With his new single “Lift Him Up,” Astor turns personal pain into a powerful anthem of growth, resilience, and self-discovery. The Danish-Spanish artist’s signature blend of alternative pop, electronic textures, and cinematic production provides the backdrop for a story about overcoming abandonment, redefining love, and choosing a different path from the one you were given. As anticipation builds for his debut album Surrender, we caught up with Astor to talk about the inspiration behind the track, his creative process, and the emotional themes that continue to shape his evolving sound.
“Lift Him Up” deals with breaking cycles of inherited pain — was there a specific moment or realization that sparked this song?
No, it was more of an unconscious act, initiated when it was ready to be transformed into something creative and relatable.
The track transforms grief into something almost elevating. Do you see it more as healing, acceptance, or something in between?
Whether it leans more towards healing or acceptance depends deeply on where you are in your own process when listening to it. The meaning and perspective are constantly evolving for me as well.
How do you protect vulnerability in your music without it becoming overwhelming or too exposed for you personally?
Art, for me, isn’t a personal diary. It’s a way of using personal experience to create something that reaches beyond the self — music that builds community, connection, and cultivates spirituality.
The idea of “becoming the parent you needed” is central to the song’s narrative — how did you approach expressing something so emotionally loaded?
We’re all on a journey of learning to be self-loving and self-accepting. When you’ve been on that journey long enough, it becomes a natural thing to express creatively, without the emotional heaviness.
Do you think electronic production gives you more emotional distance, or actually brings you closer to what you’re trying to express?
Electronic music has a huge potential to convey feelings for me, simply because of the sheer range of possible sonic expressions. It also gives you greater control over the cultural and emotional connotations that certain instruments carry. Take industrial sounds as an example — they can express anger, willpower, and pain. They can represent both the inner demons you’re fighting and the power you have to overcome and push through them.
Was there a moment during writing or production where the meaning of the song changed for you?
It made me realise how far I’ve come — the perspective I’ve gained.
You often balance intimacy with scale — how do you decide when a moment should feel personal versus cinematic?
I think very much in scenes when producing music. The music should be able to express what I’m saying lyrically, entirely on its own. I like to think of it as stepping into a film and moving through different scenes — the atmosphere, the soundscape, the colours, the mood.
What does “lift” mean to you in the context of the song — is it spiritual, emotional, relational, or all of the above?
The meaning of “lift” evolves throughout the song, moving from something emotional and relational to something more spiritual. The repetition becomes a prayer — someone on their knees, reaching for something greater to give them the strength to rise.
How do you personally experience the repetition of difficult emotional themes while working on music like this?
The creative process of transmuting difficult emotional experiences is not a heavy emotional experience in itself, but a playing field of sound and lyrics.
What do you hope listeners who have experienced similar family dynamics take away from “Lift Him Up”?
I want the listener to feel seen — not only listeners with similar family dynamics, but everyone who has experienced a time in their life where they needed to feel lifted up.
