Ane Brun fans have been waiting for some time. As with many of her last releases it has been proven entirely worth the wait. ‘Hold Me’ arrives 15 months after the first single from her forthcoming new album ‘I Thought We Were the Same. ‘
I hold my hand up and admit that I arrived at the Ane Brun party somewhat late, her most recent pair of albums from late 2020 – inspired by death, loss, and much more – a remarkable pair of creatures to live with, growing over time, almost perfectly balanced pop music, danceable, elegant, lyrics and music moving the listener in many ways. They were my point of entry, and I have never looked back.
Going through her catalogue, it became clear that while her early music showed promise she is one of the few artists who has truly got better and better with time, ageing turning Brun into something quintessential to lovers of pop, electronic, sophisticated production, and, well, just decent songs sung and brought to life with finesse and class.
Which brings us to ’Hold Me’, a song – the first of her 20+ year career – which was composed by Brun around body movement. A dance was the inspiration, as seen in the video, and what an inspiration it did prove. The longest wait between first and second singles I have ever known has now been closed 15 months after masterpiece single ‘Two Sides to a Story’ came out in late spring 2025, multiple reasons being the cause for the delay.
‘Hold Me’ is every inch its counterpart, introducing the imminent new album with repetitive but beguiling wonder, the kind only Brun can fashion in this way. The piano, the voice, the slick and sublime production and more, all pulled together for the perfect brew, a cocktail like no other. It is not just good to have her back, the six-year gap between albums felt so long this news can only point to a late entry for an album of the year. Similarly to ‘Closer’ from the two-album period six years ago, there are few lyrics here, but there is something in the way she approaches the same lyric with a new angle every time that makes it reach inside your chest, hold your heart, and leave its mark there forever.
‘Hold Me’ draws you in, slowly builds, then pounds its message of togetherness home, relentless in its beauty as it grows and falls apart, a sublime new addition to her pantheon of Nordic pop music. Now in her fifties, Brun shows no signs of anything other than perennial growth. Her music is essential. If you like life, pop music, indeed something that makes you move too, something meaningful, a message to reach the head and the heart, Brun has every single base covered. Truly extraordinary music.
Her Norwegian compatriot ARY co-wrote the song and features on it.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anebrunofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anebrun/
Bandcamp: https://anebrun.bandcamp.com/
