To love is to know pain. In allowing ourselves to fall and feel intense emotions, we are also exposing ourselves to hurt, sorrow, and fear: It’s a mixed bag, a gamble we take with our hearts. Born Stranger’s new single “Pain” (ft. Vivienne Chi) is an exuberant anthem to the pain of love, a nostalgic and enduring ode to heartache.
If we blink for a minute, let it go
was it ever really something?
we could question all the logic in the world
but was it ever really something?
I tried so hard to fall in love
its just so hard to let it go
“Pain” – Born Stranger (ft. Vivienne Chi)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/387896117?secret_token=s-SKM4N” params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=true&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Pain,” the latest single from UK electronic pop duo Born Stranger. Featuring Atwood favorite rock star in the making Vivienne Chi, “Pain” is an intimate pop anthem overflowing with longing and explosive desire. It’s the perfect introduction for those unfamiliar Born Stranger – the duo of vocalist Maddox-Jones and producer Raife Hacking, who have caught the ears of everyone from CLASH to Spotify. Their ability to capture a scene so perfectly in song is on full display in “Pain,” whose dark atmospheric undertones are prime conditioning for a raw, hauntingly personal experience.
Born Stranger cite everyone from Tears for Fears to Depeche Mode, The Weeknd and Sia as major influences and inspirations. While one might pick apart “Pain” to examine individual aspects of the song’s similarities to songs of other artists, what really makes this song come together is a genuine sense of authenticity – of exposed emotions delicately balanced between dance pop and electronic indie.
I wanna feel pain like I used to
and love like I could
i wanna feel safe in your arms
but I don’t know if I should
“Pain is something we’ve all felt,” Born Stranger share. “There’s a certain romance to the pain of having your heart broken for the first time. It hurts but it’s exciting and all consuming. When you’ve felt it once it’ll never feel the same again, the more you feel it the more numb you become. This is a song for anyone who craves the reckless innocence of falling in love for the first time.”
While “Pain” is first and foremost a Born Stranger song, it is ultimately the combined work of Vivienne Chi and the UK duo that makes “Pain” hurt so good. Chi, an artist to watch in her own right, lends her incredibly dynamic vocals to a song that needs her special sort of bombast: Intimate, yet explosive. Together, she and Born Stranger singer Maddox-Jones envelop us in waves of complex emotion: Their distinct voices carry separate weights, but the sentiment of nostalgia, innocence and warmth remains the same.
Co-produced and mixed by Yoad Nevo (Sia, Pet Shop Boys, Goldfrapp), “Pain” is a fiery return for Born Stranger in 2018, offering another side to their flavorful artistry as we lead up to their highly-anticipated debut album. Keep up with Born Stranger below, and stream “Pain” exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
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photo © 2018
