Sigrid Releases Her Sophomore Album “How To Let Go”

A common expression to describe the weather in Norway (Sigrid’s homeland) is that “You experience all four seasons in one day.” In her newest album, How To Let Go, Sigrid offers audiences just that. With an expansive array of genres ranging from pop to disco, you feel like you’re experiencing the seasons of Sigrid. How To Let Go is a clever and innovative that will surely provide musical fulfillment for anyone who has the pleasure of listening to it.

The album opens up with artist and fan favorite, “It Gets Dark.” Sigrid has mentioned that this particular track is especially important because it serves as the thematic thread that weaves the album together. The track opens with an orchestral string section adding in keys and drums before it builds to its full form of heavy brass fills and cosmic synths. “It Gets Dark” perfectly captures the message that it’s always darkest before the light. Sigrid’s lyrics put it more poetically, insisting that “It gets dark so I can see the stars.”

“Burning Bridges” was initially released a bit before the announcement of Sigrid’s new album. It is a punchy, dance-pop track that is exactly the song you need to be listening to during a main character moment. It’s not necessarily hiding the meaning in plain sight, but because of the upbeat nature of the song, you might find yourself dancing along without really hearing the song’s intended messaging. That being said, “Burning Bridges” is about exactly that: ending failed relationships by burning bridges.

One of the greatest lines from this track is “You love somebody… but you gotta let him go before you go down with him.” In an album about growing up and growing into yourself, as well as learning how to let go, “Burning Bridges” is the first time it will be mentioned that part of learning how to move on is learning how to value your own self worth.

Diving head first into the next track, “Risk of Getting Hurt” reminds us that sometimes, “it’s just not a thing worth doing if there’s no risk of getting hurt.” As the saying goes, “the greater the risk, the greater the reward.” When you only have one chance to live life in the body you’re in, why not go after everything you can possibly imagine?

Sometimes part of getting what you want means having to say goodbye to people and places that are no longer good for you. How To Let Go‘s next track, “Thank Me Later” explains the moment when you decide that even though “it’s hurting right now, you’ll thank [yourself] later” for cutting ties. How To Let Go is a master class in learning to do what’s best for yourself, so why not try and take Sigrid’s word for it?

Continuing with the theme of doing what’s in your best interest, the next track “Mirror” gives audiences a dance-worthy profession of self love.

I love who I see looking at me

In the mirror, in the mirror

Nothing compares to the feeling right there

In the mirror, in the mirror

“Mirror” by Sigrid

May being Mental Health Awareness Month makes “Mirror” garnering even more recognition so much more important. No matter who you are or where you’ve been, we should all strive to love the person that we see looking back at us in the mirror.

“Mirror” is an incredibly catchy song filled with heavy-hitting drums and the music video features stunning visuals (one of those being Sigrid in a shirt that resembles a disco ball). If you have the time, I suggest giving it a view (or maybe three).

The next two songs on the album, “Last To Know” and “Dancer,” go hand in hand. “Last to Know” details a person’s struggle with feeling guilty about finding total bliss after ending a failed relationship. The lyrics pray that the other party be the last to find out about their sudden joy, so as not to further wound them or rub it in their face.

So I hope you’re the last to know
That I’m feeling like this
Like I was hit by happiness
Oh, I hope you’re the last to know
That I’m better off with
Someone I didn’t know I missedAnd I won’t ask you to be happy
For me
But I’m happy I found somebody
And I hope that you’re the last to know

“Last To Know” by Sigrid

On the other end of the spectrum, you have “Dancer,” which tells the story of how love can make you feel alive. The song’s lyrics describe it best saying, “I finally started livin’ and I’m right at home in your embrace. Now the universe is spinnin’, getting higher every step we take.” The lyrics and the music are both light and whimsical, and mimic the out-of-breath, exhilarating, and spinning feeling of being in love.

At this point, maybe you’ve forgotten, but this writer has been keeping track, so let’s check back in on the theme that’s supposed to unite all the songs in this album together. If the overall theme is that you to go through the darkness to be able to see and appreciate the stars, let’s see how we’re doing so far. Every song from “Risk Of Getting Hurt” up until this point has been about letting go of things that are no longer meant for you, learning to love someone else, and most importantly, learning to love yourself.

That seems to be on par with experiencing hardships in order to see the light. Let’s see if the rest of the album can keep it up.

“A Driver Saved My Night” is the next song on the album and it is the song you should be most excited to see live. Sigrid describes it as an “homage to how music can affect [your] life.” The track is very modern-disco and pop-y and you won’t be able to stop listening.

Continuing on the path of lessons learned, the next track “Mistake Like You” details what can be learned from relationships regardless of how they turn out. She sings, “I’m lucky to have had a mistake like you.” The track is a slower, piano-filled number that highlights the singer’s growth into herself.

It’s towards the very end of the album, but fan-favorite “Bad Life” shows up at just the right time. Sigrid and Bring Me The Horizon remind us that even when we feel completely hopeless and we feel that we’ve reached our breaking point, that we can make it safely to better times.

The final two songs of the album “Grow” and “High Note” solidify the intended message and leave audiences on a high note. You’ve read a lot about it here, but for the full experience you have to check it out for yourself. Sigrid’s sophomore album, How To Let Go is a beautiful collection of songs professing self-love, growing up, and the importance of letting go.

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