Her father is Italian and her mother Icelandic. Emilíana grew up in Kópavogur where, at the age of 7, she joined a choir as a soprano. She continued with the choir until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Later she worked as waitress at her father's restaurant. In 1994, Emilíana became well-known at the age of 17 after winning the song competition for junior college students (Icelandic: Söngkeppni framhaldsskólanna), singing "I Will Survive".
Prior to her appearance on the worldwide stage, she released 3 other albums in Iceland: Spoon in 1994, Crouçie D'où Là in 1995, and Merman in 1996. Emilíana also worked with trip-hop group Gus Gus on their debut Polydistortion (1997) on two songs: Is Jesus Your Pal? and Why?.
Later Torrini continues to collaborate with other artists, notably composing Kylie Minogue's international #1 track Slow with Dan Carey in 2003, and providing the voice for Gollum's Song, the closing theme for the film "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". Also in 2002, she sang vocals on Paul Oakenfold's song Hold Your Hand taken from his Bunkka album.
In 2003 she collaborated with Thievery Corporation on two songs Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes and Until the Morning from The Richest Man in Babylon (2005), and Slovo's debut album, Nommo.
Emilíana Torrini released her international debut album, Love In The Time Of Science in November 1999. This trip-hop album was produced by Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears. Four singles were issued: Dead Things, Baby Blue, To Be Free, and Unemployed in Summertime.
Working with Dan Carey, her second major album release released in 2005, Fisherman's Woman, signified a departure from her earlier electronic roots to an acoustic-folk sound; applying the ethereal beauty of her voice in a much more intimate setting, reminiscent of the work of Nick Drake and fellow Icelanders múm. The singles Lifesaver, Sunnyroad, and Heartstopper supported the album.
Her third album, Me and Armini was released on 8 September 2008, to generally good reviews. The album was promoted by three singles: Me and Armini, Big Jumps, and Jungle Drum. The single Jungle Drum became Emilíana's most successful song, reaching #1 in Iceland, Austria, Belgium, Germany, #5 on Finland, and #11 in Switzerland.
Her fourth international studio album, Tookah was released in 2013.
http://www.emilianatorrini.com/
Torrini has lately worked with Canada's Kid Koala, providing vocals on the ambient album Music To Draw To: Satellite, released in January 2017.
The album is described as "...his first non sample-based album, with all the instruments and effects being manipulated by him and him alone) and lyricist (a collaboration with Icelandic vocalist Emilíana Torrini, who somehow makes this sometimes stark, often celestial-sounding record even more chilling with her captivating performances on tracks like "Collapser" and "Adrift") — is able to transport listeners to the depths of space, or wherever their imagination wills them, with ease."
http://exclaim.ca/music/article/kid_koala-music_to_draw_to_satellite
When Fever Breaks
Emilíana Torrini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What happened to my mind?
When fever breaks
The heart sinks in the mire
When fever breaks
The soul throws itself under
Cause desire is rage
Desire is rage
Oh rage is desire
When desire breaks
My body will unwrap you
When in rage it rages
I want to kill you with my fire
Don't you dare
No don't you dare put love inside this frame
It is hurt, it is hurt that makes you want this fate
When fever breaks
Do you hold it safe around you
Do you love when it aches
Cause this rage will catch on fire
When desire aches
My body will unwrap you
When rages rain
I will drown you with desire
Cause desire is rage
N' rage is desire
Desire is rage
Oh rage is desire
When desire breaks
Body will unwrap you
It's an angry fate
It will kill you, it will kill you
I will kill you
The song "When Fever Breaks" by Emilíana Torrini is an intense exploration of the relationship between desire and rage, and the consequences that follow when these emotions become uncontrollable. The lyrics pose a series of questions that reflect the singer's own struggle with these overwhelming feelings: "What happened to my mind?" "Do you love when it aches?" "Will it kill you?"
Throughout the song, the singer describes the visceral experiences of rage and desire, using vivid imagery to convey their depth and power. She describes the heart sinking into the mire, the soul throwing itself under, and the body unwrapping in both pleasure and fury. The repetition of the lines "Desire is rage" and "Rage is desire" emphasizes the ways in which these emotions are intertwined and can fuel each other.
The final lines of the song ("When desire breaks, / Body will unwrap you / It's an angry fate / It will kill you, it will kill you / I will kill you") are particularly jarring, suggesting that the singer's intense emotions may lead to destructive actions.
Overall, "When Fever Breaks" is a haunting and complex portrayal of the ways in which desire and rage can spiral out of control.
Line by Line Meaning
When fever breaks
When the period of intense emotion and passion comes to an end
What happened to my mind?
What effects did it have on my psychological state?
The heart sinks in the mire
The emotional state is deeply affected and overcome by negative feelings
The soul throws itself under
The spiritual aspect of oneself succumbs to the intensity of the emotions
Cause desire is rage
Strong emotional longing is related to powerful anger and frustration
N' rage is desire
Conversely, intense anger can also be connected to unfulfilled wants and yearnings
When desire breaks
When extreme longing comes to an end
My body will unwrap you
The physical connection between bodies will be severed
When in rage it rages
When the level of anger reaches its peak
I want to kill you with my fire
The artist feels a burning desire to harm or destroy their object of anger
Don't you dare
A warning to not engage in something
No don't you dare put love inside this frame
The artist feels that love has no place in the context of the intense emotions being experienced
It is hurt, it is hurt that makes you want this fate
The pain and suffering felt is what fuels the intense emotional reactions, leading to a destructive fate
Do you hold it safe around you
Do you protect yourself from the harmful effects of intense emotions?
Do you love when it aches
Do you enjoy the feeling of emotional pain?
Cause this rage will catch on fire
The intensity of anger will only grow exponentially
When desire aches
When there is a strong yearning for something
I will drown you with desire
The singer will overwhelm the object of their desire with excessive passion and longing
Body will unwrap you
The physical connection between bodies will be severed
It's an angry fate
The consequences of the intense emotions being experienced will result in destructive outcomes
It will kill you, it will kill you
The extreme intensity of emotion will overcome and destroy the object of desire or anger
Contributed by Emily T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.