From Biskopsgården to the Grammis: Jackie Mere’s Next Chapter
Jackie Mere’s story begins in Biskopsgården, the place that shaped her drive and the honesty that runs through her music. After a breakthrough year that brought her first releases, TV performances and a Grammis nomination, she’s still adjusting to how quickly everything changed.
Now she’s entering a new chapter with a heavier, more live‑oriented sound and lyrics that stay close to her own experiences. Identity, mental health and the intensity she carries from where she grew up continue to guide the way she writes and the artist she’s becoming.
How does growing up in Biskopsgården still shape your music today?
Biskopsgården still lives within me. It’s the place that shaped me into who I am today. The drive, strength, and determination I carry probably wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t grown up there. It was a place where you learned early on to fight for yourself and your dreams, and that has influenced me both as a person and as an artist. Everything I create carries a part of where I come from.
You’ve said that songwriting became a way to tell your own story early on. What’s the first memory you have of using music as a form of self‑expression?
I remember always singing what I felt instead of saying it directly. If I was hungry, I would sing about it instead of just saying it. Music and melodies have always been the most natural way for me to express myself. When I was younger, I would also send songs to people that captured exactly how I felt but couldn’t explain myself. I just hoped they would understand the hint. In a way, I still do the same thing today, except now I write my own songs.
skin MILK MAKEUP hydro grip primer & hydro grip gel tint 7 HICKAP glow monkey setting spray
blush CHARLOTTE TILBURY pillow talk lip & cheek glow colour of dreams
eyes ISADORA shimmer eyeshadow stick green shimmer & SEPHORA eyeliner matte burgundy & shimer espresso
lips SEPHORA glossed powerful
nails SWITCH NAILS strawberry cream almond short
photography Sandra Myhrberg
fashion Louise Dyhrfort
hair and makeup Michaela Widergren
assistant Saskia Clarke
skin MILK MAKEUP hydro grip primer & hydro grip gel tint 7 HICKAP glow monkey setting spray
blush CHARLOTTE TILBURY pillow talk lip & cheek glow colour of dreams
eyes ISADORA shimmer eyeshadow stick green shimmer & lavender vibe CHARLOTTE TILBURY palette pink love SWEED cloud mascara dark brown SEPHORA eyeliner matte burgundy & shimer espresso
lips SEPHORA outrageous plump effect gloss 02 MAC squirt plumping gloss stick nova
nails SWITCH NAILS strawberry cream almond short
Your debut year moved incredibly fast; from first releases to TV performances and a Grammis nomination. What did that shift feel like in real time?
I loved every second of it. At the same time, it was hard to fully understand that it was actually happening to me. It had been something I dreamed about my entire life, and suddenly it became my reality. I often felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, but in the best possible way. Everything moved very fast, but I really tried to appreciate every moment of it.
Some of your work draws from very personal writing. What was it like turning something private into something public?
I honestly don’t think too much about the fact that it will become public when I write. I write almost as if no one else is ever going to read it. That’s how I manage to keep it honest and personal. I’m drawn to music and lyrics where you can feel that there’s something real behind the words, where you actually feel something. For me, the most important thing is that the music means something.
You’ve described your lyrics as a mix of vulnerability and self‑irony. How do you find that balance when you write?
It’s not really a balance I’m trying to find, it’s simply who I am. I’m both very sensitive and pretty self-ironic as a person, and that naturally comes through in my writing. I think that’s why my lyrics feel so close to me — they’re not constructed, they just come out the way I am.
Your interpretation of Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” explored the song from several emotional angles. What made you want to revisit that track in your own way?
I think I was drawn to the song because it reflected a lot of where I was emotionally at that point in my life. I also love that it can be interpreted from different perspectives depending on who’s listening and what situation they’re in themselves. I wanted to make it my own and explore those emotions in my own way.
You’re now entering a more rock‑leaning, live‑oriented sound with The Art of…. What sparked that musical shift?
For me, everything is about keeping it natural. I never go into the studio thinking something has to sound a certain way. During the process of making this album, I wanted all of my emotions to have space without adapting them to a specific genre or sound. I always follow what feels genuine to me and hold onto that tightly. Since I carry a lot of emotions and intense energy, some of my lyrics naturally found their home in a heavier and more live-oriented sound.
Artists like Lola Young, Chappell Roan, and Avril Lavigne inspire your new direction. What are you connecting with in their music right now?
I’m drawn to artists who dare to be completely uncompromising in their expression. There’s a rawness, honesty, and strong personality in their music that inspires me a lot. I like when music feels a little chaotic, emotional, and alive rather than perfect. All of those artists feel fearless in both their storytelling and who they are, and I think that’s something I really connect with right now. But it’s not necessarily Chappell Roan or Avril, but they’re nice too.
Themes of identity and mental health run through your upcoming album. What felt important for you to explore this time around?
Mental health has been a huge part of my life for a very long time, and if people are truly going to understand me and my music, then I have to be honest about it. I wanted to explore both the darkness and the strength that can exist within that. For me, the album is a lot about identity — about trying to understand yourself and learning how to live with every part of who you are.
As you step into this new era, what do you hope listeners understand about you that they might not have heard before?
I hope people understand that even a girl from Biskopsgården, and someone who has struggled deeply with mental health, can move forward and achieve their dreams. I still have a long way to go before I reach where I want to be, but I’m proud of how far I’ve already come. I also hope people want to follow me on this journey and maybe feel inspired to believe in their own dreams a little more too.
