Today, boundary-breaking dance artist and producer Alesso joins forces with pop phenomenon Zara Larsson for a majestic new single called “Words.” Out now via 10:22PM / Astralwerks, “Words” is accompanied by a high-concept and wildly dazzling video.
An undeniable triumph from the two Swedish powerhouses, “Words” is written by the global superstars along with Karen Poole (Kylie Minogue) and recent Brit-award winning songstress Becky Hill. The song merges Alesso’s dynamic sound design with a magnetic vocal performance from Zara. With its dizzying yet immaculately arranged layers of beats, the high-energy track takes on a thrilling intensity as Zara confesses to a certain fear of vulnerability in love (from the massively catchy chorus: “I got the words ‘I love you’ sitting on the tip of my tongue”). All glossy hooks and unbridled emotion, “Words” ultimately arrives as an unstoppable anthem for owning your fear and following your heart.
Directed by Jason Lester (a filmmaker/photographer known for his work with artists like Julia Michaels and Lauv), the video for “Words” finds Zara as a goddess in gold and white among statues from the past. As the mystical visual unfolds, Alesso soon emerges in a shadowy yet neon-lit industrial space. Shot on film and elegantly evocative, the result is a spellbinding collision of futurism, classicism, high-end fashion, and rave culture. Alesso searches for Zaramaking the trek towards her leaving the industrial darkness behind and stepping into the light.
“Words” follows the one-two punch of Alesso’s recent singles “Only You” (a Sentinel-assisted anthem hailed as a “progressive house gem” by Dancing Astronaut) and “Dark” (a moody and kinetic piece handcrafted for THE BATMAN). As the latest high-profile collaboration from Alesso, “Words” drops just months after the GRAMMY®-nominated visionary teamed up with Katy Perry on “When I’m Gone” – an irresistibly explosive track that soon saw him making his “Saturday Night Live” debut alongside the global pop superstar and a troupe of mushroom dancers. The critically acclaimed hit also amassed praise from a great number of outlets, including INTERVIEW, V MAGAZINE, PAPER, PEOPLE, and many more.
ABOUT ALESSO:
A global maverick in the dance world, Alesso has repeatedly proven that his influence transcends boundaries and crosses over into countless genres – to that end, he’s collaborated with such eclectic artists as OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, Calvin Harris, Tove Lo, Liam Payne, James Bay, Marshmello, Swedish House Mafia’s Sebastian Ingrosso, Hailee Steinfeld, Florida Georgia Line, Anitta, and more. With his past hits including the platinum-certified “If I Lose Myself” and gold-certified “Under Control,” the Swedish native has also found major success with “Calling (Lose My Mind),” which topped the Billboard US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. On Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, his massive breakup anthem “Let Me Go” – a collaboration with Hailee Steinfeld and Florida Georgia Line – reached No. 9, while “Is That For Me” peaked at No. 25.
In 2020, Alesso released a pair of hit singles: “Midnight,” featuring former One Direction member Liam Payne, and “THE END” with goth-pop singer/songwriter Charlotte Lawrence. He also had an explosive 2021, releasing a slew of records: kicking off with his East Asia fueled “Going Dumb (with Stray Kids & CORSAK),” he later closed the chapter to his PROGRESSO series with PROGRESSO VOL 2. Alesso next delivered his cosmic love ballad “Chasing Stars (with Marshmello feat. James Bay),” the dynamic “Rescue Me (with Danna Paola)” from the Blade Runner Black Lotus soundtrack, and his highly-anticipated winter floor-filler “Somebody To Use.” To cap off a monumental year, he made his NFT debut with the Cosmic Genesis collection and then ended 2021 on a bang with “When I’m Gone” – his colossal collaboration with Katy Perry, primed to usher in an even greater 2022. To date, Alesso has performed at international festivals ranging from Tomorrowland to Ultra Music Festival to Electric Daisy Carnival, with his national TV experience including closing out GMA’s Summer Concert Series, performing on “The Late Show with James Corden,” taking the stage at the AMAs and making his “Saturday Night Live” debut in January 2022 with Katy Perry.
ABOUT ZARA LARSSON:
All women have superpowers. Wielding those superpowers, Zara Larsson provokes and pushes pop music and culture forward with empowered, enlightened and energized anthems that soar and seduce all at once. With every move, she continues to quietly make history and break records: her RIAA platinum-certified 2017 full-length, So Good, notably stands out as the second-most-streamed debut on Spotify by a female artist ever. Zara’s growing catalogue boasts one smash after another, including the triple-platinum ‘Never Forget You’ with MNEK, the platinum ‘Lush Life’ and ‘Ain’t My Fault’, as well as unstoppable Clean Bandit collaboration ‘Symphony’. Along the way, she has received various awards and honors at the Swedish Grammy Awards, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, MTV EMAs, and even graced the stage of the Nobel Peace Prize concert. 2020’s second international album, Poster Girl, featured breakout hits ‘Ruin My Life’, ‘Wow’, and saw Zara make further strides towards Pop’s top table working alongside the likes of Max Martin and Young Thug. Launched entirely in lockdown, the project has surpassed 1 billion streams, seen Zara perform virtually for Roblox and host a spectacular show in partnership with fellow Swedish icons Ikea on International Women’s Day, before playing a sold-out European arena tour. “One of pop’s biggest and outspoken stars” (The Guardian), watch out for more from Zara Larsson coming soon.