Swedish alt-pop singer River has released her newest single, “Lost in the ocean.”
A six-minute, intensely vulnerable track, “Lost in the ocean” finds River confronting the pain of self-sabotage and the pull toward someone she knows is wrong for her, yet can’t help being drawn to.
“When I wrote ‘Lost in the ocean,’ I tried to see myself through the eyes of those I left behind,” says River. “To me, the song is about uncompromisingly choosing your own path, driven by the fear of commitment. It’s my confession of how I used relationships as a substance to escape loneliness or as stepping stones in my chase for self-actualization. It’s basically about destructiveness and the hollow feeling of always wanting more.”
Produced by River’s collaborators August Vinberg, Johannes Henriksson, and Rickard Andersson, “Lost in the ocean” is a striking and bold track.
River’s slightly raspy, high vocals echo with melancholy over a lush production, the kind of sound that alt-pop in particular thrives in.
Two-thirds of the way through the song, a bright, loud, and dramatic guitar solo comes in as sweeping strings appear for background support, and you can just imagine River dancing in a Kate Bush-style fashion, feeling every feeling she’s been aching to let out.
It’s very effective juxtaposed with the quiet way the song starts out, featuring just River’s soft vocals begging other people to “tell me I’m pretty” and a sparse drum-machine beat alongside minimal, drawn-out chords.
While "Lost in the ocean" feels vulnerable, there’s something deeply honest and triumphant about it, as it suggests that even if River has been adrift, she may soon find her way.
