Nina June celebrates both the freedom and tenderness of womanhood and love in her collaborative new album, Paradigm, which officially dropped this past Friday March 1st.
Although the word “paradigm” can mean a classic model or pattern, the singer-songwriter’s new sound is anything but typical.
The album’s title track and December single, “Paradigm,” kicks things off, masterfully establishing the tone with its haunting piano and vocals, portraying a darker relationship and sense of self. “Walls white and paper thin / Can you feel the magnitude of the mess we’re in / Please don’t ask me to be forgiven for your sins,” are just some of the lamenting lyrics which convey through sound a lullaby as equally as a warning.
The title track is followed by “Moon Over the Sun,” performed with singer-songwriter Joshua Hyslop, which shifts the sonic path of the album’s emotional journey, this time picking up the tempo with a song about fate and the freedom that comes with the sensations of acceptance and understanding.
Upbeat guitar and lilting vocals carry the chorus: “Somewhere in the distance / Somewhat undefined / Always moving forward / Separately aligned / You were walking slowly / While I was on the run / Circles overlapping / Moon over the sun.” This catchy and clever chorus showcases the wisdom June brings to the album, as she portrays a relationship in which both partners are able to grow independently and change with time.
Another standout track, the fourth song and November single, “Your Surrender,” features singer-songwriter Emily James, and spins a heartbreaking tale of finally allowing someone to heal one’s broken heart. “And I’m not used to giving in to someone / Who isn’t afraid to fall deeply / Knows what it means to stick with me / Why do I keep fighting your surrender?,” she sings, accompanied by a tender, bittersweet piano melody.
The alternative indie pop singer’s last album, Meet Me on the Edge of Our Ruin, (2021), received acclaim for its poignant songwriting, vocal strengths, and overall production. Paradigm stays true to the Amsterdam-based singer’s talent and rich storytelling, whilst bringing a fresh vulnerability and complexity to both its instrumentals and subject matters.
“This is a different phase in my life,” the songwriter states. “I’ve developed as a woman, so I’ve developed as an artist too. I feel very at peace with my music and also, maybe, with myself as a storyteller. All of the noise is gone. I’ve become more mature, and I’ve added more layers to who I am as a writer, a performer, and a person.”
June first introduced herself with Bon Voyage back in 2018, and was honored with her home country’s coveted Zilveren Notekraker—an award reserved for “Promising New Talent.” A year later, she expanded her audience with the Shadows & Riddles EP in between touring worldwide, receiving major film and television syncs to boot.
Paradigm is the latest project to showcase this talented up and coming alt-pop songstress, and the future looks bright for Nina June.
