Erik Hassle, the Swede-pop prince behind the massive 2008 Swedish smash “Hurtful” (which also saw some lukewarm lovin’ in the US and the UK back in 2010), is back for another round of gorgeously crooned torment.
Penned by Malin Dahlström of Niki & The Dove, “Stay” is Hassle’s devastating lead single from his forthcoming second studio album due out in late spring. “Stay with me/You don’t have to go,” Hassle pleads during the song’s chorus. More stripped than “Hurtful,” the production relies on a haunting piano melody, strings and a slow-soldiering beat, as Hassle agonizes over lost love: “If you love someone, you should not let it show.”
At one point, he offers a quiet exchange between the two, almost like the bridge of Robyn‘s “Be Mine”: “How you doin’ now?/I said ‘It’s been a while and I’m fine’/You said ‘Are you happy? But are you happy?’/Wait, wait/Just wait, don’t tell me you’re in love!” he cries.
For those who found themselves sobbing to Adele‘s “Someone Like You” last year (and really, how could you avoid it?), consider this one an apt tear-addled companion.
“Stay” was released on April 16 in Sweden. (iTunes Sweden)
