As the
April 21st release of ALMA’s eagerly anticipated second album
‘Time Machine’ draws nears, the fiery-voiced Finn has been attracting all the right attention. Hailed as an important breaking artist by a range of tastemakers,
ALMA also reached a broad mainstream audience when
‘Summer Really Hurt Us’ was
A-listed at
Radio 2. She’s an artist’s artist too, with famous fans including
Elton John,
Miley Cyrus,
Charli XCX and
Robyn.
Now ALMA takes another step towards unveiling ‘Time Machine’ by sharing her brand new single ‘Tell Mama’. It’s the fifth song in the album campaign and arguably the best, demonstrating the strength-in-depth that will be revealed when ‘Time Machine’ is released. LISTEN HERE. WATCH THE OFFICIAL VIDEO HERE.
‘Tell Mama’ is ALMA’s story of being so worn down by the pressures and expectations that come with a career in music that she decided to call it quits and head home – a choice that seems unthinkable now that she’s in such a better position. While the tale is a downbeat crisis of confidence, the music is the polar opposite: joyous, liberated synth-pop with a mix of the contemporary and the classic that feels as if ABBA had gambled their entire reputation on winning next month’s Eurovision.
ALMA says, “Tell Mama is a song I started to write on a plane from LA to Helsinki after Covid forced me to come back home. When Covid happened I really realized that throughout my career I’ve been living for others. I’ve been trying to make people around me happy and proud but not myself. I was exhausted. I had been hustling in music for years with all the sessions and shows but I ended up making music that I felt other people liked or wanted to hear but this wasn’t my own taste. This ended up in me getting burnt out. My own vision wasn’t clear, all I was focusing on was making people around me proud and happy. I don’t regret anything but on that plane I knew that it’s now or never, it’s time to make myself happy. It’s crazy that you might be living the highlight of your life career wise and still be unhappy. And it takes a lot of courage to leave that and change the route. But I did that and writing this song was the first step. With this song I share my story and I encourage people to do what they love. Your momma is going love you no matter what you do, as long as you are happy! <3”
‘Tell Mama’ was written by ALMA with Elvira Anderfjäld (Taylor Swift, Tove Lo) and the track’s producer Oscar Görres (Taylor Swift, Sam Smith).
The aptly named ‘Time Machine’ sees ALMA rewinding the clock to examine issues in her life – from family to sexuality to self-doubt – and learning from her experiences to forge a brighter future. While the record is full of intense self-analysis, it pulsates with an unrestrained life-affirming energy, all topped by ALMA’s killer voice. In essence, it’s peak Nordic pop with world-conquering potential. Pre-save / pre-order ‘Time Machine’ HERE
The album’s deeply personal themes were unlocked by ALMA’s decision to put herself in a safe space. Working with a small team of personally curated collaborators – Elvira Anderfjäld, Tove Burman (Au/Ra, Anna of the North), Fat Max (The Weeknd, Maisie Peters) and Decco (Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez) – and recording close to home, ALMA established the relationships and the creative environment that would allow her to confront her issues head on.
ALMA will follow the release of ‘Time Machine’ by performing as special guest to Tove Lo throughout her Dirty FemmeEuropean tour this June.
