girl in red (Marie Ulven Ringheim) has released her new single, ‘You Need Me Now?’, featuring Sabrina Carpenter. The Norwegian singer, songwriter and music producer emerged within the alt-pop world in 2017 and has been growing in popularity ever since; this hit is uplifting her further in the lead-up to her new album.

We open with an electric guitar hook, drums coming in quickly afterwards with girl in red’s raspy vocals, creating more of a rock overtone. The catchy melody pairs with the brilliant lyrics that switch to a doubled tempo in the upbeat chorus. This was one of my favourite parts as my body separated from my mind and I pulled my neck head-bangin’.

The lyrics themselves tell the story of a bad relationship and an ex-lover who does not seem to get the message: ‘I’m done being yours’. My favourite line in the whole song is ‘Next to you, I was crumbling/ The power imbalance stumbling’ because of the specific intonations girl in red puts on it during the sped-up chorus.

This song is girl in red’s first one featuring another artist and the choice of Sabrina Carpenter is perfect: the difference in Norwegian and American voices comfortably complement one another in their harmonies. Carpenter’s intro was a particular highlight for me as it uniquely catches you off guard, in classic girl in red fashion: ‘I’m gonna sing now’. The unique rise-and-fall of the American vocalist, especially in the line ‘I’m sick of your schemes and you’re such a disease’, fit so well into the rocky nature of the song, proving Carpenter’s incredible talent and adaptability.

The release date of girl in red’s new album, I’m Doing It Again Baby, is April 12^th, 2024. So if you liked this collaboration, be sure to check out the rest of the album.

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