The European pop link-up we didn’t know we needed was born at a Swedish writing camp that brought WLHELMINA and Harina together for the first time. German-Bulgarian, Harina, and Finnish, WLHELMINA were not only introduced to each other at the camp, but coined their latest irresistible and buoyant pop bop “Bestie Boo” before parting. “I suggested changing it up a little,” Harina tells us below, “and putting it out together this year.”

Sticking to her word, the track is now out in the world and ready for adding to feel-good, pop playlists everywhere. The infectious track celebrates the beauty of female relationships, whether it’s a romantic partnership or even simply a friendship. “The inspiration is from the feeling of intimacy you have with a partner, where you are best friends but also lovers,” WLHELMINA tells us below. “It’s about that connection, and we wanted it to be universal.”

Head below to listen to “Bestie Boo” and read our chat with Harina & WLHELMINA about all thing music, right now…

Hey Harina & WLHELMINA! Where are we speaking to you from?
Harina: I am from Germany originally, I spent a lot of time living and studying in London and then moved to Berlin, where I am currently based and working on new music for myself and others.
WLHELMINA: I live in Helsinki, Finland.

How did you guys meet?
We met at a songwriting camp in Sweden in 2021. It was such a fun experience to get to know musicians from around the world, and we started chit-chatting right away.

When did you decide to start making music together? Was there an instant musical connection?
H: I instantly loved WHELMINA’s vibe and her voice. I was in love with the first idea of “Bestie Boo”, created at the very camp we met, and suggested changing up a little and putting it out together this year.
W: We clearly have a love for good pop music, and with me travelling to Berlin quite often, we knew that we’d meet again, and we did! “Bestie Boo” was a track I started with a team on the camp in 2021 and people loved it when it was played. I was originally singing on it but felt like the song was a bit too cheeky to sing until Harina heard it a year later and wanted to work on the song. We completely took it to a new level and changed the meaning of the song to fit our new vision for it.

Congratulations on the release of “Bestie Boo”! Did you have any particular inspiration for it?
H: The song is about wanting this special connection with someone – best friend and lover in one. The jackpot basically. It’s about not settling for any less and I totally connect to that and could imagine other people would too.
W: The inspiration is from the feeling of intimacy you have with a partner, where you are best friends but also lovers. It’s about that connection, and we wanted it to be universal. As we are two women we thought it is refreshing to sing it in an open way – you can interpret it as a queer love song or as a universal love song. We hope our fans can dance, have fun and daydream about their lover or bestie. We want the song to mean whatever it is meant to mean for each listener, but most importantly we hope people enjoy it and find a sense of joy from this song that celebrates love in a fun way.

The song celebrates friendships, relationships and queer relationships. Why was this important for you to explore?

W: We thought it would be cool to release it as two girls singing to each other, so that we could empower any kind of relationship or friendship with it. Most of all we wanted to have fun and create something that people can vibe to and that’s going to make them feel good.
H: I also saw the opportunity here to incorporate the soundscape of my motherland Bulgaria. I flew into London to record oriental guitars with my friend Oscar Charlton and finish production with Swedish producer Tannergard.

Tell us something about you that we wouldn’t normally find on a press release!
H: What you normally wouldn’t find out about me on a press release – I’m still looking for my “Bestie Boo”!
W: I am a very goofy person, and while making this song I also wanted it to be a bit quirky, which is not always welcomed in pop music. I tell dry jokes and I always want people to laugh during the session. We had so much fun in the sessions for this song!

And finally, what’s next for you? What do you hope to achieve next?
H: “Bestie Boo” is the second single of a 5 track EP, that will be out before the end of the year. It’s my first ever EP and I am excited to put out so much music at once. The next step is to keep going with that pace and make new music.
W: For me, the next thing is to release my own songs, and start playing gigs. I have been writing music for almost 5 years, and I have a lot of music lined up as an artist but also as a songwriter. I would love to reach the people who are meant to be inspired by my music.