Creating a Faceless Artist: Why I Chose to Stay Hidden

I used to think being seen was the price of being heard.
That if I wanted to share my songs, I had to also share my face, my name, my past.
But I don’t believe that anymore.

Creating the artist known as Mathilde Toft — faceless, poetic, emotionally true — was one of the most protective, liberating choices I’ve ever made.

The Truth Behind the Mask

There are stories I needed to write — but couldn’t speak aloud.
Things I’ve lived through that make people flinch or change the subject.
Pain that doesn’t fit into polite conversations or radio-friendly hooks.

But music gave me a way to say them — and anonymity gave me a way to survive them.

I’m not hiding. I’m healing.
And this faceless identity is part of how I stay safe while still telling the truth.

Why I Chose to Stay Hidden

It’s not about mystery.
It’s about protection.

After surviving trauma — especially at the hands of someone who tried to control, erase, or silence you — visibility can feel like exposure. Like danger. Like standing on a stage with a target on your chest.

For years, I didn’t sing. I didn’t speak up. I wrote in silence.

And then… I met the tools that would change everything.

The AI Avatar That Became My Shield

I took a photo of myself. I softened it.
I ran it through AI tools until it became a version of me that wasn’t me.
Realistic. Familiar. But also untouchable.

This new face — this AI version of Mathilde — became the face I could share with the world.
She’s not fake. She’s a boundary.

She lets me have a music video, a visual identity, a social media presence… without ever compromising the part of me that needs safety most.

She is the version of me that gets to be brave.
And she carries my voice without risk.

The Power of Anonymity

When I sing about love, betrayal, survival, or longing — you don’t need to know my name to feel it.
You don’t need to see my face to hear my truth.

The anonymity lets the emotions speak louder.
There’s no “image” to uphold, no Instagram-perfect life to compare to.
Just lyrics. Melody. Heart.

It’s an act of rebellion in an age of overexposure.
And it’s one of the most authentic things I’ve ever done.

For Anyone Who’s Been Silenced

If you’ve ever felt like you had to stay quiet to stay safe — I see you.

If you’ve ever thought you had to show everything in order to matter — I’m here to say: you don’t.

Your truth is enough.

Your voice is enough.

Even if no one knows your face.

xo,
Mathilde