Establishing the mood with a rising, pulsating synth, Jóhanna Seljan opens Strangelove with intrigue, dimensionality, evocative melodies and textured drums before she assertively sings, “I need a break, I need some space to clear my mind, so please leave me alone, don’t even bother to call me on the phone…”
The opus expands with intricacy as the star from Reykjavík shares her perspective with poetic prowess and an immersive sonic architecture. We learn that Strangelove is designed as “a goosebumps type of a song that talks about two individuals going through all the motions and confusion that love tends to bring.”
We connect deeply with Jóhanna Seljan charismatic and cinematic vocal timbre, and the emotional energy that she exudes. Her range is formidable, and we love the anthemic nature of the composition.
Jóhanna Seljan is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, poet and entertainer who has been performing since the age of sixteen. She began writing poems and lyrics at the early age of eight and started writing melodies when she was nineteen. Throughout her career Jóhanna has taken part in many musical shows, been in all sorts of bands and performed as a session singer.
Her first solo album, Seljan, was released in 2020. It consists of songs from her early songwriting years as well as songs written in the period 2016-2019. She cites “the softest jazz to the heaviest metal” as her broad range of influences, but it is clear that Jóhanna Seljan is creating a universe of her own.
We love what Jóhanna Seljan is offering, and have added Strangelove to our New Music Spotlight playlist, whilst we continue to stream her wider discography including the whole of Seljan!