Swedish alt-pop visionary RIVER has released "I AM CANCER," a track that is as eerie as it is liberating. Mixing dream pop, indie, and cinematic alt soundscapes, this release has little to do with disease and much more to do with the emotional infections we allow our minds to manifest.
The themes here go well beyond self-perception, love, or the paralysis of emotion. RIVER explores what it's like to live behind the psychological defense mechanisms we construct to long for love while erecting walls that make it impossible to come in. The imagery in the lyric describes an infected mind that finds it hard to believe someone could love it, capturing the experience of self-sabotage with unblinking honesty.
The attached video only multiplies this self-reflection by blending surrealism with raw emotion. She creates a portrait of an artist who confronts her own openness and transforms it into art. RIVER's skill for combining emotional truth with invention is what makes "I AM CANCER" a standout moment in modern alt-pop. It's beautiful, it's alarming, and it's profoundly human, a reminder that healing frequently starts by confronting the parts of ourselves we fear most.
Discover RIVER on Instagram