Nina Söderquist – Kärlek

“That… that did not go where I expected it to.”

Tim: I won’t spoil this for you, or bore you with details of Nina’s considerable career so far. Instead, just press play, and listen until the thing happens before reading ahead. You’ll know what the thing is.

Tom: That… that did not go where I expected it to. An 80s heavy-rock guitar riff into… is that schlager?

Tim: So it’s schlager, Tom, but not as we know it. It just about manages to hide its true intentions right up until that building pre-chorus wanders on, giving way to a thumping chorus that knows exactly what it is and wants the whole world to know it. And boy, does the world know it by the end of the song, despite that four second freak out it will give listeners who know there’s a key change coming.

Tom: It’s an interesting choice, to be sure, even down to putting the cowbell in there. But then there’s the weird synth bit pre-chorus, and… I… I’m confused. I’m just confused. It’s… okay? I guess? I don’t know!

Tim: As for the lyrics, oh, something to do with love, because that’s what the title means, but do they really matter? Despite the rock leanings, this is one of the finest schlager tracks I’ve heard in a while (though I’m not sure it totally beats Nik P.’s track from last week), and if this is a genre that’s occurring right now, praise be to the musical overlords and I might even forgive them for Meghan Trainor.