Sweden’s captivating Sophia Bolinder is back with a powerhouse of a new collaboration, reuniting with the always-soulful John Soul this time for the pair’s glistening single “Under The Stars.” This R&B-tinged slow-burner, soft and sultry from the start, explores the enchantment of boundless love, both geographically and emotionally, and it resonates deeply on the sonic spectrum.
Its tenderly vulnerable opening vocals, which come courtesy of John Soul, give it a narrative foundation before Sophia takes over, rich and expressive, bringing a layer of emotional nuance that lifts the track up to something timeless. From the very opening notes, the track sucks us into a spacey atmosphere, enveloped in velvety production and dreamy textures. The two viewpoints deepen it and make the duet feel intimate and painfully real.
“Under The Stars” shimmers with the moonlit shimmer of late-night revelations, one foot stepping between city lights and the other into the cosmic beyond. The production is slathered with a gentle but iridescent ‘stardust’ shimmer, which sits well between some classic R&B smoothness and a more contemporary, immersive wall of sound. There’s an ache in every note, a feeling of intimacy that has us leaning even closer with each listen.
Sophia Bolinder, hailing from Malmö, continues to thrive as a rising star in the Scandinavian soul community. This is the second time these guys have worked together, and their voices go great together. With John Soul’s sincere delivery, “Under The Stars” is not so much a single, but a shared good memory, one that stays with you long after the music ends.