AGNES STUNS WITH "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES" 🕶️ : A High-Glam, Heartbroken Masterpiece.

LONDON, UK – You already know and love the Swedish pop supernova that is Agnes. We've been hooked since the global explosion of "Release Me" nearly two decades ago. She's been consistently delivering diva-sized vocals and colossal dancefloor productions, steadily pushing the boundaries into ever more avant-garde territory. What's undeniable: she's consistently delivered, without a single misstep.

Following 2021's utterly incredible Magic Still Exists (and "24 Hours" remains staggeringly good – a testament to its enduring power), the Veritas powerhouse is now gearing up for a monumental new era, and it kicks off with the breathtaking new single and video for "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES."

To sculpt the sound of her forthcoming album, Agnes assembled an absolute dream team of Sweden's most inspiring songwriters and producers: Kerstin Ljungström, Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll, and Hanna Wilson. Adding to this formidable lineup, she initiated vital collaborations with house producer Frans Bryngel. This collective force has previously shaped sounds for icons like Avicii, Madonna, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, Salvatore Ganacci, and Sia – a pedigree that screams sonic excellence. Together, they forged a creative crucible where the ultimate goal was to preserve the raw, original feeling – to let the music retain the intense nerve from its very first, unpolished form.

Agnes shared her vision: "After my last album, I found some gems – people I really wanted to continue working with. I wanted to keep it to a small group to maintain that intimate feeling this time too. It allowed me to push both myself and others even further. We pushed boundaries and dared to experiment."

The upcoming album is a fearless exploration of contradictions, showcasing both formidable strength and exquisite vulnerability, urging us to shed the relentless pursuit of perfection. Right from the very first beat of "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES," we are plunged into this tension – the dazzling external glamour clashing with an inner fragility, all propelled by a sneaking, irresistible beat and a signature house piano that demands to be heard on a massive sound system.

"It all started with an image I saw in my mind: a person in the midst of chaos of luxury, parties, mess, and gazes. Someone who appears confident and glittery on the surface, but where something else is happening inside – behind those 'Balenciaga covered eyes.' But the song was also born from a feeling that I wanted to write something I myself want to hear when I go out on a weekend," Agnes revealed. This is pop music crafted for the soul and the dancefloor.

Agnes's inspiration for this new chapter draws from a refreshingly unexpected palette: from Róisín Murphy's uncompromising pop universe to the quiet, profound power of Mark Rothko's art. Works that convey so much with so little, where the raw essence carries the deepest emotion. "This time, I wanted everything to be more naked and direct," she explained. "Instead of building layer upon layer in the production, I wanted to let each element have its space – it should feel rawer and less polished."

And the **official music video for "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES" is a striking visual narrative that plunges you into a world of high-stakes emotion. We're transported to a vast, stark blue room, populated by a haunting array of chairs and various iterations of Agnes herself. The scene transforms into an unexpected, raw Paris Fashion Week catwalk, where our central Agnes, resplendent in mustard yellow vintage haute couture, is relentlessly assailed by camera flashes. Amidst this flashing chaos, Agnes struts, poses, models, and smizes for the cameras, all while navigating an internal world of heartbreak. 

There's a captivating, almost surreal blend of vintage aesthetics meeting futurism in the striking contrast of the vibrant blue room and her bold mustard yellow attire. The vulnerability is laid bare as Agnes leans heartbreakingly and poetically against a blue sculpture's legs in the middle of the catwalk, seemingly faced down, embodying the shattered dreams and overflowing emotions within. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of this intimate struggle amidst public spectacle:

"Thirty minutes to midnight / And I can feel myself wasting now / You know you broke my heart right / And now I’m standing in the pieces, oh / Shattered dreams and your lies / And I can’t stop these emotions now / I’ll be here all night / With every teardrop, I’m letting go"

This compelling visual offers a powerful, almost voyeuristic glimpse into the often-hidden vulnerability beneath the glitzy surface of the fashion world. The track's chorus then bursts forth, a cathartic release of tears finding solace within the thumping energy of the dancefloor:

"Behind my Balenciaga covered eyes / In the protection of a dancing crowd / Under the strobe lights and the laser beams / I cry, I cry / And the music is too loud to stay in my head now / These feelings all over / It’s over, all over / And so I cry / Behind my Balenciaga covered eyes / Oh, I cry"

Agnes even speaks to this audacious confidence mixed with raw vulnerability within the track, proclaiming: "I look damn good in this three-piece / Vintage haute couture, yeah / So sad and so sexy / Come and arrest me." We are super excited to see this new era of Agnes's music, including our obsession and lead-up to the piano house dance music prominent in the video.

With her recent album Magic Still Exists, Agnes garnered four Swedish Grammy nominations in 2022, triumphing with a "Composer of the Year" win alongside Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir, Kerstin Ljungström, and Maria Hazell. Boasting nearly half a billion streams, a voice consistently praised by industry and audiences alike, and two decades of ceaselessly renewed musical expression, Agnes remains a formidable force.

"That naive joy I felt at the beginning of my career of just being able to sing is still at the core of everything I do," Agnes shared, a sentiment that resonates deeply with our ODDWAX ethos. "And I've come to realize that the most important thing for me is to be in the creative process. That it never ends. There will always be more to express, more to discover."

Based in Stockholm, Agnes was catapulted to fame at just 16. The years that followed were a whirlwind of world tours, highly successful albums, and the monumental global dancefloor hit “Release Me,” which soared into the Top 10 across Europe and conquered both the US Billboard Hot Dance & UK Official Dance Charts.

This new single and its accompanying video are a profound artistic statement, cementing Agnes's legacy as an innovator who continuously pushes the boundaries of pop. We at ODDWAX are already anticipating the vinyl, ready to spin this raw, beautiful, and utterly captivating new era.

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