The Gods We Can Touch

Last updated

The Gods We Can Touch
Aurora - The Gods We Can Touch (Official Album Cover).png
Standard cover
Studio album by
Aurora
Released21 January 2022
RecordedNovember 2019 – July 2021
Studio
Genre
Length49:55
Label
Producer
Aurora chronology
A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)
(2019)		The Gods We Can Touch
(2022)		 What Happened to the Heart?
(2024)
Singles from The Gods We Can Touch
  1. "Exist for Love"
    Released: 14 May 2020
  2. "Cure for Me"
    Released: 7 July 2021
  3. "Giving in to the Love"
    Released: 14 October 2021
  4. "Heathens"
    Released: 2 December 2021
  5. "A Dangerous Thing"
    Released: 7 January 2022
  6. "A Temporary High"
    Released: 21 January 2022

The Gods We Can Touch is the fourth studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 21 January 2022 by Decca and Glassnote Records. As in her other releases, Aurora worked with Magnus Skylstad and Askjell Solstrand, along with new collaborations with Jamie Hartman, Martin Sjølie and Matias Tellez on its production.

Contents

Conceived as a departure from the concept and sound of her previous works, The Gods We Can Touch has been characterised to be an electropop record, along with folk-pop, ethereal, art pop, electro-folk, and synth-pop. Its sound incorporates an eclectic and multifaceted style with electronic textures, Western elements, and intimate orchestrations. Inspired predominantly by Greek mythology, the lyrics explore themes of self-empowerment, abuse, heartbreak, morality and desire, with a maximal and introspective style. The Gods We Can Touch received critical acclaim upon release, with music critics praising its "ethereal" vocal performance and experimental musical direction.

The Gods We Can Touch was supported by six singles, five of which were supplemented by music videos. "Exist for Love" was promoted by an online music festival organized by Aurora. "Cure for Me", "Giving in to the Love", and "Heathens" were released between October and December 2021. "A Dangerous Thing" and "Everything Matters", featuring French singer Pomme, were released as a double single. "A Temporary High" followed alongside the album's release. The record debuted atop the Norwegian albums chart as Aurora's second number-one album in Norway, while also reaching the top ten in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. To further promote the album, Aurora performed several songs at the concert film A Touch of the Divine and embarked on her fourth headlining concert tour.

Background and recording

Aurora rented Barony Rosendal (pictured) in November 2020, where she recorded the majority of The Gods We Can Touch. Baroniet Rosendal, Kvinnherad kommune, Hordaland.jpg
Aurora rented Barony Rosendal (pictured) in November 2020, where she recorded the majority of The Gods We Can Touch.

Aurora began writing songs for the album in January 2019, right after she chose the title for her new record. [1] According to her, two days after the release of her second studio album A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) (2019), she already had planned what she wanted for her next project. [2] During the writing process she read about the history of religion, which was a source of inspiration for the themes of the album. [3]

Aurora stated in an interview with Billboard Japan that production for two upcoming albums began in November 2019, one of them being the yet-untitled The Gods We Can Touch. [2] In an interview with Riff Magazine, she revealed that the closer album had a bigger perspective in comparison to her previous efforts, concluding that "it's an album for every individual within the big army of love." [4] She further detailed the album in an interview with Motley, adding that it "will be dressed in an armour of hardness. But I'm also really exploring the soft, delicate part of me." [5]

The first recorded song for the album was "Exist for Love", which was recorded in January 2020 at the Office in Norway, a month before the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in Norway. [6] The track was made in collaboration with Isobel Waller-Bridge, who contributed with string arrangements. [7] In November 2020, Aurora rented Barony Rosendal to record The Gods We Can Touch. [8] Other recording locations included The Jungle and Blanca Studio, all located in Norway. [9] In April 2021, Aurora's single "Runaway" began growing in popularity on TikTok. In an interview with NME regarding the song's newfound success, Aurora described the themes of the upcoming album: "I'm asking questions to everything that made us the way we are now; in our past, in politics, religion, and in weird ways of thought we have created that make no sense – like racism, not being a feminist or burning women for being witches. All of these strange things that we have convinced ourselves are the right thing to do, which is just so odd." [10] She later stated in July 2021 that album was finished, and her intentions to release the album before the end of 2021. [11]

