Copenhagen-based singer Annsofie Salomon’s debut single “Soft Dreams” is a beautiful story of self resurrection and reinvigoration. Described by Salomon as both a mix of “organic folk” and “surreal and electronic impressionism,” “Soft Dreams” not only conjures a sound that’s uniquely Annsofie Salomon’s but tells a tale that’s strikingly personal as well.
The magic of this track lies in the immense degree to which Salomon weaves herself into it. Salomon noted that “Soft Dreams’” lyrics are built from the titles of her self-produced art, which rest at the bottom of the Copenhagen Harbor as a result of rejections from art school. Thus, this song is very much an allegory for her journey to piece back together her frustrated heart, and it is a beautiful renewal to bear witness to.
Our first glimpse into this self-healing process is an ominous one. Like the beginning of The Killers’ “Believe Me Natalie” which starts with a faint electronic ring, “Soft Dreams” opening captures the same mysterious, embryonic feeling—a cue that this is not only Salomon’s artistic rebirth but her musical origin story.
A sparse drum beat and bassline quickly join the narrative, mixed with dreamlike reverb-soaked synths, to create a stunning sonic bath on which Salomon paints her new beginning. While suspended above a bed of lovely electronic experimentation, it is really Salomon’s voice that takes the forefront of this track. Her emotive vibrato holds layers of frustrated ambition and heartbreak, which only makes her story of new beginnings that much sweeter.
As her wispy vocals begin to explain her artistic journey, it becomes clear that her elements of her past still grip her. But this doesn’t place bounds on Salomon. Rather, this track is both a reconciliation with her past and a story about carving out of a new future in which her artistry can flourish and find recognition for its worth.
Sweet salt warm bindings
brave love dream racked
in my veins
While you stream low I contrive
for the space in time gone out of mind
Yet despite the tinge of darkness that these notes of her past pepper into the track, Annsofie Salomon isn’t letting it consume her. Instead, she muses about finding a light within the darkness and within oneself. Even if her initial dreams have waned, Salomon recognizes that the same artistic vigor remains within her.
But all the young hopes are leaving
to where the soft dreams float
But the old barns are breathing a bodiless cold
With bullet holes in the sealing
The ground is overgrown
And the old barns are breathing
you won’t grow old
In her Spotify bio, Salomon’s discography is described as an “artistic universe,” and after listening to “Soft Dreams,” it is clear why she labels her works as such. “Soft Dreams” carries a depth that feels similarly infinite and weaves tales of growth and hardship that are rare gems of sincerity. And although we will never get to see her artwork that lies at the bottom of the harbor, we should feel lucky to get to see her artistry reinvigorate itself through song, for it is truly a labor of love.
