UPDATE
Swedish synthpop duo Unroyal have given us the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album, This Is Louder. On Friday, they released two new songs, “Victoria Square” and “Tom.” They’re also the band’s first new music from Progress Productions, their new record label.
“Victoria Square” premiered on the Swedish website Hymn, and bandmember Henrik Oja offered some background behind the song (translated from Swedish):
A young acquaintance had been dating a person online for several years and would now have to go to London (shut down in a pandemic) to finally meet in real life. There arose a thought that later became Victoria Square. It started as a romantic waltz but quickly found its shape. We have lived with the song for a long time now and are very happy that it is finally released.
You can find “Victoria Square” and “Tom” on Bandcamp and Spotify.
PREVIOUS
Swedish duo Unroyal is one of my favorite new artists for their elegant, emotionally resonant take on modern-day synthpop. We haven’t heard much from them since last year’s one-off song, “The Cruelest Design,” but they’ve just announced that they will return next year with a new album that will be called This Is Louder.
We’re getting our first taste of the album next Friday. Unroyal will unveil its first single, a song called “Victoria Square.” I can’t wait!
Unroyal also revealed that they’ve joined the Swedish label, Progress Productions. I suspected this might be coming since “The Cruelest Design” appeared on the Progress Productions 100 compilation, the label’s 100th CD release. It’s a great fit. Progress is home to many other incredible Swedish artists, including Henric de la Cour, Agent Side Grinder, Cryo, Hearts of Black Science, T.O.Y., and many more.
This Is Louder will be the follow-up to Unroyal’s amazing debut, Mainstream, which was number four on my list of the best synthpop albums of 2019. Mainstream included the singles “I’m Still Insane” and “Something Stayed.”
I’ll update this post with more information, including the new single, as it becomes available.