Music and lyrics

Overview

The Gods We Can Touch has been characterised to be an electropop record, [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] along with folk-pop, [14] [17] ethereal, [17] [16] art pop, [18] [19] electro-folk, [16] and synth-pop. [16] The sound of the album incorporates an eclectic and multifaceted style, [14] [20] [16] set with vast soundscapes, electronic textures, Western elements, intimate orchestrations, multiple layers, and textures. [21] [14] Musical influences of the record draws from a wide range of genres, such as jazz, [22] chamber pop, global music, [23] Latin music, and arena rock. [24] Aurora classified the album as its own genre due to its "chaotic" and "genre blending" sound. [25]

Marcy Donelson of AllMusic stated that "The Gods We Can Touch mixes natural, live-sounding vocals and acoustic instrumental performances with ethereal processed harmonies, drum machines, synthesizers, and various programming." The tracks "Exist for Love" and Artemis" were the only songs recorded on first takes, which "commit[ted] to a more spontaneous sound." [26] Aurora's sopranolike vocal performance throughout the album was described by many critics as "ethereal", [14] [16] [20] [17] with interludes to songs that showcase her voice and vocal tone shifts. [21] [12] Georgia Griffiths from The Music wrote that Aurora is "channelling Lana Del Rey, [and] the next it's Santigold" in her vocal performances on the record. [21]

A concept album like Aurora's previous releases, The Gods We Can Touch deviates from the concepts found on her tribal-inspired album Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) (2018) and its follow-up A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) (2019), in which she explored themes of empowerment, politics and ecological crisis. [14] [27] Described by her as "chapter three of my life", [28] she revealed to be going to a more experimental direction with the album, and stated that it would not discuss themes like "doom, gloom, COVID and horror", instead of focusing on "more playful and fun" songs, whilst also referencing "a lot of things that bother [her] with society and our history". [11] The lyrical themes are heavily inspired predominantly by Greek mythology, [24] [14] [21] though Aurora acknowledged that some of them have references to Abrahamic and ancient Roman religions. [29] [30] Furthermore, the styles of lyrical writing have been described as dark and disturbing, with a maximal and introspective style. [17] [31] [14] The lyrics throughout the songs of the record also talk about self-empowerment, abuse, heartbreak, morality and desire. [12] [15]

Songs

"Everything Matters", the second track on The Gods We Can Touch, features vocals from French singer Pomme, marking Aurora's first collaboration in one of her albums. Festival des Vieilles Charrues 2021 - Pomme - 059.jpg
"Everything Matters", the second track on The Gods We Can Touch, features vocals from French singer Pomme, marking Aurora's first collaboration in one of her albums.

The Gods We Can Touch opens with "The Forbidden Fruits of Eden", an interlude that takes its title from the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden that appeared in the biblical book of Genesis. [24] Composed of delicate harmonies, it "set[s] an explicitly religious tone" for the rest of the album. [15] The electronica and chamber pop ballad "Everything Matters" features French singer-songwriter Pomme with a spoken word outro in French language. [32] [22] [14] Inspired by the myth of Prometheus and the creation of humanity from clay, "Giving in to the Love", questions obsession with body image, while . [33] It incorporates electropop and power pop genres and contains tom tom strikes, a drum machine and echoey synths. [34] [35] The baroque pop track "You Keep Me Crawling" deals with abuse of power in relationships where Aurora conveys "intensity and power in her vocals, while also showing vulnerability and softer moments." [8] [36] [37]

Aurora called "Exist for Love" her first love song. [38] It is a dreamy, retro-styled ballad accompanied by acoustic guitar and backing harmonies that moves into a soaring, strings-swept melody as she declares her love to her lover. [35] [26] The following track, "The Innocent", is an upbeat dance-pop and house song with a Latin rhythm that is accompanied by syncopated chordal piano, brass and pizzicato strings. [39] [23] Its production was described to be "harking back to the 1920s Jazz Age conventions, yet being undercut with a more current EDM feel." [22] "Exhale Inhale", a stark contrast to the previous song, contains a folk-inspired sound. [34] [15] The track discusses the fear of several environmental issues "that awaits us" like wildfires and pollution. [40] [41] "A Temporary High" has an 1980s-influenced synth-pop sound that breaks into a thumping electro beat. [37] [42]

