A deepdive into Portuguese-born artist Erika de Casier and her song "Delusional"

If you are into electronic beats and interesting soundscapes, I truly hope you have catched the upswing of the distinct sound of Copenhagen. But did you know that among these artists creating the sphere, is a musician born in Portugal? In this article I will dip your toes into the waters of Erika de Casier and her song Delusional. So sit down or stand up, but read, as I give you the overview of the wonderful world of Erika de Casier. Look at the bottom of this article to get a playlist with the greatest music from Copenhagen!

A rising star in Copenhagen right now and an artist who makes a great argument for the creative sound that is creating an ocean of sounds there. Finding an artist that does as much as herself is rare these days and makes her sound so uniquely hers. From writing her lyrics to producing her songs and singing, De Casier is a multitalented artist.

Let's go from the start and jump to the present. De Casier is a Portuguese-born, Danish singer who made her solo debut in 2019 with the studio album Essentials. In 2022 and 2023 she laid silently waiting for her time, while at the same time creating success in her songwriting. Only one example being that she co-wrote songs for K-pop group NewJeans, including the top chart "Super-Shy". With a rising high she hit the hammer on the nail with the success of the 2025 album Lifetime.

Delusional

On Lifetime we find the song "Delusional". This demonstrates her capacity for creating an entire atmosphere with electronically produced instrumental of her own. The success shows by itself that the world is ready for Erika de Casier. As the producer, songwriter and so of the song, she has built the wholeness of the soundscape.

Delusional is a song about the illusions of modern dating life, the blurry line between imagination and an actual connection, between the digital and the physical. It's about falling in love with a projection of a person more than the real one, about the slow madness of reading too much into messages and pictures, and in the end, convincing yourself that the spark is real.

The verse glides in softly, like a memory. There's something tenderly dangerous about the way her voice floats, sweet, holding a quiet power. Her tone feels soft like satin against bare skin. The beat underneath is minimal. Every sound is placed with intention, charged with feeling.

There's a late-night solitude here, the glow of a phone screen, the echo of a message left on "read," the internal monologue of someone caught between desire and self-awareness. De Casier turns vulnerability into a form of control. She's not begging to be loved; she's documenting her own delusion, as if saying "yes, I know I'm losing my mind, and I find a strange beauty in it".

The chorus is so sensual, so self-aware, and looping in its own repetition. It's that hypnotic breakbeat rhythm that makes you want to move, even as the lyrics sting with recognition. "Or did I imagine it?" becomes both confession and accusation.

What's so striking is how De Casier balances emotional transparency with sleek sonic polish. There's no chaos here, just clean lines and quiet confidence. It's the sound of someone who knows exactly what she's doing, both musically and emotionally.

Her production style is distinct: glassy 2000s R&B textures woven with dreamy electronic edges, the kind of sound that could live equally in a dim club or a solitary bedroom. Like nostalgia rephrased. It is this style that I would like to say is the Copenhagen distinguishable style.

The sound of a woman in control

Erika de Casier isn't just singing about heartbreak or desire (even though that would have been completely fine too). But no, De Casier is producing the architecture of it. Literally producing the electronics herself. The world of Delusional feels like something built from the inside out. It's rare to hear a female artist hold this much agency in her sound, not just lending her voice but constructing the entire world it inhabits.

The way she manipulates texture and rhythm feels almost like touch, a sonic intimacy that's deeply feminine yet absolutely modern. She doesn't scream for attention; she draws it in, effortlessly. And maybe that's what makes Delusional so intoxicating, it's not about heartbreak. Rather, it's about the performance of emotion that we can all feel in the modern dating world, about how we curate our own pain in the desire to be loved. She's both the subject and the observer, crafting herself through melody and bassline.

In an industry where women are still expected to sing, not produce, to be the muse, not the maker, De Casier's work truly feels like a breath of fresh air. She's rewriting what feminine power in music sounds like: soft-spoken but unshakably confident.

You can hear her independence in the space of the song, the precision, the patience, and the refusal to overproduce. Every choice feels deliberate.

There's a particular thrill in knowing that so many layers of this track came from her. It's not filtered through a man's interpretation, not polished by someone else's idea of what femininity should sound like. It's hers. And her autonomy and ownership shine through.

If you have a good ear for this new era of music from Copenhagen, there is no doubt that you have heard of Erika de Casier, but if you were to not have heard of her, check her out. She has more to come her way, and I would love for you to be there with me to celebrate her.

Thank you for reading!

<3 from Helene

PLAYLIST FROM PIGEONS AND PLANES:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iBf4UDHIkuX2TIBVXmNvs?si=9cafd126d4b042d9

And here is the playlist from Pigeons and Planes on Qobuz as well:

https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/42119320

Want to read more on Erika de Casier? Qobuz's Brice Miclet wrote a great review of "Still"

https://open.qobuz.com/story/2QLU4FHZIFF2BFXTNLTPHGKXYE