For an aspiring artist, having a runaway hit that kickstarts the summer and becomes as inescapably huge as Peggy Gou’s “(It Goes Like) Nanana” would be a dream come true. But as sure as night follows day, every artist who scores such a hit soon finds out that the pressure to follow it up with something at least as successful is almost unbearable. The history of popular music is littered with careers that buckled under the pressure. That isn’t lost on Peggy Gou, but she has an impressively stoic attitude.
Her new single, ”Find The Way” arrived this month after premiering in the grounds of a single masseria—an old fortified stone farmhouse—in Southern Italy’s Valle d’Itria where just 500 fans had gathered for an intimate set from the Berlin-based Korean DJ. Her first new track since her debut album, I Hear You, and it plays to all her strengths with throwback ‘90s hallmarks, sunny melodies, and a good dose of low-end thump to rattle through the spartan Italian countryside.
The new track also marked the beginning of a new partnership between Gou and COKE STUDIO™, an initiative launched by Coca-Cola to unite emerging talents on the cusp of breaking through with global stars like Gou, Korean pop megastars New Jeans, and Colombian reggaeton icon Karol G on the same platform.
Right before Gou hit the decks, Complex caught up with star producer/selector to discuss her collaboration with COKE STUDIO™, how she deals with the pressure of following a viral mega-hit, and how house music is finding its footing in Korea.
COMPLEX: First things first, how did the partnership with COKE STUDIO™ come about?
Coca-Cola has this new project that they're doing, COKE STUDIO™ where they work with a group of amazing artists that they’ve chosen from all over the world: New Jeans, Karol G, and me. I thought the artists that they chose were incredible, and I'm very thrilled to be part of it and to release a song. This music project, it sounds great. Basically, we will all be releasing music and it's been really collaborative. You know what? When we did the first Zoom interview, I just realised that we were on the same page because they wanted to create something for my supporters and fans to have a unique experience and go to unique events like today.
You still manage yourself, right? What are your criteria for deciding whether or not to work on a project like this? Presumably, it's not just the money?
No, I literally decide everything that I do. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I don't have a manager. I do have a great team, though, and they handle a lot of the management side. Basically, I always go back to the same question: will I enjoy it? Also, they had very different artists involved: New Jeans, Karol G and me. It's very different.
The last few years have been massive for you. How do you do all of that but still handle all the other aspects of the business?
I ask myself that a lot, and I’m not sure. I just do it. I’m one of those people who doesn't know how to do nothing. To be honest, it never gets overwhelming. I do alright. I love it. You have to, though. When I go to Korea to see my dad, I'm like, that's why! You're just like me! He wakes up at 6:00 am. He's one of those people who likes to do three or four things at once. He doesn't like to waste time. I think I got that gene.
Will it ever reach a point where you will have to bring on a manager to handle the workload, or is it just a question of getting the right team?
Yeah, I think it depends on what you want as an artist. I know what I want, but at some point I will probably need help so I can focus more on my music. Right now, I do a lot of different things as an artist. I do think it's possible to stay self-managed—I hate the word impossible—because the most important thing is having the right team around you.
You get booked for a lot of different kinds of shows, from huge-scale EDM fesitvals to underground clubs and so on. How much do you adjust your sets for the audience?
I like that question! I'd like to be an artist who can play a massive festival like Time Warp one day and a smaller club like Robert Johnson or a fashion event the next. But you only learn how to play and what music works in each venue by doing it. I remember the first time I was in America, I didn't feel like I was doing a great job at all when I first started DJing there. House and techno is growing there now, but when I went there for the first time, I felt like they didn't really know what music I was playing. But EDC, for example, and Miami, they were very big moments for me. They appreciate this type of music a bit more. I actually love going to America even more these days.
But do you find yourself playing different sets there?
Yeah, definitely. It's the same in Italy. It can be completely different from one part of a country to another, even within different parts of the same city. Some places are more into techno, some are more into disco. I know what works a bit more in the UK and America as well. Same goes for Asia, but that all comes over 10 years of experience as a DJ.
