I was expecting an explanatory extravaganza from Nicolay Løvvold about his latest release. He wrote a huge and detailed artist review for me last year.
And it came, along with the lyrics. If only it was this easy all the time.
His songs always push the envelope, whether they concern a man who covets a girl he can’t have and embarrasses himself in the process; the interactions between a predator and its prey; or his concerns that you simply have to adhere today to whatever’s trending or you’ll be cancelled.
(On that matter I just changed my profile picture on Facebook to one that says ‘I support the current thing’, so we’re singing from the same hymn sheet).
I’ve wondered in the past if he might push the boat out too far one day, but he’s always just about managed to stay onside to which I offer him great credit as sometimes I don’t.
This brand new song, ‘Rebel Hearts’ was released on 24th February and it embraces an exploration of themes such as the passage of time, personal freedom, and the complexities of human desires.
Stripped back, what that means is that he is urging listeners to embrace life passionately instead of idly letting fleeting moments pass by, to live fully, desire deeply, and love as if every day could be their last.
Well there have been numerous songs urging listeners to do just that, but not like this.
The best way I can place him and it in the genre maelstrom that is the music business is 2025 is to ask you to think of a cross between Noddy Holder of Slade singing ‘Cum on feel the Noize’ or ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’; a symphonic metal band and a prog group (think Genesis and Jethro Tull in collaboration).
Yes, ‘Rebel Hearts’ really is that good. It’s an anthem for the struggling downtrodden masses that the likes of governments, the World Economic Forum and BlackRock seem intent on grinding into the floor but there’s little animosity – political or otherwise – in it. Just that assertion to get on with your life, because it’s later than you think.
He says he’s worked hard on the riff and the chorus and it shows. It flows seamlessly and is arranged in an agreeable way that might even attract Taylor Swift fans.
Lyrically it is lined up as an argument between two polarised factions, or two sides of the same brain, one propagating the safe, sensible approach, the other outright irresponsibility if it gets you what you want without hurting someone else and sod the consequences anyway.
Tucked into it is a brilliant chorus that should form part of a reissued, 2025 version of the Desiderata:
“Live like you’re the best there is
Want, like you can handle this
Love like you’re on your last day”.
Meanwhile the bridge is an inane banana insert as I call them…
“Nananananananananana
Nananananananana
Nananananananananana
Nanananana”
…to really drive home that this is a song one is meant to sing along loudly to he says, but equally to me as if to paint a picture of the masses struggling to comprehend his message, like the plebs gawping at Big Brother during the daily ‘Two minutes hate’.
Nicolay has said previously that he’s in to fusing rock and metal music with classical elements and synths and ‘Rebel Hearts’ is an excellent example of it.
And as far as I know he does most of this himself. That’s class.
Find him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolaylovvold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolaylovvold/
