FILLY’s Debut EP Is A Clear Sign of a Eurodance Summer

The dance floor isn’t dead, Charli. At least, FILLY’s isn’t. With the release of her latest EP, Music So Loud I Can’t Hear A Thing, we’re definitely gearing up for a pulse-pounding summer. After years of writing for other people and imagining her own music videos, FILLY isn’t giving this baby away. 

Instead, she’s actively participating in the revival of the Eurodance genre. And perhaps we have Justin Bieber to thank (#Bieberchella) – watching his YouTube videos when she was younger inspired her to start singing too, she says, and after being gifted a microphone and computer for Christmas, the rest was written in the stars. Eurodance dominated the charts in the 80s and 90s, especially in Central Europe, and ‘Taxi Driver,’ my favourite out of the four tracks, perfectly reinterprets the distinct sound of early-2000s eurodance, adapted to the present, clearly demonstrating why the genre still resonates today. Because, for FILLY, music and dance have always been a form of community, of connection, and of resistance.

“I saw this quote that was like, ‘Dancing is a form of resistance.” I think in these times we live in, it’s just really, really important to have this community and to feel joy and be together and move together, and dance together and support the right communities in a sense.”

Originally from a small town in Germany, she’d moved to the Austrian capital, where she found herself surrounded by the right people, who pushed her to pursue her own artist project. Vienna has a shy music scene. “People are hiding in Vienna,” she told me with a smile, but it’s definitely present. The city gives a lot to experiment with, and there’s an abundance of cool music and people; you just need to know where to find them.

Listening to the radio with her mother really put her in contact with the genre. But the magic of Pop, in her opinion, lies in the combination of a few things: the structure, the sound, and the world that it creates when you bring in different genres. This magic is what pushed her to not feel too confined by what some may expect of Pop; to her, “Pop music is all about having fun and not overthinking too much.”

The vision for Music So Loud I Can’t Hear A Thing took shape gradually after the making of some of the initial songs – “At the start it’s a bit difficult to figure out where to place them,” she says, “but later it kind of falls into place and makes more sense.” The EP earns its title after an experience-filled year in which, at the end of the day, FILLY wishes to put music first. While the vision was created progressively, evolving alongside the songs it would contain and crafting the way they would be released, the title served as a guide to navigate and trust her gut feeling, staying true to what she thinks is good. And the visuals don’t disappoint – each track has its own music video, filled with fast-paced scenes to match the beat and with vibrant colours that have you itching to be dancing in a club on a summer night. 

After starting her career writing for others, Music So Loud I Can’t Hear A Thing feels like an exhale after that. It’s an EP that’s forged on community and dancing, and makes all your worries melt away after the beat drops. If the dance floor is where we find each other again, especially in ever-changing times like the present, then FILLY’s music is a good place to start.

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