On the star’s follow-up to her sublime Magic Still Exists, Agnes works with Kerstin Ljungström, Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll and Hanna Wilson – as well as house producer Frans Bryngel. Tapping into themes of strength and vulnerability Agnes gives us our first taste in Balenciaga Covered Eyes, which blends glamour and fragility.
Agnes shares what we can expect from her next studio album: “After the last album, I found some gems – people I really wanted to continue working with. I wanted to keep it a small group so that it would feel intimate this time too. It allowed me to push myself and others even more. We took the plunge and dared to experiment.“
On new single Balenciaga Covered Eyes, Agnes notes: “It all started with me seeing an image in front of me: a person in the middle of a chaos of luxury, partying, chaos and stares. Someone who on the surface seems confident and glitzy, but where something else is going on inside – behind those “Balenciaga covered eyes”. But the song was also born from a feeling that I wanted to write something I myself want to hear when I go out on a weekend.”
The star has drawn inspiration from sources including Róisín Murphy’s music and the art of Mark Rothko for her upcoming era. Agnes shares: “This time I wanted everything to be more naked and direct. Instead of building layers upon layers in the production, I wanted to let each element take its place – it would feel rawer and less polished.” She adds: “That naive joy I felt at the beginning of my career, just to sing, is still the core of everything I do. And I have come to the conclusion that the most important thing for me is to be in the creative process. That it never ends. There will always be more to express, more to discover.“
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Photos: Fredrik Hvass