Emerging Swedish artist RIVER invites us to a staggering, chest-pounding affair in her latest single “We’ll Be Together” ft. Lute.

Grounded by lush piano chords, the track is a sultry concoction of pop and R&B weaved with the breakneck choruses of American rapper Lute. 

Dropping bittersweet bombs of truth, “We’ll Be Together” nestles us into a fervent romance where passion and destruction coexist in intimate symbiosis. 

RIVER’s silvery vocals, filled with warm gravitational soulfulness, mesmerizes us as she channels the chemistry between two people who drive each other off the cliff of madness – yet they belong together. “Oh you know that I love you / And that bitch can’t do it like I do” chants RIVER. 

The visceral soundscape is in sync with her unapologetic boldness as she swings between the extreme emotional ends of jealousy and desire that are found in fated fatal attractions. 

Speaking of the new track, she shares: “I wanted to make a song that both tapped into the music of old-school soul that I grew up with mixed with the attitude of current hip-hop. To get Lute on the track helped me reach that vision and took it all to another level.”

The track is a preview of her upcoming debut EP, which will be arriving later this year. Bringing the classic swagger of 50s pin-up, RIVER is building her own oeuvre sprayed with a refreshing shade of soulful pop while experimenting with a diverse palette of genres including hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and more. 

“We’ll Be Together” is the third single and follow up of her previous tracks “Miss Me” and “One.”  In every song, her silky high–pitch runs bring a rich warmth to the production, accentuating its thematic emotions to maximum effect.  

Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?

Someone once told me the quote “God has given you one face, and then you make yourself another.” I took that to my heart and created RIVER. She is an alter ego of me, a free space where I can do whatever I want to. This year I will release my first EP where I get into a lot of personal stuff around love, sex, and just being me – a woman going through desires and insecurities in relationships.

What should a song or piece of art communicate in your opinion?

I don’t believe art contains rules or frames, and that’s what I want my music to stand for, it’s supposed to get you out of your comfort zone. But art should communicate whatever it communicates to you as an individual. I found that music has its own language and carries a universe that I can enter whenever I want to express myself in a way that I might not be comfortable doing in real life.

Who were your top 3 artists last year?

 Ann Peebles, Etta James, and Sza

What do you do when you’re feeling uninspired?

It depends on what I want to get inspired for. One day I go to the movies whereas in other days I just need to get fucked enough for my hangover to clear my brain. Sometimes I need to read a certain book or take a long walk in silence while other times I’d go to sex clubs or engage in a deep conversation with an interesting person.

What are your 2022 projects and goals?

I will drop three singles and one EP that will be out this summer. I’m also about to start working on my second music video. Besides this, I’m really excited about starting to play live and going to London to work with some of my favorite producers and writers. Generally I  just want to be free to work and make good shit, write better songs, meet good people, and have good sex. 

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

My producer August and I were going through old records and found this great sample from “Sunshine and Promises” by The Finishing Touch. It just felt so straight on-point for what I wanted my first EP to sound like. Later I showed it to my friend Tobie Tripp who helped me put it all together. I wanted the track to tap into the world of hip-hop and recently heard Lute’s part on J Cole’s “Under The Sun” so I reached out to him and asked if he wanted to put down a verse. To my surprise, his team got back shortly afterwards with a version of his verse on, which I LOVED.

What is something you would want to change in the music and entertainment industry?

As a woman, I want to see the music industry like any other to keep striving for equality in every way.

Can you outline your creative process?

I love to make music in my bedroom. Writing has always been a very private process for me as a lot of the songs I’ve written are from personal experiences while a few are written from stuff I’ve heard, seen, or read. I don’t think I ever write or create as good as when I’m unhappy or on a breakdown from my sadness, but the more I develop as a writer, the more I can feel that shifting. Lately I’ve been doing more collabs with other writers and that has been a great way for me to keep getting inspired to create.

Who inspires your style and aesthetics?

So many. I love the aesthetics of Andy Warhol, Jayne Mansfield, and Tyler the Creator. And the sound of Etta James, Megan Thee Stallion, and Amy Winehouse.

What is the achievement or moment in your career you are the most proud of and why?

To have become the confident woman I am today. I know what I want, what I like, and I’ll never excuse myself for going after it all. Although I didn’t get to this point overnight, today I’m proud to say that I feel 100% secure with myself. I trust my intuition enough to never second guess my decisions and that itself feels so liberating. This is vital to me, especially in a business where so many have an opinion on everything you do.

What do you think an artist should sing about nowadays?

Who am I to say? An artist should sing whatever the fuck they want to sing about.

Do you have any regrets?

If I have any regrets it would be for every time I made myself smaller because of anybody else’s fear or my own. But it would be foolish of me to regret my past because I wouldn’t become who I am today without them.  To grow as a person and overcome fears and past mistakes are my favorite things in the world to accomplish. When I think about it, that is one of the main reasons that I got serious with music. I used to be so uncomfortable putting myself out there, worrying what people would think of me and stuff. I felt like a wild animal in a cage ready to explode. I was caught up in toxic relationships, codependency and other stuff. So as I started traveling and letting go of my toxic past, I started to get to know myself, eventually overcoming all sorts of fears. It’s complicated. Point is, I never would have believed if someone told the old me that I would be who and where I am today. And that’s amazing. I learned everything is possible if you really really want something. Some say, without struggle, success has no value.

What is some piece of advice you would give to yourself right now?

 Have a drink and watch some porn?