A YouTube sensation, song-writing mentor, talented artist. It’s safe to say Simon de Wit, AKA Blanks, who hails from the Netherlands, has in recent years, become a name and a face on the radar of millions around the world. Having earned himself a lot of attention from critics and music fans this year through releasing a number of singles and their accompanying visuals, later this month, he’ll drop his long-awaited debut album ‘Nothing Lasts Forever And That’s OK’ before heading off on a UK and European tour. With a busy few months ahead, PopWrapped caught up with Blanks to find out his favourite song on the upcoming collection, the message he hopes to get across through it and what he’s looking forward to in 2022.

How’d you come up with the title of your album ‘Nothing Lasts Forever And That’s OK’? 

I learned about the Portuguese word ‘saudade’ when I was visiting friends who were traveling there for a year. Saudade, as Wikipedia explains it, stands for “a melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for, often carrying a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again.” I immediately recognized this feeling. I have so many favorite memories, I love reminiscing about them, but there’s always this nostalgic, melancholic feeling: it will never be like that again! But at the same time, I realized that every new memory can potentially become such a memory! When I talked about this to a friend of mine, he just said: “so basically you could say nothing lasts forever and that’s ok right?”. And as soon as he said it, I was like: “that’s gonna be the album title!” And here we are!

Could you pick your favourite song on ‘Nothing Lasts…’ and if so, which is it and why? 

That’s such a hard question, I love every song on the album. However, if I had to choose, I think “I’m Sorry” and “Except For You” are my favourite songs. They are a little different compared to most of the music I make, and both are written from a very personal experience, which makes them both extra special to me. 

What do you want listeners to take from the album? Is there any particular story or message you’re hoping to get across?

I hope people can find comfort in the idea of “Nothing Lasts Forever And That’s OK”. Some memories you make, you’ll cherish forever, and it’s ok that you’ll never experience something exactly like that again – that’d be kinda boring too right? I hope they will realize that by being present, you can enjoy and make the most out of every moment. And if my music can play a part in those moments and memories, that would be even cooler!

‘Nothing Lasts…’ has 5 thematic accompanying videos. Where did the idea to create them – each a chapter in a coming-of-age love story – come from and how would you say they influence/heighten the impact of the songs and the album as a whole?

A lot of very special memories are made during that coming-of-age era. You’re going to college, getting into a serious relationship, experiencing a lot of new things: it’s a rollercoaster of first times, that will be special memories for the rest of your life. The album tells a summer-of-love/coming-of-age story in two parts. The first half of ‘Nothing Lasts’ is telling the story as it develops, present time. The songs can be considered as the soundtrack of making those memories. The second half of the album is reminiscing on those memories. The songs are more about reminiscing, the sound more melancholic. For the music videos, I wanted to take the first half of the album – the actual story – And make it into a sort of “Netflix show”: something you can binge. I wanted it to be a story with characters that people get invested in while treating the songs of the album as if they were the soundtrack of this show. That way, the songs already have some weight, by being part of this narrative.

You’ve been a presence on social media for around a decade, having launched your YT channel ‘Music By Blanks’ in 2013, now with 1.3M subscribers, and have a combined following of over 500K on IG, TT and FB, together with almost 3.5m likes on TikTok. How do you personally feel about the boom in social media in recent years, and much of society’s seeming reliance on it? Do you think you could have earned the fanbase and support you have without them – is it possible for anyone to do so in this day and age? 

I owe a lot, if not everything, to social media The people that decided to follow me are the reason I can do what I do. Without social media, I wouldn’t have the fanbase and support I have right now. I still think it is possible for someone to grow a fanbase without it, but you have to accept that it will be much and much slower – nowadays people discover new artists online! I love how everyone has an equal chance of getting their music heard, even though it’s so much more saturated. I still believe that if you create great and authentic content, you will stand out. 

You were catapulted to global stardom back in 2018 when you covered Post Malone’s “Better Now” for ‘Style Swap’ – why did you choose to cover that song in particular and did you ever imagine it’d earn the response that it has? 

I was a big fan of the new Post Malone album, and especially of that track – but it wasn’t as big as it would become yet. The cover just happened: I had no plan or idea. I found myself playing the chords using an FM Piano, a classic 80s synth, and something clicked in my head. I think I created the cover and video in one or two days, and remember showing it to my mom – a tough critic – who absolutely loved it, so I thought it would do pretty well, but it actually did very badly at first. It wasn’t till two weeks later when it started to pop up on meme-pages on Instagram and Facebook, and then it started to blow up haha!

You’ve been championed and featured by the likes of MTV and Earmilk. How do you find the growing interest and attention in and on you and your music, and do you care much what critics and the like think?

It feels so surreal, but I love it! As for the critics: I want to make something I like, but it feels extra good if critics like it too! 

What’s the nicest thing someone’s ever said or written about you and your music?

Recently, Arjan Timmermans, the former head of Apple Music, shared my song “Never Have I Ever” in his weekly music update: “Another glorious number by the up-and-coming Dutchman. Bursting with a bittersweet melody. This is what great pop is made of.” Reading that made my week!

You also host your own production and song-writing and mentor class on[RH1]  Monthly. What made you want to do that and how have you found it to be so far, both in terms of hosting the classes and the feedback you’ve had?

When I started producing, I spent so many hours trying to find the right videos, but it was so hard. I wish there could’ve been one person who explained everything to me in a fun way: insert my class! I know a lot of the people who follow me are also interested in learning how to write and produce music. When Monthly approached me to make a class together, it was a no-brainer. Since then, I’ve received so much great feedback from people who took the class about how they learned so much in one month. It’s really nice to not only inspire but also help people with their start in this craft. And who knows, the next top producer might emerge from my class, that would be incredible…

You’ve got a European and UK tour kicking off in November. What can anyone coming to see you expect from a Blanks show, and given how so many tours have been cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic, just how excited are you to be getting out on the road again?

I am SO EXCITED! Last year I had time to write the album and focus on other things, but I really missed the real-life connection with my fanbase! With all the extra rehearsals and new music, I seriously can’t WAIT to start touring and I feel like I’m more ready than ever! And what to expect? A lot of overexcited dancing, screaming every lyric together and good vibes! I want everyone to go home with a smile, feeling good about themselves.

Is there any particular venue you’re most looking forward to playing? 

At the end of November, we’re playing a legendary venue in Amsterdam, Paradiso – and it’s sold out! Artists like Prince, Bowie and The Cure played there, and now I am; that’s just crazy to me! And also because it’s my country!

Finally then, with the album out and the tour coming up, what’s next on your to-do/bucket list? Have you started looking ahead to 2022 yet or are you just enjoying the ride you’re on as each day comes along? 

I’m definitely enjoying the ride, but I’m also looking ahead. Some goals or dreams for next year: a bigger tour, I’d love to go to the USA, write a lot of new Blanks music, work on music with and for other people, but most importantly: have fun! I want to wake up every day and feel stoked to do whatever the day brings me!

Give ‘Nothing Lasts Forever And That’s OK’ a listen below and for more information on Blanks, give his page a like on Facebook or follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Header photo credit: Jantina Talsma.