Swedish/Moroccan pop artist Sofia Karlberg releases her new EP, Hold My Love, a collection of untold stories of love, heartache, passion, and music.
Talking about Hold My Love, Sofia shares, “The journey of this EP started when I was contemplating what to do next, not only musically but in general with my life. The pandemic forced a lot of us to dig deep, ask ourselves questions we might not want to know the answers to, and revalue our purposes. I realized I needed to stand on new grounds, so I decided to move to Berlin from my hometown Stockholm.”
She goes on to add, “I wanted to invite all the different parts of my new city into this EP, the darkness, the fun, the love but mainly the diversity. It’s such a weird and unique city with plenty of room for everyone to be themselves and I hope that this collection of songs can give you just that feeling – that there’s something for everyone, and that you’re all welcome into my world.”
Karlberg earned early attention with reinterpretations of songs like Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” and the Chainsmokers’ “Paris,” which resulted in over two million subscribers on YouTube. Karlberg shifted toward releasing original songs in 2019, dropping her Spotless Mind EP. Since then, a series of singles have helped her log more than 1.5 billion streams, along with more than 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Encompassing five tracks, the EP begins with “Do It Again,” opening on low thrumming tones topped by Sofia’s deliciously evocative voice, crystal clear and most alluring when she shifts to lush, whispery timbres. The juxtaposition of luminous, sparkling layers against the rumbling rhythm gives the tune a duality of depth and dimension.
“Just For You” floats on smoldering, burbling coloration as Sofia struts the softer, velvety range of her voice. The title track, with Discrete and TUSO, is probably the best track on the EP, emanating darker textures atop a syncopated rhythm. There’s a passionate urgent edge to Sofia’s vocals, yearning for release.
The electro-pop flow of “Bad Habit,” at once creamy and full of low-slung potency, hits the sweet spot. While the final track, “Hate My Guts,” travels on platinum guitars riding an elegant piano, imbuing the tune with gliding tendrils of cashmere tones.
On Hold My Love, Sofia Karlberg merges velvety pop music and alluring rhythms, all capped by her crème de la crème voice.
Follow Sofia Karlberg Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify