Sigrid Returns With Ethereal New Single ‘The Hype’
The track is the first piece of new material from the Norwegian star since her critically acclaimed second album ‘How To Let Go’
Sigrid has returned with her first piece of new music since the release of her second album How To Let Go in the ethereal new single “The Hype.”
The track found its genesis in writing sessions that took place in London and Oslo, in which the 26-year-old Norwegian pop star allowed herself the time to experiment and take back the reins of the writing process.
The results are “The Hype,” an expansive pop anthem that shows us everything we have come to love about Sigrid – gritty lyricism, never-faltering melodies, and tongue-in-cheek attitude. Asking the question “Did I live up to the hype?” she finds a universal feeling encapsulating revelations on career and relationship successes.
“Did you ever love me?/Did you ever love me?” she asks in the glittering chorus. “Honestly did I live up to the hype?/‘Cause you held me/Held me like a trophy/Then left the party when the magic died.”
“We’ve all been there when you wonder if you’ve lived up to the expectations,” Sigrid said in a press statement. “I thought about the term hype, in love, and at work, and the questions you ask yourself or did you really live up to the hype.
“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. I’ve probably brought that into my private life, and all those things are what ‘The 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 Hype” was co-produced with longtime collaborator Askjell and Nick Hahn and marks the first release Sigrid has a producer credit on. The track is set to form part of a highly-anticipated upcoming project from the artist, which will see her continue her visual understatedness that has made her one of the most relatable, honest, and raw pop stars around.
The critically acclaimed How To Let Go was released in May 2022, with an expanded edition following last November. That reissue featured two new songs in “Blue” and “Everybody Says They’re Fine.”
Speaking with The Guardian about the record, she explained: “It’s also about letting go of the doubts and fears I have. I’m scared of things, and this means a lot to me because I am ambitious, as I think a lot of artists are. I’m afraid of losing it because it means so much to me.”
