID and these reimaginations of old songs have been something I’ve been coming back to again and again. I have this list of great sample ideas — some are choruses, some melody lines, some based on instrumentals — but I like playing around with old songs, and this is just a great chorus.
Futuremag: There’s obviously a lot of nostalgia attached to a song like that. How do you balance honouring the original while making it feel like your own?
Jon: I work with a really good team of writers. I can write songs myself, but it’s not nearly as good as when I do it with the guys I work with. When I have a sample idea, I turn to them and they basically build it. Then I go in and fix small things. Sometimes I have more of a template of what I want to do from the beginning, and other times I just let them play around with it. I trust my team.
Futuremag: You’re working with Jaxstyle again. What makes him such an exciting collaborator?
Jon: He’s an extremely exciting artist. I manage him too, and the exciting thing about him is his youth, his virality, his craziness and his hunger. I can look through his eyes and see everything for the first time, which is extremely inspiring. I’ve been doing this for 25 years, so I’ve seen a lot. Bringing in new blood and working with him is just fresh and a great experience.
Futuremag: ‘Turn The Lights Off’ has been huge in Australia. Have you been surprised by how much love you’ve received from the other side of the world?
Jon: Of course. I’m always surprised when I see countries supporting the single where I haven’t been or where they don’t know about me. I’ve seen support in countries like Ukraine, where I’ve never set foot, and it’s unbelievable thinking about people listening to your music all over the world.
Australia is obviously amazing too. People are going to nightclubs, dancing to it, maybe having their first kiss with the love of their lives to it. It’s great being part of people’s soundtrack of their lives. Even though it’s just a small part, I hope that we create an impact that brings some joy to people out there.
Futuremag: So, with that Australian support, does that mean there’s a chance we might see you perform here?
Jon: I’ve actually had some offers from Australia for shows, which I’m looking at still. I have a schedule that I need to work out, but I’d love to go.
I have a distant cousin living in Sydney and I’ve heard so much about the country. I’ve had friends working there and living there, and a lot of Danish students are going for a year and travelling around your amazing country. I would love to see it for myself.
My grandmother went there on her last big trip before she died. She brought me home this small bag of red sand, some stones and pictures of her and koalas. I really want to go and experience it myself.
Futuremag: If you make it Down Under, are there any Australian artists or producers you’d love to work with?
Jon: We’re released on the same label as CYRIL, whom we obviously follow. I think he’s a really cool character. Dom Dolla is obviously also an extremely interesting artist. I listen to a lot of his songs.
But it doesn’t matter where they’re from as long as the music is great. If there are great songs in Australia, I’m happy to work with anyone having a great song out there.
Futuremag: You’ve spoken about the importance of choosing a song over someone’s profile or social media following. Why is that so important to you?
Jon: For me, it’s more about the songs than the names, brands or profiles. I don’t care about social media following. I think it’s a big mistake that people look at this before they consider signing an artist or a song. I always go for the song.
Futuremag: You’ve described this period as more of a miracle than a comeback. What does this new chapter feel like for you?
Jon: I never really thought of myself as being in and out of it. I didn’t think I was going to sing that much anymore because I was more focused on the business of running other artists’ careers. But ‘Turn The Lights Off’ catapulted me back, and now my numbers are bigger than all the artists.
I’ve been travelling a lot with the single, visiting places I thought I might not go to again. Being in Paris, being number five on the airplay chart and hearing the song in a taxi while I passed the Eiffel Tower while it was twinkling — that’s just a memory I’ll carry with me forever.
I see it more as an extreme miracle. I just take all of it in and have as much fun with it as I can.
Futuremag: And finally, what’s next for you?
Jon: Next year is my 25th anniversary in music, so I’m going to do some things around that anniversary and create a lot of music. But right now I just want to sing. I’m talking to a lot of different DJ acts that need singers on their new releases, so let’s see what happens.
I’m going to put out a lot of music.