With over a billion streams, Nico Santos is one of the most successful artists in German-speaking countries. Hits like “Play With Fire”, “One Day” or “Rooftop” not only bring a good mood but also bring summer to cold Germany.
The 30-year-old has reinterpreted the classic “Like Ice in the Sunshine” to let the summer feelings flare up even more in his fans. The remake aims to revive the legendary hit from the 80s.
“I’ve always loved ‘Like Ice in The Sunshine’, an incredible classic that old and young alike know. I really wanted to make my own version of it, one that’s funky,” says Santos. Originally produced for a commercial, the Beagle Music Ltd. original remains one of the summer hits to this day. Santos’ version will be released on April 28th.
Mr. Santos, you love ice cream. What’s your favorite strain?
I was actually always more of the ice cream type. Since it was always so warm here in Mallorca, we always used water ice instead of balls. I always used Fluffy Fingers or Calippo Lime. Especially on Mallorca there is no end to Calippo, there are all kinds of different varieties and Lime should now come back to Germany. Currently my favorite is Dolomiti, I love it.
And are you staying constant there? Or do you take turns?
No, that’s the classic from the nineties – it stays.
Are there any foods that you don’t like at all?
Mostly vegetables.
What do you like to eat instead? Ready meals from various discounters were your thing years ago. How do you feel about that today? Has that changed since you got married?
Honestly… nothing has changed in my eating habits. Before the wedding, I tried to eat better, but…
… you stuck to your Guilty Pleasure after all?
And.
Today your reinterpretation of the Langnese hit “Like Ice In The Sunshine” celebrates its premiere. Do you remember the moment you first heard the song? Do you have an image in mind?
Yes, it takes me straight back to my childhood. I see myself on the sofa in our old finca on Mallorca, watching an advertisement. And then someone falls off the surfboard. I have the picture in my head.
How would you rate the German musical landscape? Do you find them innovative?
The nice thing is that in the last one to two years, the genres have been mixing more and more in Germany, too. It is becoming more and more creative and diverse, which is good for the German music industry. Musically crazy things happen that are great. For example, the collaboration between Apache and Udo Lindenberg. That would certainly not have happened ten years ago. There’s a lot going on right now and I’m very excited to see where we’ll end up with it in the future.
You can certainly react flexibly to changes. You have already worked with a wide variety of musicians from a wide variety of genres, for example with Helene Fischer in the field of hits or with Bushido in the field of hip-hop/rap. Which genre do you feel more drawn to?
I try a lot. I am currently writing a lot in German and Spanish again. I think when you stay creative and free, that’s when the most beautiful things happen. But if I should change further, then probably more in the direction of hip-hop. I have a hard time with Schlager.
New song interpretations are also an issue with “Sing mein Song”. You can currently be seen on the show every Tuesday. As you recently said in an interview, your wife was there in the current season. How did that change the experience?
My wife made me a little more relaxed. If you’re usually away from home for such a long time, you’ll look at your cell phone more often, maybe be a little more distracted and think about the other person. This time I was able to fully concentrate on the experiences and enjoy the time even more. After all, you’re there for two weeks, you’re crazy from morning to night. It’s very exhausting and then it’s just nice when you have a piece with you at home.
Her life seems to be very busy in general. Your “Summer Ride” tour starts in May, your new album is coming out and you can be seen regularly on various shows. Is that sometimes too much for you?
I realized where my limits are. It’s very difficult for me to say “no”, I like to accept things instead of turning them down. But at the end of the day I have to find the middle where my capacity ends. Because the most important thing in life is still life itself. Of course, my work means that I can experience incredible things – but you always have to keep the right balance.
In your busy everyday life, do you have any rituals or strategies that help you relieve stress a little?
My life has very little routine. I can’t say, “Hey, I’ll get up at this time, then I’ll go to breakfast” and so on, but there are rituals – before songwriting, for example. We then have breakfast together or talk a little bit about life before we go to the studio – that grounds me. So it feels less like work. And I think if you can make work not feel like work, then you’ve automatically found the right balance in life.
