Raw and Straightforward: hanna ögonsten Loses Her Mind in “Lost It”
Rising Swedish alt-pop star hanna ögonsten asks her listeners to help her find her mind because she seems to have lost it in her single “Lost It.” In her confessional lyricism that navigates mental and emotional health, backed by bittersweet melodies and upbeat synths, ögonsten’s music ranges from self-empowerment pop to heart-wrenching, emotional storytelling.
The pop songstress lifts the veil off of bottling up our emotions while validating all are valid, which makes “Lost It” entrancing to listen to from the start.
ögonsten’s first release from her upcoming EP sees her diving into the Alternative-Pop universe. With inspiration from both Punk and Indie-Rock, it showcases a brand new sound, delivering confident lyricism juxtaposed with her describing the common feeling of insecurity. “The contrast gives a hint of sarcasm, but also anxiety,” ögonsten says. Citing Teddybears’ “Cobrastyle,” Charli XCX, and Wet Leg as her musical influences for the track, it features heavy bass and shouty, rampant vocals, making the single ideal for both dance floors and train rides.
The songstress keeps a “diary” on her phone where she writes out the feelings that have grounded her from being lost in her head.
“I write it down. It has become somewhat of a journal, and I think that works as a source for inspiration when I go into the studio later to see what has happened to me lately and what I need to get off my chest,” ögonsten says.
[UNPUBLISHED:] For any readers who aren't familiar with your music, can you give us a background of your style and what type of music you make?
[HANNA:] Thank you for having me. I create old Pop music. I used to play in a lot of Pop bands and then I got into music production, so I started producing Pop music. In the beginning, it was combining Indie, and Pop-Rock into Electronic, and from that, it’s just developed and grown. Now, I would say it’s Edgy Pop.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You just mentioned a huge variety of genres. Do you have a specific genre you gravitate more towards or enjoy experimenting more with?
[HANNA:] I feel like it depends on the song. It’s like when you’re cooking and you have a pot and you mix the basic elements of Pop, and lately, I’ve been adding Indie-Pop and Hyper Pop. It’s a mix of a variety of elements. I would say I gravitate more toward Alt-Pop.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What artists inspire you either lyrically or instrumentally, whether that's just music you love to listen to or music you pull inspiration from into yours?
[HANNA:] There are so many great artists I've been loving lately. I've gained a lot of inspiration from Charli XCX, the whole package of how she releases her music. She is such a pioneer in Pop and Hyper Pop genres in general. I also love finding smaller artists. I recently found a small artist through TikTok called Caleb Peters and I’ve been obsessed with his song “HOLD.” I find inspiration in many different places.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite Charli XCX song?
[HANNA:] That’s so hard. I love the production in her entire Crash album and truly every song from that album is my favorite, I can’t choose. I love them all.
[UNPUBLISHED:] When you're not making music in the studio, what do you do to help inspire your creativity?
[HANNA:] I write a lot in general in the Notes app on my phone, so if I have something that my mind has been hung up on, or if I'm overthinking or if there's been an issue in a relationship, it could be anything, I write it down. It has become somewhat of a journal, and I think that works as a source of inspiration when I go into the studio later to see what has happened to me lately and what I need to get off my chest. I like writing a lot. It doesn't need to be music just like writing down your feelings and thoughts. I think that helps me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Your latest single “Lost It” is an invitation for listeners to be inside your mind and there's a lot of emotional lyricism to it. Can you talk to me about the inspiration behind the single and what the creative process looked like for you?
[HANNA:] Going into my 20s wasn't what I expected for lots of reasons but mainly the pandemic and then everything that's going on with the environmental crisis and the war that's close to Sweden. Before writing this song, it was really near the Swedish election, and seeing how the right-wing parties were just growing and growing, I felt like I missed something because it was so weird. I felt I had all those thoughts that were like, “what's happening to the world?” Feeling super confused, but at the same time, my everyday life continued as if nothing happened. I wrote that song, I wrote it with my boyfriend, Cole, and my best friend, David. They knew what I went through and all those thoughts that were spinning, so we just sat down and talked about it and I needed to get it out into a song and we took off from there. Even though I have all of these thoughts in my head, we wanted to do something that sounded uplifting but also kind of edgy, but lyrically heavier.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How did you settle on the title “Lost It?”
