Track of the Day: Marianne Engebretsen – Strange To You
Known for her engaging and enthusiastic music, Marianne Engebretsen releases her indie-pop single ‘Strange To You’. A prominent figure across the globe, but particularly in Oslo, the Norwegian songstress has featured on Pop Muzik, Berlin On Air, iHeart Radio and several other podcasts/online radio stations. Pushing the boundaries of playfulness and complexity, Engebretsen proves she is not to be pigeonholed with each single. We have the honour of introducing her to you with ‘Strange To You’.
The follow-up to her heartfelt acoustic ballad ‘Skeleton’, Engebretsen adopts a more upbeat tone in ‘Strange To You’. The melding of steady drums, catchy guitar riffs and underlying synths places you in a bubblegum-pink sound. Achieving a hazy ambience with the twinkling melody, the single has a slightly ethereal sound; however, it is the juxtaposition between happiness and despair that shows her depth of content.
Touching on elements of isolation, anxiety, inner turmoil and self-doubt, ‘Strange To You’ has an evocative poignancy. Yet, while the song plunges to the depths of despair, the wistful and carefree vocals make you feel less fearful. Teetering on the line between innocent naivety and introspective maturity, Engebretsen unveils the fragility of the human soul. Engebretsen explains that “‘Strange To You’ is the song I want to dance to and cry to…when you’re lonely everything suddenly loses its meaning. I like that the song feels…like summer and at the same time tears my heart open.”
In addition to the single, Engebretsen released an official music video. I was not able to view it in its entirety, but what I found was a visual representation of human fragility. Just as the song touches on elements of isolation, by focusing on the protagonist there is a deeper connection with her removal from society. Moreover, the dancing and endearing settings capture both happiness within the inner turmoil. All in all, it’s a pretty cool video for a pretty cool song.
For more from Marianne Engebretsen check out her Instagram and Spotify.
