The queen of goth hip-hop reinvents herself with first release in four years

 Despite a four-year hiatus from the music scene, Countess Malaise is a perennial icon in Reykjavík’s effervescent rap scene. A household name at the long-standing hip-hop joint/café Prikið, Countess has been a unique voice in Iceland’s homogenous music scene, where Icelandic nepo babies reign supreme.

Dýrfinna Benita is proudly no heiress to a family fortune. A second-generation immigrant born in Iceland to a Filipino mother and an Icelandic father, Dýrfinna’s achievements can be directly attributed to her personal grit and moxy.

Now ready to begin her next chapter, Countess Malaise seeks new horizons on her forthcoming EP, moving away from her quintessential dark hip-hop sound. In part due to profound changes in the artist’s personal life, Countess Malaise is on the road to a more relaxed, contemplative disposition.

Old goodbyes, new hellos

“I basically quit,” Dýrfinna claims in her art studio in Vesturbær. Chaotically lived-in, the small workspace is strewn with art supplies and works in progress. It’s a small refuge where Dýrfinna works on projects with her visual arts collective Lucky 3. An artist trio comprised of Dýrfinna, Darren Mark and Melanie Ubaldo — all of Filipino heritage — the group highlights everyday barriers to foreigners in Icelandic society.

“I even thought about whether I should change my name.”

“I needed a short break from music because I had said goodbye to the people I had worked with in the past,” Dýrfinna explains, referring to her tight community of former music collaborators. “I was beginning to receive recognition for my visual art and I found it difficult to split myself in two. But I had been wanting to make music for so long, but not really being able to do it,” she continues.

Establishing Lucky 3 in 2019, Dýrfinna found her stride focusing on her visual art. Although releasing the album Maldita in 2021, the artist has yet to find ways to coalesce her creative channels.

“I was processing a lot of stuff which had happened to me before. I’ve been very open about my mental health in interviews, and I was focusing on getting myself in a better place. I had recently ended an abusive relationship when I met Tjörvi,” she says.

A rocky time

Professionally known as Smjörvi, Tjörvi Gissurarson formally entered the realm of Countess Malaise after years of informal, wishful conversations of collaboration. In 2024, the two finally started working together with Tjörvi on the mixing decks.

“I slowly started getting to know him, meeting up in the studio, talking about music, and I managed to open up again. At the same time, I was in this bad relationship and leaving this person, so I was processing these emotions through music.”

It was a confusing and difficult time for Dýrfinna as her mental health experienced twists and turns, fluctuating between periods of stability and decline.

“I was a bit disappointed because I had made great progress, so it was difficult for me to face the fact that becoming well is not a linear process,” she shares.

As Dýrfinna tells it, this emotional rollercoaster was a big hitch in the album process, coupled with existential questions about the future of Countess Malaise. Having ended the friendships with her former collaborators, Dýrfinna describes her new material as a “division” from her previous music.

“I even thought about whether I should change my name. But Tjörvi encouraged me to continue. I’m making way different music than I have before. I’m being playful. It’s not the old Countess,” she explains, before reaching for her phone and playing an unreleased song from the tinny speakers.

Pop princess in a Jersey nightclub

Dýrfinna isn’t exaggerating. What’s playing from her phone is radically different from her days as the queen of goth hip-hop. This music — this song at least — is much more upbeat, lighter, and playful. Dýrfinna’s melodic “ooh ooh” refrain hooks you instantly, sounding more Charli XCX, less gritty underground rap.

“I’m just grabbing everything I’ve been inspired by. I love booty-bouncing Jersey music — that’s a big vibe,” Dýrfinna remarks. “And then I also have that emo-kid element, and that pop element. Like hella girly pop princess stuff. But there’s also that darkness from my previous music,” she sums up.

“I’ve learnt to embrace my dark side and appreciate it.”

“I’ve mainly been inspired by the people around me. I have a lot of DJ friends and friends who create something totally different: baile funk, techno, and dance music. You’re just a collection of the things you love from the people around you. What inspires you is everything you love about the people around you,” she philosophises.

In addition to Dýrfinna’s personal development, Tjörvi’s input as a producer goes a long way in terms of progressing Countess’s sound. This new friendship emboldened her with a fresh perspective on trust.

“[During the album process], I could be me as much as possible and stop performing a kind of toughness I used to protect myself,” she admits.

As opposed to the old Countess Malaise, this new version is less angry and harsh, although her characteristic darkness still lingers.

“I’ve managed to let go of a lot of my anger, and I think how much has changed is evident in the music — and the fact that I’m happy. Life isn’t perfect, but I’m waking up each day grateful for life,” Dýrfinna says proudly. “I’ve learnt to embrace my dark side and appreciate it, control it better. Just respecting my darkness and being proud of it.”

Resisting surrender

The reemergence of Countess Malaise includes notable changes for Dýrfinna. For starters, she’s adamant about not making her passion for music become a point of stress, as it had been in the past.

“Right now, I’m trying to not put too much pressure on the details because I was bringing myself down whenever something wasn’t perfect,” she explains. “Especially today where everything is so clean and fucking AI generated. It’s a gift when things are a little bit ugly,” she points out.

Dýrfinna turns polemic. “There’s enough stress in this society as is. People are so busy surviving. And we’re so attached to technology that we’re almost unable to think independently. People are getting secondhand thoughts from ChatGPT. It’s just becoming unhuman,” she emphasises.

After trials and tribulations, Countess Malaise has regained her confidence, re-entering the music scene with fresh fervour. Although haters would have loved to see her leave, Dýrfinna knew she would be betraying herself letting her music backslide into obscurity.

“What inspires you is everything you love about the people around you.”

“For a long time I thought I was done. But that would have been so sad,” Dýrfinna opines. “It’s sad to quit. You have to keep going,” she assures.

“When I meet people I don’t know and they’re telling me that one of my songs helped them through a troubled time in their life, I’m like, ‘What the fuck. That’s crazy.’ So I guess I’m doing it for them and the girl inside me who thought that she was fucked. To show her that she’s not. Showing people that you can keep on going. Because if I give up, I’m not giving up on myself, but everyone who believes in me. And that’s fucking sad.”

Listen to Countess Malaise’s first single in four years “All I Think About Is” available on streaming services and stay tuned for her forthcoming EP Frelsi, out in November. Countess Malaise’s LP is set to be released in 2026.