Loreen infuses her sound with a powerful emotional boost, voicing feelings that are both intensely personal and relatable to the world at large in her latest single, “Echoes,” The multiplatinum Swedish-Moroccan dynamo famous for her genre-defying artistry and show-stopping vocals doesn’t just return, she kicks off what’s bound to be an exciting new chapter.
The nearly sacred stillness is just how “Echoes” begins, a track produced and co-written by Rami Yacoub, a collaborator of icons including Lady Gaga, Charli XCX, and Madonna. A single piano note falls like a tear in the silence, making room for Loreen’s unmistakable voice, aching, yet beautifully contained. Then, as if dawn were breaking from behind storm clouds, the song explodes into a maelstrom, filled with looping synths and soaring, universe-exploring vocals that could rattle the soul from its shell. It’s the sort of emotional lift that Loreen has excelled at, that combination of fragile openness and fierce strength. Loreen says the song is about soul connection. “Echoes” doesn’t operate in the traditional pop realm so much as it constructs a ritual, even a reminder that music can serve as a location for transcendence.
There’s something new about Loreen’s voice on this one, not only maturity, but freedom. On this track, she leans further into herself, combining her history and vision with brash, pop-at-all-costs production. There’s no doubt she’s no longer just in pursuit of moments, she’s making them, fearlessly.