Nina Söderquist – “Goodbye” Featuring Björn Skifs
Nina Söderquist – “Goodbye” Featuring Björn Skifs – Single Review
There are a lot of interesting techniques and undeniable talents being applied on the new single from Nina Söderquist. “Goodbye,” the brand-new single featuring a duet with Björn Skifs already has the benefit of two stunning vocalists, but it also applies bold ideas in the production that helps lift this track up even further to reach the heights of its ambition, approach and overall sound.
You could consider this to be outside of the ‘norm’ for me, but I know a great performance when I hear one. Call it easy-listening, call it soft-rock or simply call it a ballad – there’s zero argument to be made here when it comes to the way that Nina and Bjorn have sung this song – they nail it. I’d be interested in hearing what else both of these two are up to on the regular; the main reason for that being they both approach this gentle melody with the added rasp of rock-veterans and edge in their tone the entire way through the song. When you hear the delicate music that opens the song, it’s a subtle-intensity that genuinely surprises you – it’s like you can hear these two were born to really ROCK, but they’ve found a way to keep that wildness calm enough to weather the emotional storm that surfaces on “Goodbye.” For me, based on that alone, the way these singers took this melody on had real contrast that quickly pulled me onto their side – I mean, c’mon…you ALL have ears presumably…you just can’t deny how powerful these performances are.
Detailing life, love, heartbreak and recovery – I think you have to hand it to these two and those in the studio that left no corner of this track overlooked from the idea in incubation to the final recording. The verse starts out with beautiful piano melody and a split verse shared by Nina and Björn that has plenty of audible emotion and tangible charisma – they’ve made these words real, which matters here in a duet like this…that was the idea behind having two vocalists express the words on a song like “Goodbye.” They sound great in the verse, even better in the build-ups & bridges, and then all-out exceptional in the grip of the chorus – the structure of “Goodbye” leads them towards a truly focused idea that’s executed extraordinarily well – one that takes the two vocalists from sounding nearly shattered at the beginning of the song to a wonderful transformation to empowered confidence by the end of the song. Ultimately, “Goodbye” is about finding that strength to carry on. When you add in that edge in their tone – you realize just how much they’ve connected with the words whenever it shows up – and it’s that understanding of the material & commitment to their performances that largely make the difference and lead them to success on this single. Credit where credit is due – these two sound like superstars and authentic, world-class singers on “Goodbye.”
Where things become even more interesting is listening to the progression in this song and how the volume and atmosphere in the music surrounding them continues to rise to the occasion. At first I wasn’t sure if it was just the way I was hearing it, but after a few rotations, it was clear that they’ve cleverly added just a tiny bit more punch to the volume as the song plays on – and honestly, it’s highly effective. You get the added instrumentation filling out the song perfectly as well at the same time this happens, which makes them pull this off incredibly naturally…you can call it a production ‘trick’ or whatever you want to – I call that making the right choice and doing what’s best for the song. In any event, the way that the music swells and surrounds them in the thick of the chorus is as perfectly executed as the vocals are; as I’ve already stated, there’s no stone been left unturned here.
And that’s how Nina Söderquist and Björn Skifs are going to win you over here, whether you’re inside or outside of the genre/style of music they make. The writing and shared performance allows for this powerful structure to really move from point A to point B with dramatic, theatrical and authentically-emotional tones becoming stronger & stronger, ending on a finale that’s built on real fireworks from the vocalists and noticeable strength in the words. A stunning performance is always worth taking the time to listen to – and that’s what they’ve put into each and every moment on “Goodbye.” Really well done.
Find out more about Nina Söderquist at her official page at: http://www.ninasoderquist.com/
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