[HANNA:] It started as a joke. The three of us [hanna, hanna’s boyfriend, Cole, and best friend, David,] became acquainted when we started at a school up north of Sweden, and for two weeks, we lived in a really small apartment. There was a silly argument that happened with another person. We all sat down and talked about that and Cole said not to worry about it because she’s lost it. The phrase got stuck in my head. I turned to them a few days later and told them to tell me that if I ever lost it, they need to tell me and it’s been a running joke since. When we wrote on the subject, we realized that especially with the election, we missed something, and so we lost it. It became something that kept coming for us, and it’s weird how it’s evolved from a joke to a reality check moment to a full-blown song.
[UNPUBLISHED:] “Lost It” definitely touches on a lot of mental, and emotional health aspects and how you're essentially trying not to lose it. What are some ways that you stay grounded to ensure you're producing your best work and not getting lost in your head?
[HANNA:] This feels like the million-dollar question, but I feel like talking about your feelings and sharing them with your friends helps. I write a lot with friends of mine and I work with them and I feel like sharing the experience with them, the issues, and everything is grounding.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Your upcoming EP Have You Seen My Mind ‘Cause I’ve Lost It is set to release later this year. What is the inspiration behind the EP and what can listeners expect from you?
[HANNA:] The inspiration started a year and a half ago when I started to make music full-time, which was an exciting goal that I was finally starting to achieve. Going into the music industry full-time made me realize that there are a lot of issues when you see the industry from an equal perspective. Being a female producer seemed like a big downside, which came as a shock to me almost. In the beginning, I took it personally, but then I realized that it was a bigger issue that I can not change overnight so I needed to get it out of my mind to be successful. The first song I wrote was “Stupid Ass Cool Boys,” and after that, I immediately knew that I wanted to make an EP out of this theme. In the end, some of the songs were more about that subject and some were more about my experience of living but that was the start of it. When it comes to the sound of it, it's pretty rough, I would say.
[UNPUBLISHED:] You touched on this earlier, but when you're writing, are you pulling from personal experience, or is it just general storytelling?
[HANNA:] When I write for myself, it's personal, but when I write for other artists, it's more of a storytelling perspective. Last year, I collaborated with a lot of artists and wanted to write from their perspectives. For me, it was more storytelling from their angle. When I write for myself, it’s personal.
[UNPUBLISHED:] If you can describe the EP in three words, which would you choose and why?
[HANNA:] I think edgy because the production is pretty raw and straightforward. Edgy, personal, and danceable.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Has the creative process been different for Have You Seen My Mind... compared to Bby Boo, Ögonsten & You, and have you taken any new approaches? Are you experimenting more lyrically or instrumentally?
[HANNA:] The processes of those two were quite different. The debut EP (Bby Boo, Ögonsten & You) was a collection of songs that represented my sound and they were written in many different areas of my life. They were a collection of songs from my years as a songwriter. For this EP, I had a clear vision and I wrote the songs almost immediately. The outcome made the experimenting part on the second EP freer because I was more aware of the subject.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song off the EP and what stands out to you or excites you the most?
[HANNA:] Right now, I must say that my favorite song is “Lost It.” Even though it’s completely mixed and mastered, I have to perform it live to truly give it life. I feel like that song will reach its true habitat while being performed.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the rest of the year look like?
[HANNA:] I'm feeling super excited about this year musically. I have lots of new experiences ahead of me, and I'm onto something. I'm on the right path when it comes to my career and where I am right now, as an artist. On the 17th of March, I will release a new single and then this April, I will release the EP. I'm super excited about that, and I'm also excited about collaborating with other artists and maybe releasing merch and starting to perform live.
