Acclaimed Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid has bounced back onto the scene three years after her debut album Sucker Punch, which was released in March of 2019. Sucker Punch was met overwhelming success, surmounting the charts in Norway and flirted with the top five in the United Kingdom. Notable tracks include “Strangers” and “Don’t Feel Like Crying.”
Sigrid leans on slightly heavier undertones on her sophomore album How To Let Go, adopting a simultaneously mature and complex persona. She focuses on accepting that which is foregone as she delves into the emotional undulations of a relationship gone awry: “That’s how you know / That you gotta let it go / Sometimes, you just can’t fix it.”
The instrumentation on “Burnin’ Bridges” is bombastic and celebratory—signaling the assertiveness affiliated with this decision to continue marching forward. The message—energy unreciprocated is energy wasted; it’s better to focus on you than on the individual threatening your own independence: “But you gotta let ‘em go,” Sigrid bellows, “Before you go down with them / Can’t love somebody that loves burning bridges.”
Most times, there’s a sense of regret affiliated with a break up. You won’t find that here, as Sigrid takes a victory lap on the self-assured “Mirror.” This track is your quintessential bedroom pop bop, as Sigrid’s braggadocio seeps like venom: “I needed loneliness / To know there’s nothing I can’t turn into confidence.” She leaves her lover in her wake when she slants and winks, “And I’m sorry you had to pay the consequences.”
Sigrid remains unwavered and unweathered by her choice as How To Let Go continues with the likes of “Last to Know” and “Dancer.” These two tracks are slightly slower in tempo, but set the stage perfectly for the infectious “A Driver Saved My Night”— a linear track that encapsulates Sigrid’s personal victory. The mood is celebratory, sinister, and orbital. I’m picturing an individual throwing one too many back with their closest friends, jumping into an Uber after the event’s conclusion and jamming to their favorite song from the bench. The chips are all in on this one—you’ll certainly hear “A Driver Saved My Night” on mainstream radio stations.
Overall, Sigrid’s sophomore album is focused and driven. Her confidence bleeds effortlessly as her tried-and-true song structure hits on all fronts. The experience feels both fresh and familiar. Like they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
How To Let Go is available now.
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