Musician Blanks Reveals the Meaning of Nothing Lasts Forever and That’s OK Debut Album
We've been following Dutch musician and YouTuber Simon de Wit, better known online as Blanks, for years now, so we couldn't be more excited that his debut album is finally here.
The album, Nothing Lasts Forever and That's OK, is out today, Oct. 29, bringing together the very best of Blanks and his versatile writing style, and we think his fans are going to be very pleased with the result. We got the chance to chat with Blanks about the new collection of songs, his expectations and what its unusual title means to him. Keep reading for those answers and more, in Blanks' own words.
Sweety High: What does it mean to you to finally be able to release this debut album? How do you feel like it's the perfect embodiment of you as an artist right now?
Blanks: I'm so excited to finally share all the songs with my fans, I love it! The goal with this album was to show my full musical palette, so besides the "overexcited music boy" songs, I also worked on ballads and slower songs, dove into production and songwriting in a way I hadn't before and challenged myself to come up with a concept and make everything cohesive. I wanted to make the best album I could make. And I think I delivered! It sounds just like me: from upbeat happy tracks to mid-tempo ballads to a heartfelt closer.
SH: What does the name Nothing Lasts Forever and That's OK mean to you? Why do you feel like people are so attached to the idea of forever, and why is it actually freeing to let go of that?
Blank: I have so many memories that I'll never forget (summer nights with friends, going to Paris with a loved one, people you meet over summer, get really close with and then never see again) that I wish I could relive and feel exactly the same, as many people would want, but I can't. This always makes me feel happy and sad at the same time: the memories make me feel great reminiscing about them, but also somewhat sad. I learned the Portuguese have a word for this emotion, "saudade," and when I learned about it I related to the feeling immediately!
For me, realizing something possibly won't last forever helps me enjoy it more fully in the present moment. If you realize this moment can become one of your favorite memories that you get to experience only once, let's make sure you enjoy it as much as you can!
SH: Do you feel like there's a major theme running across the songs on the album? If so, what is it, and how does it tie into the title?
Blanks: Nostalgia is a big theme on the album. All the songs have been inspired by memories I'll never forget. Those memories are in the past and I can't relive those, which resulted in the title Nothing Lasts Forever And That's OK.
SH: Do you have any favorite moments from the album's recording process?
Blanks: Yes! "Never Have I Ever" was written during a Zoom session with Joonas Parkkonen in Finland and Eirik Næss in the Maldives. Joonas would send over instrumental ideas and Eirik and I would both record as many vocal melody ideas we could come up with. Afterward, we listened to all of these and picked out the best ones. The crazy thing is that Eirik was doing all of this while sitting on a beach! It brought some good vibes!
SH: Do you have a favorite track on the album? If so, which one?
Blanks: It changes now and then, but I really love "I'm Sorry" at the moment. I love that it shows a completely different (musical) side of me. But I also really love "What You Do To Me" and "Except For You"!
SH: What's your favorite lyric from that track, and why?
Blanks: My favorite lyric from "I'm Sorry" is, "I can't spend my life with everybody else." It just sums up all the emotions in the song!
SH: What do you hope people take away from the album?
Blanks: I hope they'll let it be the soundtrack of some of their memories. I hope they feel it in their chest, get excited and put it on when going on a road trip with their friends.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Blanks: I would just like to thank all my fans, without them I wouldn't be where I am right now!
Want even more from Blanks? Click HERE to read our interview with Blanks on the song "Never Have I Ever."