Sigrid returns with questioning new single ‘The Hype’
Sigrid has shared a single called ‘The Hype’ – her first new music since last year. Check out the track below.
The song sees the Norwegian singer-songwriter returning to basics, and reconnecting with her roots after a period of musical experimentation. It also marks her first new release since the acoustic remake of her critically acclaimed second album, ‘How To Let Go’.
According to Sigrid – full name Sigrid Solbakk Raabe – the track is an expansive pop anthem that encapsulates her signature sound best and maintains the same gritty lyricism that first put her on the map.
It also captures that innate sense of self-doubt that all creatives are vulnerable to, which leads them to question if – even after critical acclaim – they can still live up to the hype.
“We’ve all been there, when you wonder if you’ve lived up to the expectations. I thought about the term Hype, in love and at work, and the questions you ask yourself of did you really live up to the hype,” Sigrid said of the new track.
“So I wrote a song about it! With my artist job, I’ve sometimes felt that I’ve tried to live up to myself in a way – but a version of myself that looks like me, but cooler, more confident and touring the world.”
She continued: “I’ve probably brought that into my private life, and all those things is what Hype is about. We’ve wrapped it in ethereal melodies and bass, synth and drum-heavy production, but I love how there’s so much strength in my vocals – there’s power in being vulnerable!”
The quick-witted track also marks a new milestone in Sigrid’s career, as it is the first song that she has a producer credit on. This is as it saw her team up with longtime collaborator Askjell, who co-wrote one of Sigrid’s biggest ballads ‘Dynamite’, and Nick Hahn.
‘The Hype’ also comes with a stripped-back music video, which captures the same raw and honest intensity that the singer brought to her debut 2017 EP, ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’. Check it out above.
In the time since her 2017 breakthrough, Sigrid has gathered two Top Five critically acclaimed albums: 2019’s ‘Sucker Punch’ and 2022’s ‘How To Let Go’. She has also embarked on various arena shows in both London and Ireland, as well as global world tours from Japan to LA and festival performances at Glastonbury.
Tomorrow (August 12), the singer will headline the Saturday of Øya Festival in Norway, before playing two slots at festivals in the UK later this month. These are the Big Feastival on August 25 and Victorious Festival on August 27.
The post Sigrid returns with questioning new single ‘The Hype’ appeared first on NME.
Liberty Dunworth
NME