So what can we expect tonight?
First of all, it's going to be very different to yesterday [Panorama Festival]. That was like a 30,000-person festival, and tonight is a very intimate, small house party. That's different, but I wouldn't say it's easier. When it's smaller, it's up close and personal. You feel the energy more directly. I'm a person who's sensitive to energies in general, and that's why I love what I do.
We hear a lot about Korean culture—K-Pop, K-Drama—and how immensely popular it is around the world. What's the Korean house music scene like?
I created Korean house music! What are you talking about? I am K house music!
Okay, but beyond Peggy. It can't just be you, right?
Beyond Peggy there was really no K-House.
Really?
Not really. They started calling my music K-House for the first time. I mean, of course, there was house music, but in Korea, we don't really have this rave culture. Growing up there, when I was 15 and 19, I didn't listen to K-Pop. There was EDM, there was hip-hop and stuff like that, but there was no rave culture really. Now this type of music is growing very fast in Korea. I was supposed to be doing a show in Korea recently, but the organisers oversold the tickets, so the show had to shut down. I was very, very sad, but I was very touched by how many people came to see.
I saw that.
It was cool to see that there were so many kids that were so desperate to see me. It's interesting though. It's coming out. They're not used to it, but I'm trying to... I don't want to say the word educate, but when I do interviews in Korea, they tell me that they're not used to this type of music. They find it hard to dance to it!
For real?
There's definitely an appetite for it, and that's exciting, but they're not used to it. It is growing, though, and that's a very positive thing.
Changing the subject a bit, you famously collaborated with Lenny Kravitz on “I Believe In Love Again” for the album. Are there any other surprise, left-field collaborations that you have stored up on your hard drive that you can tell us about?
No, I don't do a lot of collaborations, but I actually really enjoy it. Even if it's difficult and it's a long process. One of the most exciting and difficult parts was collaborating. I learned a lot by doing that. It was not an easy process, but it's the thing I’m most proud of. I mean, Lenny Kravitz? Come on! He's a legend. Now that the album is done and out there, I've been thinking about doing more collaborations. I actually made a list of people that I want to collaborate with. It doesn't even have to be just music. It could be artwork, it could be brands. I just think collaboration brings out something very unique. It brings you into a new place you hadn't considered before.
So, what else have you got coming up on your record label, Gudu Records? Anything that you can talk to us about?
“Find The Way” is the first single that I'm releasing in a long time after my album. We have a lot of great artists, and it's my baby. I feel very special to have this label. I have had bad experiences with labels in the past, and we really wanted to have a platform where nobody experienced what I experienced before. So I support all the artists however they want. I gave them I have a lot of amazing artists from all over the world. I have a lot of Italian artists, some Korean artists. It's growing.
Do you ever get the chance to check out the local scenes when you visit a new country?
I'm quite lucky to be in a position where a lot of people send me demos. I'm going to be honest, when I'm on tour, I usually don't have time to go and look for something new all the time. Even when I’m not playing, I go out to see other DJs and to learn. Generally, when I want to support other artists or younger artists, I do it through my platform.
So part of the reason we're here is to hear your new single, "Find The Way", which is essentially the first new track you've released since "(It Goes Like) Nanana" and the album. Were you thinking about that when you made it?
Well, that was the first single to be released from the album so other singles came after, which I think helped. But I had never had a hit song before so I definitely felt a lot of pressure. Then I realised that what's important is not making a hit because it sometimes comes unexpectedly. I learned that I should just keep on doing what I love. Maybe it can be another hit one day.
Were you surprised by how huge it was?
Of course, I could never have predicted this. I wanted to make a song that's catchy, and I wanted people to recognise my song. When they hear it, it sounds like a Peggy Gou song instantly. But at the same time, when that happens it puts so much pressure on you. Like, what do I do next? But then at the same time, I knew if I kept thinking this way, I wouldn't be able to do anything. It's important just for me to just believe in my instincts and just keep on going. It's not about making a hit all the time. It's about actually doing what I love and something I can be proud of. That's the one thing I wanted to make.