In "A Dangerous Thing", Aurora reflects on an abusive relationship, referencing the goddess of seduction Peitho, and showcases tone shifts from light harmonies to deeper verses. [15] The dark sonority of the song is backed by an acoustic guitar, light chimes and minimal drumming. [39] "Blood in the Wine" opens with a war cry reminiscent of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly against gentle acoustic guitar and thunderous percussion as it builds into a "collosus roar". [16] An electropop track, which was compared to the music of Fleetwood Mac, "This Could Be a Dream" is a subdued ballad driven by "a flowing melody over a slow beat", piano, orchestral strings and trumpets that talks about "finding strength when you have nothing left to give." [12] [13] [16] The Gods We Can Touch closes with the folk and orchestral pop cut "A Little Place Called the Moon". [26] [15] One of her favourite songs from the album, Aurora felt that it was the "perfect ending" for the album. [43]

Release and promotion

After clearing her Instagram feed in May 2020, Aurora began hinting at "the beginning of a new era". [44] She initially expected to release the album in that year but she revealed in a September 2020 interview her decision to postpone it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [28] The next year, the album was delayed to early 2022, following the commercial success of her 2015 single "Runaway". [8] On 14 October 2021, she revealed the album's name and track listing. [45]

In July 2020 Aurora organized the Exist for Love Sessions, an online music festival that promoted various emerging artists. [44] She later appeared at the Late Night with Seth Meyers in November 2021, her first performance at that show since 2018. [46] In promotion of the album's release in the United Kingdom, Aurora performed at two sold-out shows in London. [47] She was also interviewed by Norwegian TV host Anne Lindmo and performed "A Temporary High" in her talk show Lindmo, which was broadcast by NRK. [48]

Singles

Aurora decided to release "Exist for Love" as the album's first single on 14 May 2020 because she felt "the world needs more love than ever". [49] "Cure for Me" was released as The Gods We Can Touch's next single on 7 July 2021. [50]

On 14 October, she released "Giving in to the Love" as the album's next single, and officially announced The Gods We Can Touch, and its release date of 21 January 2022. [45] On 2 December, she released "Heathens" as the album's fourth single. [51] "A Dangerous Thing" was released as a double single on 7 January 2022 with "Everything Matters", featuring French singer Pomme, as a B-side. The latter song was released as a promotional single only. [52]

"A Temporary High" served as the sixth single, released on 21 January 2022, alongside the album's release. [53] A music video was released on 27 January 2022. [54]

Concert film and tour

On 3 December 2021, Aurora announced a virtual concert film titled A Touch of the Divine, released exclusively to Moment House on 25 January 2022, a week later after the album was released. [55] It was directed by Alexandra Green and produced by Bullion Productions and Mercury Studios. [56] A teaser was posted on 18 January 2022, while an official trailer was released two days later. [57] [58] Described as a "worldwide digital experience", the film included six songs from the album that were accompanied by choreography and interludes spoken by Aurora herself. [55] [59]

The album received further promotion from her fourth headlining concert tour, which was announced on 9 July 2021. [60] The tour spanned across Europe and North America, starting on 13 February 2022 in Milan, Italy, [60] and concluded on 12–13 September in Barcelona, Spain. [61] The second leg of the tour visited North America in May and June 2022. [8]

Usage in media

The fourth track of the album, "Cure for Me" is set to be part of the main soundtrack of Just Dance 2024 Edition . [62]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.9/10 [63]
Metacritic 81/100 [64]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [26]
Clash 8/10 [31]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [23]
Dork Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [65]
Gigwise Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Line of Best Fit 9/10 [17]
musicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [42]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [36]
NRK P3 5/6 [34]
Under the Radar Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [32]

The Gods We Can Touch was met with critical acclaim upon release. [66] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised score out of 100 to ratings from publications, the album received a mean score of 81 based on 9 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [64]

The Line of Best Fit writer Tom Williams praised the album as an "ethereal masterpiece" and stated that Aurora's sound is "like heaven on Earth." [17] Steven Loftin of Dork called Aurora on the album "exciting as she is intriguing" and makes the "world feels like a better place." [65] Clash 's Finlay Holden called the record "high-reaching" and noted that the themes of "angry, celebratory, wallowing and cathartic energies exhibit themselves in a maximalist way." [31] Ben Hogwood from musicOMH states that the record consisted of "futuristic production and intriguing, sometimes daring melodies" despite being rooted in a "deep and very distant past." [42]

