WILSN’s cinematic and smoldering new song “If You Wanna Love Me” is a searing rush of raw passion channeled through a timeless soul-soaked rock sound.
for fans of Alabama Shakes, Yola, Amy Winehouse
Stream: “If You Wanna Love Me” – WILSN
In today’s landscape of artists trying so hard to do something different often for the sake of being different, it’s nice to just engage with the human voice in an unadulterated way.
Australian singer/songwriter WILSN has always known a thing or two about being assertive and standing up for herself and others; she’s proved it time and again over the past seven-plus years. Yet never before have we heard the artist quite as confident, as unapologetic, or as astoundingly self-assured as she is on her latest single. Cinematic and smoldering, “If You Wanna Love Me” is a searing rush of raw passion channeled through a timeless soul-soaked rock sound.
Show me baby what you got
I don’t care if you’re ready or not
Oh, oh, see I’ve been waiting
I wanna, wanna feel something
I think you forgot
I’m the one who gave you a second shot
And if that ain’t enough
I can only take so much
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “If You Wanna Love Me,” WILSN’s third single of 2022 and her fourth overall release since signing with Ivy League Records. Making a clean break from her past music has offered the Melbourne artist a fresh start, through which she has reintroduced herself as a harbinger of classic soul “with a contemporary approach and a healthy dose of raw power.” This is certainly the case for her first three singles “You Know Better,” “Tell Me,” and “Me or Her,” but nowhere does this statement ring truer than on the radiantly impassioned “If You Wanna Love Me.”
“I wanted to write something kinda inspired by Alabama Shakes but meshing it with a more uptempo, Motown groove,” WILSN (real name Shannon Busch) tells Atwood Magazine. “I don’t know if we got there, but I love how it turned out! Lyrically, I’m talking about that early stage of a relationship, where you know it’s something really special, but one side is intimated by the gravity of it all and hesitates.”
What does one do when they sense their partner wavering? They may choose to lean in for the both of them, as WILSN does on this song. Accompanied by a driving backbeat, a bouncy bass line, and shimmering guitar chords, the artist lets herself loose on a charged and boldly self-expressive chorus:
If you wanna love me baby
You gotta learn how to love
If you wanna hold me baby
You gotta learn how to touch
If you go and hurt me baby
You better learn how to run
If you wanna love me baby
You gotta learn how to love
WILSN’s fiery vocals enhance what is already a captivating call to action, ostensibly creating a moment of both revelry and reckoning as she lays all her cards on the table. “If You Wanna Love Me” is as strong as it is vulnerable, and it’s the balance of those two forces – along with a truly incredible, breathtaking performance – that make this song feel simultaneously fresh and classic.
For WILSN, “If You Wanna Love Me” effortless captures the identity she has sought to achieve in this new era.
“This song is my most rock leaning soul song – a mix of soul and rock n’ roll,” she shares. “I took inspiration from bands like Alabama Shakes and The Black Keys, but incorporated my love for soul vocals. Soul music never goes out of fashion because it’s pure; people aren’t trying to be cool or follow a trend. It’s all about a great melody, a great beat and harmony that moves you and makes you feel something. In today’s landscape of artists trying so hard to do something different often for the sake of being different, it’s nice to just engage with the human voice in an unadulterated way. The ending of this song is that for me – unhinged, raw vocals with a blistering live band.”
She continues, “I used to be afraid to show the rockier side of my voice for fear of being pigeon holed as a rock singer, which was never really my vibe, but I’ve grown to realise it’s such an important and unique aspect of my voice as a soul singer. And that there are many different genres that have influenced who I am as an artist and that’s ok – the combination of those is what makes my music sound like me! Plus sometimes you just need to let it all out and roll around on the floor.”
Shot around a ’60s inspired bandstand and drenched in a deep red light, the “If You Wanna Love Me” music video further amplifies the song’s aesthetic. “I wanted to pay homage to ’60s style film studio music videos, with go-go dancers and band members dancing on top of circular podiums – but also put a modern tinge on it by mixing it up with ’90s filming techniques and mediums like camcorder and whip pans,” WILSN explains. “Our video director Triana Hernandez brought my vision to life perfectly!”
Now four songs into her new adventure, the sky’s the limit for WILSN – and with more to come before this year is through, we can’t wait to hear what more she has in store. Get lost in the raw fervor and energetic soul of “If You Wanna Love Me,” streaming exclusively on Atwood Magazine!
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Stream: “If You Wanna Love Me” – WILSN
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