What’s this? “Hold Your Head Up”, the first single in two years from Switzerland’s 2011 trio Anna Rossinelli — named after their lead vocalist Anna. The other two members are Manuel Meisel on guitar and Georg Dillier on bass.
When did it drop? Yesterday, Friday 5 October.
Tell us more: The first cut from the group’s upcoming album White Garden (pre-order here), “Hold Your Head Up” is an exercise in delicate melancholy. “Hold your head up / I’ll still be your shoulder / If you feel down / You can lean on me”, sings a somber Anna. We never learn who she’s singing to, although it’s clear that if you are down, you could do worse than turning to her for support — “Don’t look back / Tomorrow will start off a new day / So don’t be sad / You’ll soon be back on your way”.
The hopeful outlook is reflected in the song’s overall sound, which marks something of an evolution for the “In Love For A While Outfit”. Their trademark folk tropes are virtually non-existent. Instead, we get a piano ballad with electronic flourishes.
And the music video? No word on a clip yet. However, almost all their previous singles have had some form of visual accompaniment, including “Speechless” and “King Mustafa”.
Anna Rossinelli at Eurovision 2011: The trio easily won Switzerland’s pre-Christmas national final with their summery number “In Love For A While”. In Düsseldorf, they snuck out of their semi in tenth place. And despite securing a not too shabby 19 points, they came last in the 25-song grand final. However, they remain one of Switzerland’s most successful Eurovision acts this century. Since the turn of the new millennium, the Alpine nation has only graced the grand final on five other occasions.
What have they been up to since? Anna and her band have gone on to be probably Switzerland’s biggest act outside the contest in recent years. All four of their albums have charted in the Swiss top ten, while their 2014 single “Shine In The Light” was the official Swiss soundtrack for the Winter Olympics. A fifth LP is imminent.
What do you think of “Hold Your Head Up”? Let us know in the comments below.
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