''Blómi'' () is the sixth studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter
Susanne Sundfør
Susanne Aartun Sundfør ( (local Haugesund dialect; Help:IPA/Norwegian, ʉˈsɑ̀nːə ˈɔ̀ʈːʉːn ˈsʉ̀nføːrin Urban East ("standard") Norwegian); born 19 March 1986) is a Norwegians, Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer. ...
. It was released on 28 April 2023, by
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twin ...
. Sundfør dedicated the album to her family, particularly to her daughter and her grandfather, theologian and linguist
Kjell Aartun
Kjell Aartun (6 July 1925 – 28 May 2023) was a Norwegian theologian and linguist. He was considered a leading expert on Semitic languages, particularly the Ugaritic language. He was also known for several controversial theories on runic interpre ...
. The album was supported by two singles: "Alyosha" and "Leikara Ljóð", both released in March 2023.
Background and release
In an August 2018 interview, Sundfør revealed that she started the writing for the record; she said she was "see
nga lot of red" but clarified that it was not about
apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...
. She also stated that her upcoming sixth studio album would continue the sound developed on her fifth album ''
Music for People in Trouble'', in which she returned to her roots as a
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk horror
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Fo ...
singer-songwriter.
The album's title comes from the
Old Norse
Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...
word , which translates "to bloom". Alongside album's announcement, the songs "Alyosha" and "Leikara Ljóð" were released as a
double single on 28 February 2023.
The former was released as a single on 9 March, while the latter on 22 March.
Critical reception
Writing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, Timothy Monger claimed that, "Despite its arcane references and philosophical nature, ''Blómi'' remains approachable and is often quite moving. That Sundfør continues to make such consistently challenging music and be justly rewarded for it is its own small miracle, and with ''Blómi'' she reaches yet another career high."
Track listing
Charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2023 albums
Albums produced by Jørgen Træen
Susanne Sundfør albums