by kaleigh gieraltowski
photo by grace pickering
Moonchild Sanelly is an unstoppable force — bold, boundary-pushing, and unapologetically herself. With the release of Full Moon, the powerhouse continues to redefine genre norms, blending afro-punk, edgy pop, kwaito, and hip-hop into her original “future ghetto-funk” sound. She opens up about the inspirations behind her latest album, her electrifying performance on Later… with Jools Holland, and her ever-evolving artistry. From dream collaborations to the inner workings of her creative process, Moonchild Sanelly proves that her music is as limitless as her energy. And with a European tour on the horizon, she’s just getting started.
Congratulations on the release of Full Moon! What inspired the themes and sound of this album?
Moonchild Sanelly: “Thank you! Definitely working with Johan Hugo to make the song sound, I mean, the music sound in unison in this album, and what inspired it, I guess it's the sounds that I heard coming from him, and I just let the stories come to life, whatever emotions are evoked.”
The album blends so many genres — afro-punk, edgy-pop, Kwaito, and hip-hop. How do you approach creating music that transcends traditional genre boundaries?
Moonchild Sanelly: “I think it's just my ability to tell stories. My storytelling is already its own thing because of how I think, but the genres that have been mentioned definitely are the ingredients to my future ghetto-funk which is a sound that I basically created and is free to make hits.”
Your recent performance on Later… with Jools Holland was electrifying! How did it feel to share your music on such an iconic platform?
Moonchild Sanelly: “Oh, my goodness. Jools Holland is the bomb — he’s so cool. It was amazing being on a platform that is so legendary. It just shows you that the world is your oyster and everything is possible.”
Are there any dream collaborators or producers you’d love to work with in the future?
Moonchild Sanelly: “Absolutely, I would love to work with Doechii, Doja, Meg, Lizzo, Nicki, Cardi. I’d love to work with all the artists that represent being a bad bitch.”
What was the creative process like for this album compared to your earlier work? Have there been any new rituals you use when you have creativity spark?
Moonchild Sanelly: “What's different is the fact that I'm working… I guess it’s because I was working with one person. The storytelling also came from a place of having been single, so I didn’t necessarily have relationship scenarios to complain about instead. I still have my anthems to liberate and all that jazz. With this one, it really felt like we just focused on it and had no distractions, and the one thing that I definitely learned is fishing. Because every time you just felt like everything was redundant. Bitches go fishing. This was something that we did in Malawi and that we did in Sweden.”
As your personal style and music career has grown over time, how do you balance the evolution of your artistry while staying true to yourself?
Moonchild Sanelly: “I don't necessarily balance, however, I grow in real life, that’s the diary you’re about to hear about in my music. So it's not necessarily a balance, it's you guys experience me as I grow, and it translates in the music.”
Did you always know you wanted to create art? What else do you think you’d be working towards if not?
Moonchild Sanelly: “Absolutely. I mean, I grew up in front of the camera. I competed in Latin ballroom dancing. I was allowed to be artistically free and express myself and be exposed to these platforms. I feel like that was inevitable. If I came from a strict family, I would’ve probably never written music. But in another world, I’d probably be a psychologist, and I think that’s how I get to use it in my music, just with regards to empowerment.”
Ghetto-funk is such a unique genre. For those unfamiliar with it, how would you describe it, and how did you come to define your sound?
Moonchild Sanelly: “My influences and my upbringing was with the Kwaito music, hip-hop, and jazz — and every other sound that I bumped into in the world, but those were my three main ingredients. So I think the future part comes from what I’ve cooked with those ingredients which don’t sound directly like each genre individually in a song, but they all play a part to make each song each time I make it. So the future is basically me — the dish I serve from the ingredients I’ve been given.”
How has being a role model and someone in the public eye changes your perspective on what it means to perform for others?
Moonchild Sanelly: “I think the first reason I'm a role model or seen as one is because I was doing myself. I think that freedom touches people because it's energy and it’s not through just the noise of saying ‘hey everybody, shake your ass.’ Me being on stage, the energy speaks for itself.”
Can you drop any hints for us on what’s to come next? Perhaps a tour?
Moonchild Sanelly: “Definitely, a tour is coming next, it’s starting on the 5th of March, and we are going to be in Europe and the UK and for more details, you can go to moonchildsanelly.com to find out where I am going to be for the rest of the year ‘cause I am definitely going to be touring Full Moon.”