SMILLA – “Bleib doch”

Regular Beach House readers know how much I love German music, living there for two and a half years will do that to you. So SMILLA’s new single “Bleib doch” was always going to get my attention. After several listens, I can say it’s genuinely worth yours too. It’s safe to say it’s one of the best releases I’ve heard this week so far.

The song has a retro-soul groove with real warmth to it. A live band plays on this recording, keys, guitar, bass, drums, and you can actually hear the difference, and it doesn’t sound pieced together in a laptop. Emanuel Uch’s mix keeps everything full without crowding it, and SMILLA’s voice is impressive and will stick in your head all day.

The idea of the song is unique and honest because it’s about the person who doesn’t leave, the one who asks the harder questions, sticks around anyway, and tells you that you’re enough the way you are. And this is what makes the song special and easy to connect with.

This is one of the more satisfying soul-pop singles I’ve heard in a good while. I’d encourage you to go back through SMILLA’s earlier releases too, because there’s clearly more to dig into. Follow her wherever you stream music. She has live dates running across Germany all year, and this is exactly the kind of artist worth knowing while the rooms are still small. Have you come across any other German artists lately that deserve a bigger audience?