“I’ve been trying too much, being too much, We wishin’ for perfection, Now I open my cage, let-le-loose the old-ol-ol me..” This battle cry from 37 year old Norwegian Hanne Hukkelberg is the first we’ve heard from her in five years, and while it doesn’t shy away from the experimental sounds she’s known for, its quasi-trap beats and crisp production mean it wouldn’t sound out of place next to a Kanye West track.
Guest vocalist Ingrid Helene Håvik from Highasakite provides the song with a fierceness and clipped delivery akin to Santigold or M.I.A., while Hanne’s higher register blends in almost seamlessly. Of the song, Hukkelberg has said: "I wanted to write about how nice - and necessary – it is to need someone. To be vulnerable in a society that encourages us to look like someone that has everything, all of the time, and doesn’t actually need anything."
It’s an addictive song that rewards repeat listening, and I can’t wait to hear more from her.
Kirsten Johnstone
