Sigrid – How to let go
Norwegian pop singer Sigrid delivers a nice feel-good album with her second studio album. After two EPs and her debut album, “How To Let Go” is the always difficult second album. Sigrid succeeds with flying colours in making this a success as well. Her voice, personal lyrics and nice songs are at their best on this album.
Sigrid Solbakk Raabe has been in the pop world for a few years now. With singles such as “Sucker Punch”, “Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “Strangers” she quickly reached the charts in both her home country and other European countries. After releasing the single “Head on Fire” with the British Griff at the beginning of this year, Sigrid now comes with a full album. An album about growing up and the struggles that come with it.
The opening track “It Gets Dark” is a good indicator for the rest of the album. A quiet start on which Sigrid’s pleasant, hoarse voice leaves a good first impression. Then when the drums join in, the tempo picks up. And this isn’t the only track on “How To Let Go” that uses a catchy drum beat. So is the single “Mirror”. A song about self-acceptance: ‘I love who I see looking at me in the mirror’. A good single that fits this album perfectly.
Besides the cheerful songs where sitting still is a difficult task, Sigrid has also immersed himself in ballads as a singer-songwriter. Especially “Last To Know” stands out. A strong ballad on which only a piano provides the music. Written a song about her own happiness toward her ex. It requires her complete vocal range. The result is a strong power ballad on which the Norwegian can let herself go. And this isn’t the only song that tackles themes of growing up and letting go. The overarching theme can therefore be found in the album title.
Despite the strong individual songs that Sigrid plays, “How To Let Go” as a whole is not innovative. Songs are very similar either musically or lyrically. Nevertheless, it remains a fun and easy to listen album. Pure pop. Songs like “Thank Me Later”, “Mistake Like You” and “Dancer” ensure that. But Sigrid can handle this just fine. Compared to her first album “Sucker Punch” (2019), the pop singer has reinvented herself.
A big surprise on “How To Let Go” is the collaboration with rock band Bring Me The Horizon on “Bad Life”. The raw voice of singer Oliver Sykes and the feminine husky voice of Sigrid unexpectedly go well together. With lyrics that help someone else how to let go of something, this single also fits perfectly with the album title. The song differs the most from the other songs on the album, but nevertheless still falls into the pop category. For Bring Me The Horizon, “Bad Life” is also quite a trip away from the rock and metal that the band normally plays. It’s the surprise “How To Let Go” needed.
An artist’s second album is often seen as the most difficult. Especially when the debut album was quite a success. With “How To Let Go” Sigrid has delivered a fine successor to “Sucker Punch”. It may not be innovative, but there are enough strong songs on it that the Norwegian singer can pack the entire pop world with. (7/10) (Island Records Group)
