Carl Espen, who represented Norway in Eurovision 2014 with the melancholic ballad “Silent Storm“, has wasted no time delivering a new track. Three months after performing in the grand final of the contest, he has released “Holding On” on Spotify, iTunes and Wimp.
Even if the song touches on a torturous breakup, it departs swiftly and surely from his Eurovision entry. He’s upped the tempo and gone slightly more pop. Drums and keyboards define the ambiance, which is perhaps best described as easy listening rock with a flash of lounge. The lyrics smack of love, perseverance and knowing when it’s time to go: “Don’t embrace the past/ I’ll miss you, but this just couldn’t last/ I can’t rewrite the old song/ I don’t want to keep holding on.”
Although Carl’s voice is better suited to ballads, he demonstrates some great versatility with this slightly lighter number. Even though this song is written by Carl’s cousin, Josefin Winther, who also wrote the lyrics for Silent Storm, he seems to sing from the heart. Josefin really knows how to use Carl’s voice, as “Holding On” is packed with high notes, which Carl delivers beautifully.
Holding On lyrics – Carl Espen
Turn around and let it go
Who’s gonna watch me, tell me no?
I can’t be leaving this
So afraid of what I’ll miss
But there are chances left to take
Many mistakes left to make
I have seen a different side
I don’t wanna run and hide
Once I was in a place like you
From up here there’s a different view
I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know
If I’ll be coming home
Don’t embrace the past
I’ll miss you, but this just couldn’t last
I can’t rewrite the old song
I don’t want to keep holding on
Holding on
In a while we’ll look back this
Reminiscing the final kiss
We will be in a higher state
Then we’ll see a whole new fate
There are chances we have to take
So many choices left to make
Here’s a story I’m living now
It just happened, I don’t know how
Changing courses is not a crime
Getting lost is not a waste of time
Now I know, now I know, now you know, now I know
I won’t be coming home
Bridge:
Every time I said to you
We will last because we are true
I believed it
I was standing by your side
But now it’s time to stop this holding on
Photo: Carl Espen’s Facebook page
I really REALLY like this. Silent Storm was my fave this year, and even though this is very different, it’s still awesome 🙂
I absolutely adore Carl … a wonderful person and a surprise of an artist coming out of nowhere to showcase such a shy and humble personality as well as being an outstanding performer: totally the opposite of what everyone expects today in Eurovision. “Silent Storm” remains one of my all time favourite ESC song and second Norwegian one after Elisabeth Andreassen’s “I Evighet” of 1996 … but after listening to “Holding On” a few times I felt a bit disappointed: not due to the style change from that, I love seeing Carl experimenting with different things and sounds but the… Read more »