Berwyn on what to do after Charli XCX's 'Brat' summer and being "gangster"

NME

Just after he beat the likes of Charli XCX for Best Album at the Ivors 2025, Berwyn told us what to expect from 'Berwyn summer' now that 'Brat summer' is done, and shared his advice for young songwriters

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon, Berwyn. How are you doing?

00:01I'm okay, thank you. How are you, man?

00:03I'm not bad. It's a bit barmy in here, but, you know.

00:06What's this?

00:07This is my first Ivor Novello Award.

00:10First award I've ever gotten solely for the ability to write songs.

00:13I think it's the best compliment I've ever received in my entire life.

00:16What's it say on that plaque?

00:17It says...

00:18I'll read this a million times again!

00:22Berwyn, who are my best album, 22nd of May, 2025.

00:26Best album.

00:27That's huge, man.

00:28You beat some huge names for that.

00:32I think so, yeah. Charlie XCX, Lola Young, Getz.

00:35I didn't think about that part. That's ridiculous.

00:37That makes it a lot.

00:39Does that mean we're going to have a Berwyn summer?

00:41Fuck it.

00:43Why not?

00:43What would a Berwyn summer look like?

00:45Bear weed, bear barbecues, bear red stripe, music playing non-stop.

00:52And really late nights. I like late nights.

00:54I like summer nights. I go until 2 in the morning.

00:56So, yeah, we'll do loads of them.

00:58That sounds amazing. But what does this mean to you?

01:00This, for me, means a reminder that it's okay to be genuine and don't be fearful of anything.

01:07Be brave and it will always come back as a reward.

01:10I think bravery will always be rewarded.

01:11And this is a personal reminder of that.

01:14Well, I was going to ask you advice for up-and-coming singer-songwriters who might be brave, man.

01:19Be gangster. Not even brave. Be gangster.

01:21You have to be the biggest gangster in your group.

01:24It's so unapologetic and scary when you put yourself out there, talk about these big topics.

01:28You have to be a gangster. Gangsters will be too scared to do it.

01:31So you have to have that level.

01:32And if you don't, learn it.

01:34Yeah. There's a lot of conversation right now about the place of freedom of expression in music

01:38and does politics belong in music. But just say what you feel.

01:41Yeah. Simple. Yeah. And don't worry about them. Don't worry about them.

01:44They know that they rely on culture. They rely on artists and their freedom of expression.

01:49They just pick and choose when they want to moan about it, you know?

01:51Yeah.

01:51Don't worry about it.

01:52What's next for you?

01:54Like I was saying over there, I am focused on reinventing or helping the evolution of black music.

02:00Yeah. I feel this evolving for me in real time and I have no control over it.

02:04It just started happening.

02:06And so, yeah, I am committed, overly obsessed with evolving the thing that we understand to be black music.

02:13Amazing.

02:13Berwyn, congrats. Have a good night.

02:14Thank you so much.

02:15Thanks so much, man.

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