The best pop stars in the world are also some of the greatest actors, oftentimes inhabiting different roles to tell specific stories. Madonna, The Spice Girls, and Britney Spears all embody this idea, inspiring artists like the Toronto-born, Métis Indigo to not only take up music, but also acting and dance as a teenager.
“That was probably the smartest thing I could have done for myself,” she says, looking back at her decision to pursue multiple disciplines. “Because now, in my music, I use all three when performing. I love dance, and I insist on having it be a part of my videos and performance. And acting is key when delivering the message behind your song.” For Indigo, the performative aspect of music doesn’t feign authenticity – it enhances it.
Indigo understands pop structure, and is very matter-of-fact when describing a successful hook: “Simplicity is everything in pop writing. Less is more.”
This may sound reductive, but Indigo’s music treats choruses with care, giving its melodies the space to shine while still building interesting layers of production around it. For example, her latest single, “The Light,” couches a punchy hook in an equally assertive beat and sparkling synths.
Her current songs are bolstered by a hip-hop sound thanks to producer Lantz (Jazz Cartier) whose “instincts are dead-on,” as Indigo says. “There’s definitely an influence of hip-hop on my music,” she adds, especially on “The Light” and a couple of upcoming tracks. After all, hip-hop’s prominence in the mainstream has dictated the direction of pop in recent years.
But Indigo says the advantage of working within the pop sphere is the ability to “add little twists of inspiration from different genres and cultures… the fluidity of pop keeps the doors open for endless possibilities.”
Much like the idols she grew up watching and listening to, Indigo’s burgeoning career is bound to go through some transformation, and we can’t wait to see what role she takes on next.