“Why oh why do I feel this way on a sunny day?”
The sky is blue. Water is wet. Annie never disappoints. These things we all know to be true.
The Norwegian superstar has been going strong since ’99 – when she said “don’t stop,” she really meant it – and that’s a good thing for us, given that she’s quite literally never sonically stumbled once. (No pressure!)
But actually: this is an artist who has the rare distinction of delivering an all-killer, no-filler discography: from her ahead-of-its-time 2004 blog world-beloved debut Anniemal with Richard X and Röyksopp, forever cementing her status as one of the cool kids of pop with classic cuts like underground club hit-turned-debut single “Greatest Hit” (sampling Madonna‘s debut for her own debut, genius), “Chewing Gum” and “Heartbeat,” as well as the criminally underrated, push-past-the-label-politics 2009 follow-up Don’t Stop, full of should-be Top 10s and Girls Aloud-adjacent Xenomania bangers like “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me,” “Anthonio” (complete with the handwritten letter and CD single, I still cherish!) and the almighty “Songs Remind Me Of You,” through to 2013’s rave-inspired A&R EP with Richard X, the anti-Putin protest song “Russian Kiss,”, 2015’s Endless Vacation EP and onward to 2020’s moody, contemplative and largely nostalgic Dark Hearts with Swedish producer Stefan Storm (read the review), which won her a Norwegian Grammy for Best Pop Album that year.
She’s sampled so many different flavors of electro-pop, deep club beats cinematic synthscapes over the years. And now, Annie has gone and given the people what they really need: early ’00s trance. (That I’ve fallen down an Ayu Trance hole for the past few weeks is just divine timing.)
“The Sky Is Blue,” Annie’s latest triumph recorded alongside Dark Hearts collaborator Stefan Storm, arrived on Friday (August 30), perfectly timed for the final weeks of sunshine in the Northern Hemisphere.
The song was created “in the fjords of Norway with the midnight sun scudding across the horizon” and, per the official release, begs the question: “How can there be such sadness beneath a canopy of clear blue sky?” (Who amongst us has not had an existential crisis and/or wondered what they want for breakfast in a Norwegian fjord?)
“The Sky Is Blue” feels plucked from a time capsule buried away nearly three (gulp) decades ago during the days of club (and/or Dance Dance Revolution) classics like Ian Van Dahl‘s “Castles in the Sky,” 4Strings‘ “Take Me Away” and Alice Deejay‘s “Better Off Alone.”
Specifically, she asks that we file this one into our playlists and mixtapes between “It’s a Fine Day” by Opus III, Romy’s “Strong” (read the review here, another pioneer of the modern trance-pop revival) and “Children” by Robert Miles.
“One life full of love, that is the only thing that I’m dreaming of in the world apart,” she wistfully proclaims in the opening seconds. “Let the music start.”
And so it does.
Everything about the song is exquisite: the ethereal vocals, the emotional lyrics, the heavenly post-chorus breakdown (there’s a slight tinge of Ray of Light (“Skin?”) and Above & Beyond mix of “What It Feels Like for a Girl” here), that soaring bridge at the 2:50 mark: “One touch, one life…” Well, of course there’s a bridge! She actually cares about supplying good pop music.
“When there is too much confusion and you just need to get away,” Annie explains of the inspiration behind the track, “It can all be a bit overwhelming sometimes. Chaos, intrigues, family issues and when you can’t find any peace of mind…the only thing that could save my week, month and days was to go outside, try to leave all my troubles behind…look up at the sky, feel the strength of the sun, the heat, the wind and start all over. A new beginning, a new day.”
“’The Sky Is Blue’ is about getting a new chance. Open your mind, and try to leave your problems behind, if only for a moment. Remembering why you are here, and all the beauty in life.”
The song is an immediate favorite of the year, destined to soar to No. 1 on the MuuMuse Hot 100, and will be a constant, grounding companion for contemplative walks around the city amid existential crises and/or panic attacks for many suns and moons to come.
Let it break your heart too.
“The Sky Is Blue” is also available as a limited 12″ picture disc vinyl.
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Photo credit: Annie
