27 March 2025 |
It’s a slow Sunday morning in the German capital. The sunlight falls across the white kitchen table in my Berlin studio, a rare moment of warmth in our typically harsh winter. I’m preparing to speak to the Austrian chanteuse and dear friend, Sofie Royer.
A few minutes before our scheduled call, she messages me, apologising for the fact that she’ll be ten minutes late. I respond with, “Das geht sich aus” – a small but satisfying moment of Austrian connection between us both. ‘Young-Girl Illusion’ – a track from her latest album, Young-Girl Forever – plays in the background, making the studio feel even cosier when she eventually calls.
Following several shows across Europe, Royer has just returned to Vienna from a concert in Switzerland: she’s taking it easy after performing. Her voice is light and unhurried. “I’m just at my friend’s house – there’s a baby in the background. In case you hear some interesting sounds, that’s what it is.” This remark is quintessential Royer: she’s effortless, informal and has a natural wit that makes everyone feel instantly at ease. She embodies a carefree energy that belies the ambition and vision beneath the surface.
The talented artist’s musical journey started early: the singer,musician and model has both Austrian and Iranian roots and she was lucky enough to be exposed to a rich blend of cultures as she grew up. “I started playing violin at four,” she tells me. “It wasn’t exactly my decision – I was four – but my parents encouraged me. I think they wished they had had the opportunity themselves. And by the time I was old enough to understand, I actually enjoyed it. Then I started experimenting with other instruments.” Today, Royer has mastered the violin, viola, piano, bass and guitar, yet she remains typically modest about her achievements. “Violin and viola were the only ones I studied. The rest are self-taught. But I think when you play one instrument, you naturally want to try others.”
Despite her classical training, Royer’s music refuses to be confined to one simple category. Her sound lies somewhere in the realm between Baroque electro-pop, dreamlike nostalgia and a hint of ethereal mystique: she has managed to craft a sound that is uniquely hers. The ease with which she blends classical structures with contemporary aesthetics makes her a fascinating outlier in the contemporary music scene. “I just make what I want to listen to,” she explains, simply. “Maybe I should pay more attention to the industry – I could probably park the car better, metaphorically speaking – but I just do what feels right.”
Royer’s nonchalant attitude, however, doesn’t mean that she’s unaware of the challenges she faces. “The hardest thing is money,” she admits. “Touring is expensive, and streaming pays almost nothing. So much of being an artist today means finding ways to fund what you love doing.”
Her seductive sound and her personal style have made the Austrian a fashion brand- favourite; however, Royer understands that style is more than just aesthetics – it’s about storytelling. Whether on stage or in music videos, she uses fashion as a visual companion to her sonic world. “I love having a uniform on stage,” she explains. “It probably comes from classical music, where you always wear a white blouse and black skirt. I took that and made it my own: a white top, a black pony hair miniskirt that my boyfriend made for me. It’s perfect. If I had to save one piece in a fire, it’d be that skirt.” For winter touring, she relies on knee-high Prada boots. “I do a lot of dramatic drops on stage; sometimes I go a little crazy. The boots protect my knees,” she laughs.
Royer’s sartorial storytelling is accomplished and her vision is most clearly felt in her music videos. “I style them all myself,” she says. “I love referencing my favourite films – Jim Jarmusch, Bertolucci. Fashion is such a strong signifier of who you are as an artist.” She passionately believes that fashion has always been an underappreciated but vital part of the music industry. “People remember the way musicians look just as much as their sound. David Bowie, Prince, Madonna: all of them had an aesthetic that shaped how we perceived their music. It’s all interconnected.”
For this inaugural issue, Royer has collaborated exclusively with Chanel for a shoot, inspired by Marlene Dietrich and shot on the outskirts of Paris. Does she see herself in the icon? “She was uncompromising,” she muses. “I’d like to think I have that in me. She had longevity, too. She was still working so late in life. That says a lot about her. And her eyebrows – amazing!”
And for the artist, how does it feel to be embraced by such a legendary luxury house? “I love working with Chanel,” she says, with feeling. “They have such a strong identity. Playful but elegant. Also, I’ve been lucky to get a few amazing pieces for touring.”
One standout memory for her was an ensemble she wore for her performance at the Philharmonie de Paris in June last year. “They had these gloves– almost like opera gloves but without fingers. They sparkled under the stage lights. Chanel knows how to make something classic and fun at the same time. That’s exactly my vibe.”
When I ask Royer who her dream collaborator would be, I fully expect her to name an international legend – perhaps someone from the experimental or avant-garde pop scenes. But her answer surprises me. “Lilith Stangenberg,” she says, without hesitation. “She’s a German actress I love. She did these songs for her films recently, and they’re incredible. Working with her would be a dream.”
It’s an unexpected answer. In a world where many artists look to America or to the UK for inspiration, Royer’s choice of a German creative feels refreshingly different. It also serves to highlight a larger issue – the underappreciation of German artists in the wider cultural conversation. It’s a rare and welcome thing to hear someone in music give a nod to the talent coming from the German-speaking world.
When asked about dream collaborations with artists from the past, Royer simply shrugs off the idea. “I think dead collaborations are kind of boring, because they can never happen,” she says with a laugh. It’s a typically pragmatic response. Her artistic vision is grounded in the present, making what feels right in the moment rather than romanticising lost possibilities.
Many struggle to categorise Royer’s music: her sound exists in a space of its own. Asked to describe her work in three words, she pauses before answering with a smile. “Playful. Timeless. Maybe a little sexy.” What does she hope listeners take away from her songs? “I just want to give people a chance to daydream,” she says. “We live in a time where everything is so prescriptive. I want my music to leave space for people to project their own dreams onto it. Whatever they make of it, that’s what it is.”
She pauses for a moment. “I think music should be a space where people can escape for a little while, step out of reality and find something personal within it. It’s not about telling people how to feel, but rather giving them the room to feel however they want.”
The artist also reflects on the role of nostalgia. “A lot of what I write comes from memories – fragments of things that stick with you, whether it’s a place, a certain kind of light, or even a smell. I love the idea that a song can transport you, that it can become part of someone’s life in a way that’s unique to them. That’s the most magical part of making music.”
When thinking about the future, Royer’s goals remain refreshingly simple. “I just want to keep doing this,” she says. “That’s all I want.” For her, longevity matters more than instant success. She wants to continue making music on her own terms, shaping a career that allows her the freedom to explore, experiment and evolve.
Prioritising artistry over virality and embracing steady evolution in her sound is the path Royer has chosen. She’s resisting the pressure for a quick algorithmic win. “I’m not interested in chasing trends or trying to go viral overnight,” she says. “I think a lot of artists feel like they have to play into that system, but I’d rather build something lasting.”
Taken from 10 Magazine DE Issue 01 – MUSIC, TALENT, CREATIVE – on newsstands now.
Text BENJAMIN SCHIFFER
Photographer ALEXANDRA ALVAREZ GARCIA
Fashion Editor VERONIKA HEILBRUNNER
Talent SOFIE ROYER
Hair BENEDICTE CAZAU-BEYRET
Make-up ELENA BETTANELLO at Julian Watson Agency
Make-up assistant MANUELA HORN
Executive producer NICOLAS SCHWAIGER
Producer JOELLE FLACKE
Clothing and accessories throughout by CHANEL
