Emerging Swedish artist RIVER invites us to a staggering, chest-pounding affair in her latest single “We’ll Be Together” featuring Lute, out today via EMI Sweden / Universal Music AB. Grounded by lush piano chords, the track is a sultry concoction of pop and R&B weaved with the breakneck choruses of American rapper Lute.
Dropping bittersweet bombs of truth, “We’ll Be Together” nestles us into a fervent romance where passion and destruction coexist in intimate symbiosis. RIVER’s silvery vocals, filled with warm gravitational soulfulness, mesmerizes us as she channels the chemistry between two people who drive each other off the cliff of madness – yet they belong together. “Oh you know that I love you / And that bitch can’t do it like I do” chants RIVER. The visceral soundscape is in sync with her unapologetic boldness as she swings between the extreme emotional ends of jealousy and desire that are found in fated fatal attractions.
Speaking of the new track, she shares: “I wanted to make a song that both tapped into the music of old-school soul that I grew up with mixed with the attitude of current hip-hop. To get Lute on the track helped me reach that vision and took it all to another level.”
The track is a preview of her upcoming debut EP, which will be arriving later this year. Bringing the classic swagger of 50s pin-up, RIVER is building her own oeuvre sprayed with a refreshing shade of soulful pop while experimenting with a diverse palette of genres including hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and more. “We’ll Be Together” is the third single and follow up of her previous tracks “Miss Me” and “One.” In every song, her silky high–pitch runs bring a rich warmth to the production, accentuating its thematic emotions to maximum effect.
Growing up in a musical household, RIVER has never been one to settle for the conventional when it comes to her creativity and lifestyle. From globetrotting Asia to San Francisco to Mexico, the Stockholm native has been leading a nomadic life for a while busking and performing in various cities while honing her own craft. “Travel was a way for me to let go of other people’s expectations—or at least what I thought they expected of me,” she states. “I was able to restart and find myself. I decided to move back to Sweden, because I knew I was going to do music for the rest of my life. I had my own songs, and I was ready to pursue this.”
Her work draws inspiration from a pastiche of experiences, places, and people that all have been part of her journey as an artist. “My music is like a smokey room in a castle from the 50s, full of crazy hot and lonely badass bitches coming together as one in a healing process,” says RIVER. Through both her music and style, she continues manifesting her commanding persona and authenticity that stand as the centerpiece of her artistry that captivate, thrill, and surprise her audience.