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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Music and Concerts devider Behind the lens of 'Ray-Bans': Unveiling Dagny's introspective and melancholic chapter of ELLE, the first of a trilogy of mini-albums

Behind the lens of 'Ray-Bans': Unveiling Dagny's introspective and melancholic chapter of ELLE, the first of a trilogy of mini-albums

'Always knew that we wouldn't last for long'

Published Sep 10, 2023 06:08 am

At A Glance

  • For the new mini-album ELLE, Dagny returned to the studio to collaborate with songwriters including Nick Hahn (Rita Ora, Sigrid), Mozella (Miley Cyrus, Rihanna), Oliver Lundström (Carly Rae Jepsen) and Maria Hazell (Mabel, ALMA). The resulting eight-track project is a diverse, honest, and dynamic body of work with a consistent, engaging emotional thread running through its veins.
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Dagny (Image courtesy of Torgeir Rørvik)

Norwegian pop sensation Dagny announces a new trilogy of mini-albums, kicking off with the unveiling of ELLE, the titular character and title of the trilogy's first installment. ELLE, out Oct. 20, will comprise eight tracks including previously released singles ‘Heartbreak In The Making’ and ’Same Again (For Love)’ - and today's newly released single ‘Ray-Bans.’

Following up on the critical and commercial success of her exhilarating debut album Strangers / Lovers would always be a mammoth task. In the years following its release, Dagny broke down and compartmentalized her emotions, quickly realizing there was a lot to unpack.

Never one to shy away from a bold approach, an alluring concept began to take shape, allowing Dagny to assimilate her feelings while retaining her creative songwriting freedom. Enter ELLE - the first of a new trilogy of mini-albums, each dissecting specific facets of Dagny's psyche and representing a hyper-exaggerated version of those unique personality traits.

ELLE is a hopeless (yet hopeful) romantic. An adventurous, impulsive risk-taker. ELLE wears her heart on her sleeve - often to her detriment. Take the album's euphoric lead single 'Heartbreak In The Making,' for example - a stomping power-pop masterclass acutely highlighting ELLE's reckless streak, providing a valuable lesson in taking heed to early red flags. Then there's 'Same Again (For Love)' - a blast of glistening synth-pop that sees ELLE losing sight of herself in the throes of romance.

Awash with melancholy, the new single 'Ray-Bans' is one of Dagny's most assured yet most introspective and vulnerable tracks to date. A 90's indie-pop inflected cut moving at a reflective pace, 'Ray-Bans' finds ELLE questioning her own standing during the post-break-up blues 'Am I all that tragic?'

Of the new single, Dagny said: 'Ray-Bans is the follow-up to the inevitable heartbreak predicted in 'Heartbreak In The Making'. Inspired by the 90s melodic and melancholic pop; Ray-Bans offers a different mood and shows a slightly more vulnerable side than some of my previous music. I hope it can soundtrack the melancholia of the autumn, for those who might need it.'

For the new mini-album ELLE, Dagny returned to the studio to collaborate with songwriters including Nick Hahn (Rita Ora, Sigrid), Mozella (Miley Cyrus, Rihanna), Oliver Lundström (Carly Rae Jepsen) and Maria Hazell (Mabel, ALMA). The resulting eight-track project is a diverse, honest, and dynamic body of work with a consistent, engaging emotional thread running through its veins.

From deeply intimate and vulnerable moments to huge emotionally charged pop songs that will have listeners screaming at the top of their lungs, Dagny has delivered a tantalizing snapshot into her pop powers with ELLE, and this is only the beginning.

To celebrate the release of ELLE, Dagny will embark on a European headline tour in April 2024, including a date in London at O2 Islington Academy on April 3. Ahead of that, Dagny will play her biggest headline show to date at Oslo's 10,000-capacity Spektrum Arena on 18th November (tickets on sale now).

Tromsø, Norway-born Dagny Norvoll Sandvik, is an irrepressible pop force. Dagny's music has been streamed over a billion times, she's been nominated for six Norwegian Grammy's (Spellemannprisen), co-written songs for Katy Perry, Ashnikko, and Julie Bergan, and collaborated with acts including Liverpool indie-rock heroes The Wombats, American super-producer Steve Aoki, fellow Norwegian powerhouses Kygo, Astrid S and Seeb, and Spanish-English indie-pop outfit Crystal Fighters.

Dagny's debut album Strangers / Lovers, released in May 2020 proved her credentials, spawning hit single 'Somebody' with over 90 million streams on Spotify alone, with high praise coming in for the album from The Guardian ('thundering synthpop explosion'), The Independent ('dazzling pop - 8/10'), BBC Music ('one of 2020's most assured debuts'), The Metro ('sleak, neat set of bops - Albums Of The Week') and more.

Dagny's new mini-album ELLE is out on Oct. 20 via Little Daggers Records. Dagny headlines Oslo's Spektrum Arena on Nov. 18 (tickets on sale now), and will tour Europe in April 2024. The new single 'Ray-Bans' is out now.

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