New Music: Bonander – Apathy

Bonander has described her sound as ‘poetically political pitch-black pop,’ and I don’t think I could put it any better.

On Apathy, the Swedish art-pop musician pushes the genre into relatively bleak terrain, one that is given added contrast by Bonander’s often beatific vocals. Oh, those vocals: as much Kate Bush as they are Fever Ray, but relying less on the outsider element, focusing on pop phrasing on the whole.

This is the music of an artist who is deeply connected to the world around her, using Apathy to bring her concerns to the fore, and her humanness to power the electronica that drives this dark pop anthem.

The song is best viewed as a call to arms to fight back against indifference, fuelled by choir vocals from Tusen Tungor. “It’s a fuck you to apathy,” says Bonander. “I drew from quotes in the media, like the study showing it only takes 30% popular support for fascism to rise, how hatred is normalized in plain sight, and how many today feel too overwhelmed to even protest.”

Apathy is out now on Icons Creating Evil Art and can be heard on Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify. Bonander is working on a new album: head over to her Facebook and Instagram socials for updates.

Header photo by Siri Wallentén, styling by Tereza Ortiz