Melanie Wehbe is a Stockholm, Sweden-based electronic pop artist who has featured on our blog a couple of times before. Most recently, I ran the rule over her liberating ode to self-love Like I Do. It’s a track that features on her recently released EP Bloom, so I decided to give it a listen.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Magnus Ragnvidd
Melanie has been writing and performing music since the age of fourteen. In 2011, at the age of nineteen, she was signed to a record label and started performing songs written by others, unable to express her true self and her own story. Later, she became a songwriter for others, and wrote Sweden’s 2014 entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, becoming the youngest female writer in the competition.
Yet, all that was a preamble to Bloom, her debut EP of self-written, self-performed songs. It’s a collection about self-acceptance, finding inner strength and ultimately ‘blooming’ into the person you need to be. As such, there’s a strong sense of the personal running through all six tracks.
The EP opens with Say, What’s On Your Mind?, a brief but atmospheric intro to Melanie’s story. It’s made up of ethereal, layered vocals and subtle electronic textures and sets the scene well before easing into Rules. The lyrics are defiant but there’s a sense of vulnerability in its isolated vocals during the first verse. A soaring chorus declares “I’m breaking the rules” and makes you want to raise your fist to the sky.
Title track Bloom comes next. An empowering ballad, it oozes with pop sensibilities and Melanie’s vocals are particularly compelling. As the track progresses, a dance beat enters and it shakes off its sadness for optimism. It’s a definite highlight.
All The Rest takes on life’s set-backs, reframing them as learning experiences. There is a delicate strength to the vocals and the melody in the verse is one that will stick with you. The chorus turns life’s road-bumps into goose-bumps. It’s another highlight.
Like I Do is the EP’s penultimate track. It’s a track that Melanie wrote for her younger self, and serves as a reminder to put herself first. Nestled among the collections other anthems, it fits nicely, and brings something fresh in terms of the moodiness of its electronic arrangement.
Nothing Likes You closes the EP, a tribute to Melanie’s mother. It mixes classical elements in among the electro pop and feels altogether more gentle and intimate as a result. There’s genuine love and affection in Melanie’s vocals that makes the lyrics utterly relatable, and the strings and percussion in the chorus will rouse your heart.
Given Melanie’s experience in the pop industry, the accomplished feel of this debut is no surprise. What really struck me about it was its sense of heart. Melanie has put all of herself into her songs and conveys the emotions of them beautifully. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up today, look no further. You can listen to the whole of Bloom below.