Chris Hamilton-Peach of DIY writes that "Aurora's celestial spark remains her calling card" on the album. [23] Gigwise writer Tom Taylor sees Aurora as she "experiments with genre in her joyful new album" while also being reliant on "high-energy, electro-pop anthems." [15] Andrew Trendell of NME notes that the record "seizes the opportunity to take the world on and fight with all her power" and is loaded with "idiosyncratic quirks and enchanting notions." [36] Hayden Godfrey from Under the Radar felt that the record showcases Aurora's "glorious highs and careful lows" towards the production. [32] Ewan Gleadow from Cult Following says that Aurora "relies entirely on the fascinatingly lucid vocal range she holds." [67] According to Marcy Donelson from AllMusic, the record only expands on Aurora's "already mystical bearing." [26]

Commercial performance

On its release day, The Gods We Can Touch received 2.4 million streams on Spotify globally, becoming her biggest debut ever on the platform and the biggest debut for a Norwegian female album in 2022.

Upon its release, the album became the third most-streamed album on Spotify that week with over 60 million streams on the platform. [47] The album debuted atop the Norwegian VG-lista Topp 40 Album with first-week sales of 2,300 units, marking Aurora's second number one on the chart. [68] In the United Kingdom, the record peaked at number eight on the UK Albums Chart with 4,000 album-equivalent units, earning her first top 10 in the country. [69]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Aurora and Magnus Skylstad, except where noted.

The Gods We Can Touch – standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Forbidden Fruits of Eden" Aurora Aksnes  0:40
2."Everything Matters" (featuring Pomme)
3:33
3."Giving in to the Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 3:01
4."Cure for Me"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 3:21
5."You Keep Me Crawling"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 2:59
6."Exist for Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Glen Roberts
  • Skylstad
 4:10
7."Heathens"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Odd Martin Skålnes
 3:45
8."The Innocent"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 3:27
9."Exhale Inhale"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 3:32
10."A Temporary High"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 3:23
11."A Dangerous Thing"
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Sjølie [a]
3:35
12."Artemis"Aksnes 2:38
13."Blood in the Wine"
  • Aurora
  • Askjell [a]
  • Skylstad [a]
3:29
14."This Could Be a Dream"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 4:08
15."A Little Place Called the Moon"
  • Aurora
  • Tellez
4:10
Total length:49:55
The Gods We Can Touch – Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Cure for Me" (Acoustic)
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Svabø
3:33
Total length:53:29
The Gods We Can Touch – Spotify bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."The Woman I Am"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:12
Total length:53:08
The Gods We Can Touch – alternative vinyl edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Forbidden Fruits of Eden" Aurora Aksnes  0:40
2."Cure for Me"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 3:21
3."The Innocent"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 3:27
4."A Dangerous Thing"
  • Aksnes
  • Sjølie
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Sjølie [a]
3:35
5."Exist for Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 4:13
6."Heathens"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Skålnes
 3:45
7."Blood in the Wine"
  • Aksnes
  • Solstrand
  • Svabø
  • Aurora
  • Askjell [a]
  • Skylstad [a]
3:29
8."Exhale Inhale"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 3:32
9."A Temporary High"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 3:23
10."The Woman I Am"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:12
11."This Could Be a Dream"
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 4:08
12."Artemis"Aksnes 2:38
13."The Devil Is Human"
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Ball
3:01
14."Everything Matters" (featuring Pomme)
  • Aksnes
  • Claire Pommet
  • Hartman
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Hartman [a]
3:33
15."A Little Place Called the Moon"
  • Aksnes
  • Tellez
  • Aurora
  • Tellez
4:10
Total length:49:44
The Gods We Can Touch – Japanese special edition (disc 2)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."The Woman I Am"
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:12
2."The Devil Is Human"
  • Aksnes
  • Bennett
  • Ball
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
  • Ball
3:01
3."A Potion for Love"
  • Aksnes
  • Langebæk
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:36
4."Storm" (with Wu Qing-feng; English version)
  • Aksnes
  • Howe Chen
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
  • Wu Qing-feng
  • Howe Chen
  • Skylstad
  • Wu Qing-feng
3:51
5."Hunting Shadows" (Assassin's Creed)
  • Aurora
  • Kjelby
2:55
6."Runaway" (piano version)
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
  • Skålnes
  • Skylstad
4:47
7."A Temporary High" (acoustic)
  • Aksnes
  • Skylstad
 2:50
8."A Potion for Love" (Vevo session)
  • Aksnes
  • Langebæk
  • Aurora
  • Skylstad
3:19
9."Exhale Inhale" (Vevo session)
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 4:00
10."Exist for Love" (live from Supersonic 2021)
  • Aksnes
  • Roberts
  • Skylstad
 4:48
Total length:36:22

