The Norwegian singer-songwriter debuts the music video for “Pause,” exclusively with C&I.
The artist: Since the release of her 2018 debut album, References Pt. 1, Malin Pettersen has been on a roll. The “Norwegian country sensation” (Paste) has been performing at some of Norway’s largest festivals and she won a Spellemannpris (the Norwegian Grammy) for her record. Now she’s traveled to Nashville for more recording.
About the song: “Pause” is the latest single from Pettersen. “This song contemplates different stages in life — such as childhood and the enormously difficult task of growing up, getting older, and the fact that so many of us forget the wonders and magic of this world as the years go by and we get stuck in the mold that society has made for all of us,” she says.
“The line ‘I don’t know if I did my best by you’ could be equally directed towards myself as to my children. Life is tough and it’s not always easy getting through.”
On writing the song: “The themes in this song are things that I continuously think about and I knew that I wanted to write something,” Pettersen says. “But there are so many angles and intertwined thoughts that I was not sure how I could get [it all] into one song. Then I saw a documentary about dementia and I started thinking about the fact that there is a possibility for all of us that someday something can happen to our brain that can change us and our personality, our memory, and our relationships. I remember thinking, If I start forgetting someday, I hope I’ll remember my life up until today. And when ‘losing’ your life even before you’re dead is a possibility, it sets your whole life in perspective: Are you living it the way you want to? If there are parts you want to change do you have the time to wait with those changes?
“It was one of those songs that almost wrote itself. The ideas had been living in my mind for so long and when I saw that documentary it all just came together and I had my first verse. I also felt quite quickly that other people responded to it. Many of us probably contemplate life and try to figure out how to live it, many of us feeling alone and lonely at times wondering if anyone else out there also feels alienated. And many of us know someone who has had to deal with dementia in some way or another. Even if we don’t all think about life in the same way, just knowing that other people also do contemplate life can bring us a little closer I think.”
Why we like it: Though she hails from Scandinavia, Pettersen’s raw country style is as authentic as anything coming out of Music City. It’s hard not to be impressed with her clear vocals and vulnerable lyrics.
For more information on Malin Pettersen, visit her website.