Norwegian singer-songwriter Hanna Emilie has just released her new single, “TOTGA.” TOTGA stands for The One That Got Away, and this song is exactly that: Hanna embraces the cliche and turns it into a bittersweet message to her former partner. She immediately sets up the main premise of the song in the introduction, saying “I wish I didn’t have to wonder why/didn’t you make me stay?” Hanna says that she always feels so lost thinking about this guy, and she feels that the timing is just never right. She says “I don’t think I can let you go,” and she has to keep going back on her words because this guy can’t escape her mind. Hanna repeats the introduction in the chorus, and tells the listener that she’s tired of being The One That Got Away, but “it doesn’t matter anyway.” In the second verse, she recognizes that the two of them have some issues. Hanna keeps thinking back to the past, saying “I wish I didn’t kiss you back.” Her ex constantly reminded her that they were never going to work but, but now he misses her. She’s confused, and almost feels betrayed by this guy because he changed his mind. Hanna realizes that even though they had their issues, they could’ve worked out if he didn’t push her to become the one that got away.
The best word to describe the production on “TOTGA” is dreamy. The instrumentation is dreamlike, and paints a beautiful, flowing vision in the listeners mind. Hanna’s vocals are super echoey and smooth, and her strong range allows her to flex her vocal talents easily. There’s some nice little vocal touches, and her head voice riffs also add to that dreamy, ethereal vibe. Her harmonies, especially in the chorus, are luscious and delicately crafted. There’s a great acoustic guitar on the track that adds both authenticity and tranquility. This style of moody and romantic songwriting is similar to Lizzy McAlpine, Lennon Stella, and Astrid S. This song is a great mix of alt-pop, indie-pop, and contemporary that is melancholic and organic. The song is overall just a fantastic vibe, and it truly takes you into the lyrics and the message that Hanna is saying.
Hanna Emilie is an up-and-coming Norwegian songstress. She is fairly new to the music scene, releasing her debut EP “Tease” in 2022. Yet, she has already proven that she is an incredibly talented singer and songwriter. Her song “If I Only Knew” off of “Tease” currently has over 100k streams on Spotify, and she just released an acoustic version of the song this year. Now she’s preparing her next EP, and “TOTGA” is the lead single and title track. From what Hanna has said about the EP, it is going to be more organic and intimate sounding compared to her previous releases. It’s truly exciting to see what Hanna will do with this next EP, but it’s clear it will be a wonderful piece of work that her fans will be constantly coming back to.
Written By Lauren DiGiovanni
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