Every bit as refreshing and even more insightful than her debut, Norwegian pop star
Sigrid delivers another near-flawless effort with her sophomore album,
How to Let Go. Coming of age with a platinum LP and a handful of hit singles in the rearview, the growing artist opts for the positive, affirmative route with the songs on
How to Let Go, which merges shimmering dance-pop gems and arena-sized midtempo ballads. Just 25 years old at the time of release,
Sigrid displays a wisdom and confidence beyond her age, packing an abundance of journal-cover quotables that makes it near impossible not to feel uplifted and motivated to live one's best life. This is not to say that
How to Let Go is schmaltzy fluff. Rather, she goes beyond just spinning the negative into a positive, learning from the tougher experiences in life and making the best of it all. On the
Sia-meets-
Natasha Bedingfield throwback "Risk of Getting Hurt," she declares, "It's just not a thing worth doing/if there's no risk of getting hurt," while the
KT Tunstall-esque "It Gets Dark" soars with anthemic guitars as
Sigrid proclaims, "It gets dark/so I can see the stars." The strong messages continue throughout. "Bad Life," an earnest duet with
Bring Me the Horizon's
Oli Sykes, pulls listeners out of whatever funk they might be in with the refrain, "It's just a bad day, not a bad life." Meanwhile, she inspires the heartbroken to move on with heads held high on the pulsing "Thank Me Later" ("Let it go/cause when you know you know") and encourages self-confidence on the deep electric groover "Mirror" ("Just fell in love with the person in the mirror"). That latter track is one of a handful of infectious disco-revival moments on par with the sounds of
Dua Lipa,
Miley Cyrus, and
Kylie Minogue circa 2020, opening up the dancefloor with additional synth-heavy highlights like the shiny, glitter-blasted anthem "Burning Bridges" and the breezy "A Driver Saved My Life," which shimmers atop handclaps and swirling electro-groove. On the contemplative side,
Sigrid's vocals shine on the moving "Last to Know," the clever soft rock breakup tune "Mistake Like You," and the tender,
Coldplay-channeling acoustic standout "Grow." She opts to close the set with the aptly titled "High Note," a stirring declaration of purpose that drops a shiver-inducing key change to maximum effect. Hearing the jump from
Sucker Punch's youthful, innocent pop nuggets to this confident and mature statement is an inspiration in itself, simply because it's so heartwarming to witness her artistic growth. But taken just at face value,
How to Let Go is an album that a more established act would be proud to call their own. ~ Neil Z. Yeung