I was excited to hear “Sugarcoat,” the new track from the Swedish singer-songwriter Melanie Wehbe when it dropped last week. I have seen interest steadily growing around her online. When she popped up on my Spotify release radar last year with the track “Nothing.” I knew at once that I must follow back, so that I could catch her on the next release.
Having written for artists like Tusse and The Mamas, Melanie’s provenance is good. In my opinion, her own releases, while striking lyrically, did not have the same musical impact needed to make her stand out in a mainstream sense. The same cannot be said for “Sugarcoat,” which is easily her most melodic pop effort by far. The song has an unquenchable hook and is appropriately buzzy. It reminds me a lot of the style used by Dagny on her debut album “Strangers/Lovers“. An album I fell head-over-heels for. So you’ll hear no complaints from me about what Melanie has done here for the track.
Though the melody is stylistically upbeat, the lyrics actually say quite the opposite. The signs are easy to see, and you really can’t ignore them. The song is Melanie’s plea to her lover not to sugarcoat the inevitable break-up. She turns impending heartbreak into a liberating anthem.
I have listened to “Sugarcoat” a lot this week. With it being a hectic time presently, the energy the track exudes has helped with keeping me uplifted and motivated. The super-catchy, synth-driven melody really does add a certain sparkle to a dark winter day. Comparatively, we can describe it as a surge of dopamine, similar to what we feel when we see the Christmas tree lights switch on. It is easily the sort of two-minute pop song that screams “dance” and “play it again.”
After the awesomeness of “Sugarcoat,” I am bursting with fruit flavour to hear the debut EP. Melanie has said it is out next year.
Connect with Melanie Wehbe
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelanieWehbe/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/melaniewehbe
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniewehbe/