Istanbul and the rest of the world is buzzing with football fever as the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in the Turkish city prepares to host the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night. English champions Manchester City will square off against Italian giants Inter Milan for the ultimate European club football glory. Before the action starts on the pitch, there will be plenty to enjoy off it in the pre-match Pepsi Kickoff Show, featuring a special guest: Swedish DJ Alesso. He will light up the stadium with his beats along with Anitta and Burna Boy. In an exclusive conversation with My Kolkata, Alesso gets candid about his journey, the energy building up to the final, his tryst with football, the Zlatan effect and more.
The UEFA Champions League trophy
My Kolkata (MK): How's the energy going into the high-octane night and what does the set-list look like ?
DJ Alesso (DA): It's building up to be a massive show. There's going to be a lot of things happening — fireworks, a big sing-along moment… I don't want to divulge a lot. A grand evening awaits us and I can't wait to get out there and perform. It's a huge honour for me to share the stage with Annita and Burna Boy and play my music. I hope everyone will enjoy it as much as I will. I'm a bit nervous, but it's gonna be fun and electric out there. It's gonna be a big night.
MK: What has been your relationship with football over the years?
DA:I used to play football when I was a kid, and I've always followed the sport. I have tried to attend as many games as I can in person, be it of the Swedish national team or club matches. I remember going to San Siro and experiencing the grand Milan derby in person, which was a crazy experience. And certainly, I have been following Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his career very closely. He's been a big inspiration to a lot of Swedish people, and also for me. I love the game.
Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul prepares to host the UEFA Champions League final on Saturday night
MK: Could you let us in on the Zlatan effect, in your country and across the world?
DA: He has been one of the biggest inspirations for anyone in sports in Sweden. He is the guy who broke all the norms of accepted behaviour in Sweden. He is unorthodox in his approach towards everything, which was something happening for the first time in Sweden. If he said he'd do something, he would go out there and get it done. It was all about his confidence, something very new in sports in Sweden. He inspired a lot of people, and for me as well, his mentality has always been a huge inspiration for me. His hard work, passion, approach towards career… It's sad that we won't be able to see Zlatan play anymore, but at the same time, following his journey this closely has been nothing short of incredible.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic iStock photograph
MK: Any particular memory of your favourite footballer or your favourite club that you can share with us?
DA: As I said, I remember when I went to Milan, and watched AC Milan against Inter at San Siro, it was one of the craziest memories and experiences I have had the fortune of being a part of. Inside the stadium, it was a separate world altogether and all that mattered inside was football. There was so much energy. I'll never forget how wild it was inside San Siro, with people screaming, singing and dancing.
Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi and (right) Pep Guardiola of Manchester City
MK: How does it feel to be collaborating with Pepsi on such a huge stage?
DA: It's a global brand and as you say, it's a huge stage. I am honoured to partner with them and actualise this performance. Just being here and experiencing all of what is happening — the buzz and the craze, is frankly crazy. It's a global event, and I'm honoured to be a part of it.
MK: Rolling back the years, Heroes was an explosive hit across the world and especially in India. How did that single happen?
DA: I had heard about Tove Lo through my label in Sweden. I was looking for someone to write with and make a way into my next big song. We met each other and liked the vibe and presented her with this instrumental. We started working on it. She wrote something and came back to me. And it was absolutely amazing. I had certainly pictured it to be something bigger than just a dance single for a big stage, something that was explosive and made everybody come together. She really understood the assignment with the lyrics, and the entire process that followed. It all happened in Sweden and it's been one of the most fun records to work on.
The excitement builds up at Atatürk Olympic Stadium
MK: How do you think your ideas and music have evolved over the years?
DA: It has been about different experiences. You learn so much from everybody that you work with. In the beginning, when I worked with Calvin Harris on Under Control, he taught me a lot of things about songwriting. Working with Tove Lo was an amazing experience as well. In the future, when I work with other artistes, I want to share my experience as well. It's a symbiotic process. In a way, all the collaborations have helped me learn something new. I love that about music. You never finish learning. Every experience teaches you something. Hopefully, my ideas and music have matured a lot over the years. I can say that I balance between strictly Dance and Pop-Spotify friendly music, and I love to do both. I make music for my shows, the stage. Even with the latter, I remix and adapt in tune with the performances I have lined up.
MK: Any plans of coming to India soon?
DA: Oh yes, of course. I love coming to India. My friend Martin Garrix was on tour recently and it was massive. It reminded me of how massive and great it usually is in India. At this moment, I have nothing planned on a concrete note, but definitely talking about a potential tour across Asia soon, which would certainly include India. There isn’t a fixed date yet, but we'll be planning.
MK: Who are you rooting for, Manchester City or Inter?
I’m rooting for Inter owing to my Italian roots. I think it’s a great thing to see a team from Seria A get so far this time in UCL. It’s going to be exciting. I love City as well. They are an incredible team as well. Just being here is enough of a win for me, already.
Watch the live coverage of UEFA Champions League 2022- 23 Final: Manchester City vs Inter Milan on Sony Sports Ten 2 (English), Sony Sports Ten 3 (Hindi) & Sony Sports Ten 4 (Tamil & Telugu). The live Coverage starts on 10th June at 11pm IST with the studio show followed by the match on 11th June from 12.30am IST.