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the CD liner notes of The Gods We Can Touch. [9]

Musicians

  • Aurora Aksnes – vocals (all tracks); piano (tracks 2, 11); percussion (tracks 3, 5, 7); synthesizer (tracks 4, 7); organ (track 4)
  • Magnus Skylstad – synth bass (tracks 1, 3); synthesizer (tracks 1, 4, 6); organ (track 3); drums (tracks 3–4, 6–7); bass (tracks 4, 6–7); synth pads (tracks 6–7), strings (track 7); percussion (track 7, 11); baritone guitar, piano (track 11)
  • Fredrik Svabø – guitar (tracks 2–3, 7); acoustic guitar (tracks 5, 11)
  • Askjell Solstrand – piano (tracks 2, 13); co-production (track 13)
  • Pomme – vocals (track 2)
  • Alexander von Mehren – drum machine (tracks 4, 14)
  • Isobel Waller-Bridge – string arrangement (track 6)
  • Glen Roberts – acoustic guitar (track 6)
  • Maddie Cutter – cello (track 6)
  • Galya Bisengalieva – violin, viola (track 6)
  • Odd Martin Skålnes – guitar, percussion (track 7)
  • Martin Sjølie – electric guitar, drums, bass (track 11)
  • Matias Tellez – guitar, synthesizer (track 15)
  • Per Arne Glorvigen – bandoneon (track 12)

Technical

  • Aurora – production (all tracks)
  • Magnus Skylstad – production (tracks 1–14); programming (tracks 2, 4, 6–7); engineering (tracks 2, 4, 7, 11), mixing, recording engineer (track 3)
  • Jamie Hartman – production (track 2)
  • Martin Sjølie – co-production (track 11)
  • Alex Whartman – mastering (all tracks)
  • Josh Gudwin – mixing (track 4)
  • Robin Schmidt – mastering (track 6)

Design

Charts

Chart performance for The Gods We Can Touch
Chart (2022)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [71] 100
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [72] 24
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [73] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [74] 29
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [75] 28
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [76] 47
French Albums (SNEP) [77] 56
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [78] 11
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [68] 1
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [79] 31
Scottish Albums (OCC) [80] 7
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI) [81] 70
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [82] 53
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [83] 16
UK Albums (OCC) [84] 8
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [85] 6
US Top Current Album Sales ( Billboard ) [86] 56

Release history

Release dates and formats for The Gods We Can Touch
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelEditionRef.
Various21 January 2022Standard [87]
[88]
Japan
  • CD
 Universal Music Japan Japan bonus [89]
18 January 2023Japan Special [90]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora discography</span>

Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, seven extended plays, 42 singles, ten promotional singles and 27 music videos.

<i>A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)</i> 2019 studio album by Aurora

A Different Kind of Human is the third studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 7 June 2019 by Decca and Glassnote Records. It succeeds the album's first and previous chapter Infections of a Different Kind , which was released in September 2018. Aurora collaborated with producers including Magnus Skylstad, MyRiot, Askjell Solstrand, Odd Martin, Mark Ralph, Toby Gad, and Kill Dave during its recording. It has been categorised to be a pop, art pop, and electropop concept album.

