The Swedish London-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist I.M the artist releases a moody and soulful experience with her single, "Bleeding Blue." Blurring the lines between genres and bending the norms of modern music creation, I.M the artist spills her soul into each project, allowing listeners to connect with her wise words easily.
Her recent single 'Bleeding Blue" takes the listener into this modern R&B and neo-soul atmosphere through a sultry vocal delivery, effortlessly entrancing the audience. Although I.M the artist's lyrics are incredibly vulnerable, she shifts her delivery into a vastly empowering tone and brings a whole different layer of depth and strength.
"Bleeding Blue" begins with faint piano chords at a down-tempo pace, all while I.M the artist's captivating layered harmonies take the track by storm and create this sultry tone that intrigues anyone to dive deeper. The ambiance is superb, with each drifting key and subtle ghost vocal. Around the mid-way point, I.M the artist goes into more of a hip-hop delivery with surreal rhythm and meticulously placed lyrics. Singing a story of an unhealthy relationship, she goes incredibly deep into her empowering lyrics and gives the listener a sense of strength to move forward from adversity.
Overall, the entire tone, atmosphere, and delivery within "Bleeding Blue" tell a vulnerable story straight from I.M the artist's heart, while allowing listeners to engage and connect on an emotional level.
Listen to "Bleeding Blue" here.
Hello I.M the artist, and welcome back to BuzzMusic. What led you to create this soulful and powerful single with "Bleeding Blue," and how did you write the lyrics to tell your story yet still connect with listeners?
For me, writing has always served as a means to reflect and express. It allows me to compartmentalize my thoughts, and work through my shit. This song is a product of just that. I was going through a rough time with a friend, and it made me think about where I’m at in my life. We don’t speak on it much, but growing up is fucking hard. We’re constantly evolving and changing and peeling off layers, and a lot of the time - we outgrow people. It can be a painful process to lose touch with those who were once your best friends, and it often results in holding on too long. There are so many sides to it, and I know I’m not the only one going through that. I don’t really worry about “connecting” to my listeners anymore… I kinda feel like when you’re open and real in your work, that connection builds naturally. Most of us gravitate toward honesty.
Did you have a particular message in mind when creating "Bleeding Blue" that you wanted listeners to learn from and takeaway?
More than anything, I just needed to get it off my chest. That’s what’s so powerful about music - you can often get closure, without the confrontation. I hope it reminds people not to take shit, because writing it reminded me that it’s okay to want, and expect, more. You can only give so much, and you have to constantly assess the type of energy you’re letting into your life. There’s so much nostalgia wrapped around aging friendships, that we often romanticize them. We can be blinded by shared history to the point where we don’t see the toxicity. It’s really just about knowing your worth, and not being afraid to edit your life accordingly.
What's your production process like when bringing a song's atmosphere and vibe to life, especially with "Bleeding Blue"? How did you tweak the sonic arrangement to fit the feel of your lyrics?
For ‘Bleeding Blue,’ I knew I wanted it to feel as messy and noisy as the thoughts in your head. That’s why we layered so many vocals together at the beginning, and even have a spoken lyric track (until it all blends into one - which signifies a sense of growing clarity). The instrumental build moves parallel with the story, and that’s really how my producer, Alex Dopierala, and I approached the whole track. I wanted the entire arrangement to wrap around the lyrics because that’s the guiding force. I try to think about that in most of my songs too… it’s not just about what it sounds like, what does it actually feel like? How can the instruments contribute to the emotional value of the story? We weren’t precious or shy about it. We played around with synths and samples, silence and background noise, choral pads and organs. There was a lot of experimentation.
What inspires your music creation on a daily basis? Do you feel that moving from Gothenburg to London has helped your music grow?
In the world we live in, there’s no lack of inspiration. A lot of my music is built from my life - more often my perspective, rather than my reality. It lies in the freedom of storytelling, to be able to pick apart parts of your experiences and create something from them. And sometimes, it’s not even my own, which aids in that sense of anonymity, because it’s only ever pieces of your truth, not the whole thing.
London definitely made an impact, especially having studied here. I mean, it was the first time I’d ever touched any music production, which really gave me the tools I needed to build on my songwriting, and in turn, made me more confident in my creative abilities. It’s also where I started professionally recording and releasing music, so that was a major growing point for me.