Indeed, the 25-year-old's early years as an artist in her native Norway were marked by: A plaintive single that has since amassed hundreds of millions of Spotify streams (and a relatively successful fingerboarding career). Dreamy songs like 2018's “I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” are still haunting and poignant on young people's playlists. “I don't want to be your friend/I want to kiss your lips,” Ulven sings, her muffled voice expressing the emotions of those who suffer. The artistry of a teenager in love.
But over the next six years, Ulven grew as a songwriter, producer and person.
“I feel like I need to update my profile picture, but I need to update my entire discography,” she says over Zoom, sounding a bit like a Southern California surfer. In early April, Ulven is in Nashville rehearsing for an arena tour that will take them across the country and Europe before the summer. in autumn. She continues her story while eating room service pancakes. “I feel like this new album defines that,” she says. “When people think of Girl in Red, don't think of the demo I posted of her in 2016.”
Last week's release of “I'm Doing It Again Baby!'' ” is the maximalist's second album, delivering 27 minutes of sophisticated pop while veering into strange and satisfying new territory for Ulven. Her voice stretches like bubblegum over danceable tracks with hints of Rodrigo-esque punk. She is also joined by fellow Ellas alumna Sabrina Carpenter. In short, it's a lot of fun.
That's not to say there aren't songs like 2018's sweetly jarring “Summer Depression.” These songs address Ulven's struggles with mental health head-on. There's an example of particularly vulnerable spoken word in “Ugly Side.” “The people I love the most bring out the worst in me/And I don’t like it.”
So, despite the oscillations between genres, it's the right next step for Ulven. This is due in no small part to her growth as a producer. She is currently working with big name producers such as Finneas (Billie Eilish's brother) and recently Norwegian composer Matthias Telles.
“You hear things differently now,” Ulven says. “Sonically, it's a natural progression for me because I'm better at what I do.”
Ulven remains busy despite the three-year gap between albums. For one thing, she's been active on the festival circuit. For another, she was scouted by the reigning queen of pop, Swift, on her record-breaking Ellas tour last summer. Even though she had conflicting headline shows, she couldn't say no. By June, she was flying to Chicago to appear in a series of shows around the Northwest.
“if [Swift] She comes knocking and I do whatever she says,” says Ulven, half-jokingly.
As Ulven herself has stated, we live in a time when the biggest names in pop belong to women. She wants to join their ranks, but she's hesitant to be pigeonholed into the category of queer contemporaries. It's true that there are many openly gay female artists working in the pop world. She need look no further than Renée Rapp and Chapel Lawn. However, there was a time not too long ago when the phrase “Do you like the girl in red?” became popular on the Internet. It means “Are you gay?” For Ulven, it became a hassle.
“I always get messages from people like, 'I'm not gay, but I really like it.' [your 2018 single] “We fell in love in October,” she says. “I said, 'Why would you say that? That's so weird.'
Rather, her sexuality is the backdrop to her art only insofar as her love songs are about women. For example, the delicate “A Night to Remember” from her new album is a hopeful, drum-driven bop about meeting her girlfriend in a bar.
But Ulven's favorite song on the record, he says, clutching the vinyl to his chest, is the opener, “I'm Back.”The song explains why she's been away from music (“I haven't been in music for a little while”). It takes listeners to the rest of the tracklist. It's a kind of introductory lullaby to an album with a decidedly enthusiastic name, and is gentle enough to ease into the high-energy bangers of Ulven. She cries when she hears it and cries when she plays it. “I feel like it's the song that most accurately reflects my reality,” she says.
“I'm Back” is certainly upbeat, but in a way it feels like a win. “Sometimes the darkness bites me/It spreads through my heart and takes over me,” Ulven sings, adding, “I believe I can laugh/I believe it will pass/I believe there is hope.” “Yes,” I answered my question.
April 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. at Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW. theanthemdc.com. Saturday is sold out. Sunday tickets range from $45 to $95.