Words by

Jóhannes Bjarkason

Photo by

Supplied by artist

Soulful Sass 

Guðrún Ýr Eyfjörð, known as GDRN, has been one of Iceland’s most celebrated pop stars in recent years. On March 22, the artist released her third solo LP. Characterised by thick bass, bouncy beats and infectious melodies, Frá Mér Til Þín is a masterclass in blue-eyed soul.

Þú sagðir

Making this song was so much fun. I think it took me and Þormóður, who produced the album with me, probably around an hour making it from A to Z. I guess you could say that this song is probably my first ever diss track. The song starts with a catchy and a bit aggressive bass line which sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Utan þjónustusvæðis

We keep going with a little bit of sass. This song follows a story about a person who is telling someone that they will not be getting back together and that next time they’ll try to contact, they will definitely be out of service.

When we recorded the song I could only hear the voice of the amazing singer and songwriter Unnsteinn Manuel in the chorus. He hopped on board and the song instantly became so good. Thank you Unnsteinn! Magnús Jóhann the magician made the epic synth line, so thanks to Magnús as well. This is my first released song to include a co-producer. I started recording the bass line and some drums and then took it further with Þormóður. I’m really proud of this song.

Nær

This is one of the first songs written for this album. The lyrics tell a story about someone who is captivated by another person and wants them to come closer. I wrote about gravity, light speed and the planetary ring system so you could call this song a space jam.

Á ný

Minimalist pop song with a hint of RnB and a cool synth line. Do I need to say more?

Háspenna / High voltage

163 BPM, thank you very much. A really high energy song with so many cool elements in it. To be honest, I would need a special article just to explain this song.

Skilja

The word “skilja” can mean a couple of things. It can mean ‘“understand,” “perceive’” and “divorce.” This song is about how you want to let go of your past and differences in your relationship so that you can take a step forward and understand each other better. Beautiful guitar solo in the end by Reynir Snær. This song is just a very successful feel-good song.

Parísarhjól

When making this album I had just gotten out of maternity leave so I was full of inspiration and ideas after becoming a parent. I was so excited to make new music and I think you can kind of hear the excitement in the song itself. Þormóður was so amazing in helping me get the vision of this album where it is today. This song is about how your world is turned upside down and your emotions go round and round like a ferris wheel when facing this new chapter in your life.

Ævilangt

This is a really personal song that I wrote to my son about how my love for him will last for a lifetime. Motherhood is such an amazing experience and it gave me so many ideas and inspirations to write this album.