Establishing the mood with a cerebral bass guitar riff, expanding with glitched ad libs, Hugo Oak opens S.M.S.tt.D. (Sold My Soul to the Devil) with a hypnotising timbre as he shares philosophical prose and introspective depth.
The artist demonstrates poetic prowess with fierce and captivating hooks with an elevated concept. We love the hook, “I sold my soul to the devil, I sold my soul, I’m a rebel…” The opus evolves with pitched vocal interludes and a stunning falsetto range moment which feels ethereally sublimed, preceded by a pizzicato guitar riff.
The chorus re-emerges, magnetic and genius. The vocal harmonies are out of this world and the slurred guitar details are dope before a glitched nuance, which keeps us enthralled. There is not one dull moment in the song – it is as trippy as it is timeless!
We learn that Hugo Oak is a Dutch vocalist, producer and songwriter and S.M.S.tt.D. (Sold My Soul to the Devil) serves as his comeback single. The star tells us how the song began as “a lyrical sketch on a flight from Mexico to LA, written during that whirlwind tour.”
He adds that the track “marks a turning point” in his career and is centred around ” invisible battles and internal rebellion.” We are in awe of the depth, and the charisma that Hugo manifests. The rising star doesn’t cite any specific influences, which we feel is apt, as it is abundantly clear that he not only has a profound musical knowledge, but is also imbued with a strong universal connection. He is his own muse.
We have added S.M.S.tt.D. (Sold My Soul to the Devil) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Hugo Oak, including the entirety of Brightly Dark.