LÖNA – Girl

When I saw that Martin Ankelius was one of the people behind this autumnal indie-pop track, I already knew this would be excellent. I’m a massive fan of Tove Lo, with whom he has previously worked, and who I would also say has a similar sound to that of LÖNA.

Throughout it has a soft, mid-tempo beat with a high-voice singing ‘Ooooooh, oooh-ooooh’. ‘Girl’ evokes dark and sensual tones and although it can often be understated, there’s a warm passion which undercurrents the track. I was surprised at an electric guitar solo in the song’s latter stages, although it works to give it an extra edge.

This new single, released on December 11th, might be a slight departure from their usual sound but the message remains the same. ‘Girl’ is a woman talking very sexually about another one, and, using their platform, LÖNA’s twin sisters are breaking down what parts of society still see as a taboo – women should be able to do whatever they want with their bodies without men, or indeed, other women, judging them for it. Their previous single, ‘If I Could Do It Again’, calls out slut shaming and has been picked up by feminist podcast Damn Honey.

‘Girl’ is sleek, dark synth-pop with a social conscience, and although it might not be as apparent in this latest track, standing up for freedom runs through everything that this duo does.

Ryan Powell