It all started when the 26 year old from the suburbs of Oslo, Norway shared a handful of her independently produced songs on the distribution website Soundcloud in the spring of 2013. With little background information and just a single photograph to track of the artist, whispers of a new mysterious talent quickly became the talk of the town.
The attention accumulated from the modest self-promotion showed her music needed no introduction, and there is nothing random about Emilie Nicolas’ success to date. She has become known for her soaring, powerful vocals and wistful lyrics accompanied by a sparse and somber backdrop of electronic beats. Her musical expression has been praised for being remarkably perfected for her age, and her abilities as a songwriter and performer is turning heads in the international music industry.
It was a cover of the song “Pstereo” by the Norwegian band Dumdum Boys that brought Emilie Nicolas out to the commercial radio world. The song was made on a mission from a local music festival in Trondheim, Norway, and it earned a nomination at P3 Gull (Norwegian Public Broadcaster award show) where she also performed the single on live television.
In spite of her success with Pstereo, the single might hold false promises of what is to expect of the artist’s first album.
- “When you make a new version of someone else’s song it is difficult to feel personally connected to it. My own songs come from somewhere within me, while no matter how much you change a cover song, it will always be a cover. “
A perhaps more truthful representation of Emilie Nicolas’ expression is the newly released single “Grown Up”, a vulnerable and melancholic song written as a tribute to the artist’s father. In Grown Up her tremendous voice reveal its true potential and builds to reach a dizzying intensity. She draws you in to her emotional universe, and it feels so heartfelt and honest it is impossible not to relate.
- When I write a new song, it happens very fast. I cannot spend years perfecting the lyrics and the language, because then it would not be truly honest.
Expectations were high when Emilie gave her first live performance at Trondheim Pstereo Festival, in the fall of 2013. The originally schooled jazz singer put all doubts aside to her musical capabilities. She was a newcomer - but no beginner in the music world, and in February 2014 she drew one of the biggest crowds to by:Larm, an Oslo based festival known for being a showcase for new talent on the Nordic Music Scene. The reviewers unanimously praised the performance for being one of the most noteworthy of the festival, declaring her “In a league of her own” (Reviewer NRK - Norwegian Public Broadcaster) and her voice was called “a surround sound system in itself” (Reviewer in VG, Norwegian nationwide newspaper).
Emilie Nicolas has proved herself worthy of the hype. This is just the beginning, but she has already revealed herself as a true artist who you beyond doubt will hear more from in time to come.
She is currently crafting her much anticipated debut album, scheduled to be out this year, and her live calendar includes shows at Øya Festivalen in Norway, the Great Escape in England, Stay Out West in Sweden and Spot Festival in Denmark.
https://soundcloud.com/emilienicolas
Let You Out
Emilie Nicolas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where is the sky he gave you,
Its in your eye, you never told a sole,
Tuck it iiinnn,
Under your skinn,
Too dark for the brightest days,
Its too dark for the brightest days,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We made you,
Our heart beat was your heart beat
You drank from my...
You slept on a one chest,
You got shame in your eyes...
Why confuse you strong enoufh,
To hit me youuu got shame in your eyes...
Why confuse you strong enoufh,
To strong enoufh
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We let you ooouuuutttt,
end
The lyrics of Emilie Nicolas's "Let You Out" are open to interpretation, but it appears to speak of the pain caused by a toxic relationship. The opening lines, "Who thutched you bad baby, Where is the sky he gave you," suggest that the person being addressed has been hurt by someone they trusted. The next line, "Its in your eye, you never told a sole," hints at the emotional trauma that they have been suppressing. The following lines, "Tuck it iiinnn, Under your skinn, Too dark for the brightest days, Its too dark for the brightest days," further emphasize the depth of the emotional damage, which is pervasive enough to affect even the brightest of days.
The chorus, "We let you out, we let you inn again," may suggest the cyclical nature of the relationship, where the person being addressed is repeatedly let in and out of their life. The lines, "We made you, Our heart beat was your heart beat, You drank from my... You slept on a one chest," suggest that the person being addressed was once very close to the singer and their heartbeats may have been in sync. However, the lines, "Why confuse you strong enough, To hit me youuu got shame in your eyes... Why confuse you strong enoufh, To strong enoufh," suggest that somewhere along the line the relationship became abusive, and the person being addressed hit the singer.
Overall, the song seems to be about the pain of a relationship that began with love and affection but turned toxic and abusive over time. The lyrics evoke a sense of confusion, heartbreak, and resilience in the face of an emotionally devastating situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Who thutched you bad baby,
Who hurt you, my sweet baby?
Where is the sky he gave you,
Where is the happiness and hope that he promised you?
Its in your eye, you never told a sole,
You keep your pain and sadness to yourself, never sharing it with anyone.
Tuck it iiinnn,
Bury it deep inside yourself.
Under your skinn,
Let it become a part of who you are, hidden beneath the surface.
Too dark for the brightest days,
Your pain is so deep and overwhelming, it can't be overcome even by the happiest times.
We let you out, we let you inn again,
We brought you into our lives, then pushed you away, then pulled you back in.
We made you,
We shaped you into who you are today.
Our heart beat was your heart beat
We were so close to you that our hearts beat as one.
You drank from my...
You took everything from me, including my love and my trust.
You slept on a one chest,
You were so close to me that you slept on my chest.
You got shame in your eyes...
You carry a sense of shame and guilt with you wherever you go.
Why confuse you strong enoufh,
Why do you have to be so strong that it makes you confused and lost?
To hit me youuu got shame in your eyes...
You took out your shame and pain on me by hurting me.
To strong enoufh
You're strong enough to bear your pain, but it's also destroying you.
We let you ooouuuutttt,
We let you go, set you free from our grasp.
We let you inn again,
But then we brought you back into our lives once more.
end
The song has concluded.
Writer(s): Nicolay Svennaes, Eivind Helgerod, Anders Opdahl, Emilie Nicolas
Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.