Sigrid – Don’t Kill My Vibe (EP Review)

Having spent the last few years honing her craft, Norwegian artist Sigrid is tipped to have a stellar career following the recent release of her debut EP, Don’t Kill My Vibe.

According to her label, Universal Music/Island Records UK, “she personifies cool, but doesn’t know it yet, and is as worth getting as excited about as when Lorde first appeared with Royals.” It’s a lot of hype to live up to, particularly for someone only just out of their teens.

Often younger artists will be touted as the “best thing since sliced bread”, only to fail when push comes to shove. Before listening to this record, I was a little cynical, although open to discovering a new pop gem, which is exactly what happened.

The title track kicks it all off, with a cool keyboard intro keeping the song light before drums take over to create what is a unique pop song. It’s topped off with Sigrid’s lilting tones, a certain edge that makes her stand out from more well-known pop artists. Given the song’s catchiness, it’s no wonder the accompanying music video has had over two million views since its upload in late March. Radio ready from the outset, it’s followed up strongly by Plot Twist.

Fake Friends gives us a bigger taste of Sigrid’s unique vocal ability, albeit still with that hooky vibe of previous tracks. But it is final song, Dynamite that really grabs me.

Emotional and heartfelt, Dynamite is a beautiful ballad in which Sigrid is truly given the chance to shine. There’s a huskiness to her tone that was not quite as obvious as before, and it’s this uniqueness the song so captivating. The track’s inclusion may have been a definite change of pace, but without it, the EP would have felt a little incomplete.

With only four tracks and a total running time of just under 14 minutes, Don’t Kill My Vibe is short by even EP standards, but it’s what Sigrid does within that small space of time that impresses. She is like a breath of fresh air, a breakthrough artist offering something a little different than most songs one would hear on the radio. Of all four songs, there is not one I would skip. They all have the ability to take over the airwaves, and I look forward to hearing more from her.