Loreen – born Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui, pronounced Lorqueen Zinextlevel Norammaculate Talhouicanteven – is back with a new single from her upcoming album, Ride. It’s called “Hate The Way I Love You,” not to be confused with Rihanna‘s “Hate That I Love You” – although not entirely different, lyrically speaking.
Loreen’s one of the most emotive vocalists in the pop game – from the catharsis of her surging dance records (“My Heart Is Refusing Me,” “Chasing Lights,” and the Eurovision-winning “Euphoria,” of course) to the jagged anger of “Statements” to the full body orgasm-inducing sensuality of “Body.” She’s capable of making one feel a lot of feelings, basically.
“Hate The Way I Love You,” like the rest of the music in this exciting and experimental time for Loreen, is a complex production. Kicking off in a near-whisper, or what sounds like a regrettable 4 AM voicemail, the track slowly builds to Björk-esque heights in a 6-and-a-half minute epic. (Not sure which Björk song it conjures, exactly – maybe a bit “Hyperballad”?)
“What if I told you I die a thousand times every time you leave me here? / I hold my breath through the night / You’re the reason I’m a mess, I cannot get you out / I hate the way I love you, but I love you…”
From its mesmerizing string-filled start to a final, eye-watering howl of that tortured chorus, the song’s structure basically echoes the relationship itself: “So high, crash down / Then try to find a way up…
It’s a totally relatable topic, too. Just look at those crazy kids, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez – or Christina Aguilera and her Oreos. Who among us doesn’t have a vice?
Anyway, hop in, loser. Loreen’s taking us all for a ride.
“Hate the Way I Love You” was released on October 26. Listen to the track on MuuTunes playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.