<i>Miss Anthropocene</i> 2020 studio album by Grimes

Miss Anthropocene is the fifth studio album by Canadian musician Grimes. It was released on February 21, 2020, through 4AD. It marked her first album in over four years, after the release of Art Angels in 2015. The album was officially announced on March 19, 2019. The name of the album is a pun on the feminine title "Miss", and the words "misanthrope" and "Anthropocene", a neologism popularised by Paul J. Crutzen in 2000 that was proposed to denote the current geological age the Earth is in. The album is a loose concept album about an "anthropomorphic goddess of climate change" inspired by Roman mythology and villainy. Miss Anthropocene is Grimes' final album on record label 4AD, to which she has been signed since 2012. The album is darker in style than Art Angels, containing inspiration from the sounds of industrial music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runaway (Aurora song)</span> 2015 single by Aurora

"Runaway" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, included in her debut extended play (EP) Running with the Wolves (2015) and debut album All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016). It was released on 16 February 2015 by Decca and Glassnote Records as the lead single of both projects. The song was written by Aurora with Magnus Skylstad and produced by the latter with Odd Martin Skålnes. Musically, "Runaway" is a downtempo folktronica, synth-pop, electronic, and electropop song with influences from Nordic-folk music. Its lyrics, which were inspired by the grief the singer experienced when being far from her family, express escaping reality and realising the need to return home.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conqueror (Aurora song)</span> 2016 single by Aurora

"Conqueror" is the eighth single released by Aurora and the fifth single from All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend. It was written by Aurora, Geir Luedy, Odd Martin Skålnes and Magnus Skylstad and produced by Skålnes, Skylstad and Jeremy Wheatley. On January 15, 2016 the song was officially released worldwide.

<i>Not Your Muse</i> 2021 studio album by Celeste

Not Your Muse is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Celeste, released on 29 January 2021 via Both Sides and Polydor Records. It includes the singles "Strange", "Stop This Flame", "A Little Love" and "Love Is Back". Not Your Muse was primarily written by Celeste alongside Jamie Hartman. With it, Celeste became the first British female artist in five years to have a number one debut album on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Who Am I?</i> (Pale Waves album) Album by Pale Waves

Who Am I? is the second studio album by English indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released on 12 February 2021 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. The record was produced by Rich Costey and recorded in Los Angeles. While the band's previous album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018), took inspiration from 1980s synth pop, Who Am I? was inspired by female pop and rock musicians from the 1990s and early 2000s, including acts like Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, Alanis Morissette, and Courtney Love.

<i>Lilac</i> (IU album) 2021 studio album by IU

Lilac is the fifth studio album by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released on March 25, 2021, through Edam Entertainment. The album was certified platinum by the Korean Music Content Association.

<i>No Gods No Masters</i> 2021 studio album by Garbage

No Gods No Masters is the seventh studio album by American rock band Garbage. It was released on June 11, 2021, through the band's own label Stunvolume. The album was distributed worldwide by Infectious Music and BMG and preceded by the singles "The Men Who Rule the World", "No Gods No Masters" and "Wolves".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cure for Me</span> 2021 single by Aurora

"Cure for Me" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora for her fourth studio album, The Gods We Can Touch (2022). It was released on 7 July 2021, through Decca and Glassnote, as the second single from the album. An electropop, disco, Europop, and dance-pop song with elements of EDM music, it interpolates "Aquarela do Brasil", written by Brazilian composer Ary Barroso. The song was inspired by conversion therapy and the LGBT community, discussing how people "don't need a cure" for being themselves. Aurora and Magnus Skylstad wrote and produced "Cure for Me".

<i>What Happened to the Heart?</i> 2024 studio album by Aurora

What Happened to the Heart? is the fifth studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora. It was released on 7 June 2024 through Decca, Glassnote and Petroleum Records. Written and recorded between Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Aurora worked with Ane Brun, Matias Tellez, Tom Rowlands, Chris Greatti, Dave Hamelin, and Magnus Skylstad on its production. Inspired by a letter co-written by indigenous activists, Aurora began working on the album during a world tour in support of her previous release, The Gods We Can Touch, and conceived it as a cathartic process. It is an indie pop and disco album with elements of techno and folk music.

References

  1. ↑ Gruebler, Laura (14 August 2021). "You Don't Need A Cure For Yourself! – Norwegian Pop-Star Aurora On Songwriting, Self-Doubt, And Community". Title. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 "『アナ雪2』の不思議な"声"AURORA（オーロラ）が語る、音楽観と死生観「人間として生きることは難しいこと」". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). 17 December 2022. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  3. ↑ Berthelot, Théau (12 February 2022). "Aurora en interview : "Plus tu es connu, moins on t'autorise à être humain"". Charts in France (in French). Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
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