SWEDISH POP ICON AGNES RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES"

Sunday 1st June 2025

Release date: Out now Label: Universal

Following the critically acclaimed Magic Still Exists – which garnered several Swedish Grammy nominations, and was praised by The Guardian, Billboard, Pitchfork, and NME – Swedish pop icon Agnes is set to release her first single "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES" on May 23rd taken from her upcoming album.

To shape her new album, Agnes gathered some of Sweden's most inspiring songwriters and producers: Kerstin Ljungström, Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll, and Hanna Wilson – and began collaborations with house producer Frans Bryngel. The team has previously worked with artists such as Avicii, Madonna, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, Salvatore Ganacci and Sia among others. Together, they crafted a creative environment where the goal was to preserve the original feeling – to let the music retain the nerve from its very first, raw form.

– After my last album, I found some gems – people I really wanted to continue working with. I wanted to keep it to a small group to maintain that intimate feeling this time too. It allowed me to push both myself and others even further. We pushed boundaries and dared to experiment.

The upcoming album is about embracing contradictions, showing both strength and vulnerability, and letting go of the pursuit of perfection. Already in the first single BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES, we encounter the tension between external glamour and inner fragility – all accompanied by a sneaking beat and house piano.

– It all started with an image I saw in my mind: a person in the midst of chaos of luxury, parties, mess, and gazes. Someone who appears confident and glittery on the surface, but where something else is happening inside – behind those 'Balenciaga covered eyes.' But the song was also born from a feeling that I wanted to write something I myself want to hear when I go out on a weekend.

Agnes also drew inspiration from unexpected sources: from Róisín Murphy's uncompromising pop universe to the quiet power of Mark Rothko's art. Works that say much with little, where the raw essence carries the deepest emotion.

– This time, I wanted everything to be more naked and direct. Instead of building layer upon layer in the production, I wanted to let each element have its space – it should feel rawer and less polished.

With her most recent album "Magic Still Exists", Agnes received four Swedish Grammy nominations in 2022 and won Composer of the Year alongside Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir, Kerstin Ljungström, and Maria Hazell. Agnes has nearly half a billion streams, a voice praised by both the industry and audiences, and two decades of constantly renewed musical expression.

– That naive joy I felt at the beginning of my career of just being able to sing is still at the core of everything I do. And I've come to realize that the most important thing for me is to be in the creative process. That it never ends. There will always be more to express, more to discover.

Based in Stockholm, Agnes began her lucrative career at the early age of 16, when she was catapulted into fame as a result of her incredible talent. The following years involved world tours, highly successful albums and a major global dancefloor hit “Release Me”, that soared into the top 10 across Europe and becoming #1 on both US Billboard Hot Dance & UK Official Dance Chart.

Craig & Scott

Posted by Craig Jones