SuRie has battled a few storms in her life — most notably rising above the antics of a whacky stage invader when performing in front of a televised audience of over 170 million viewers. Now, her latest challenge involves Building a Woman, her brand new album.

SuRie lit up the stage in Lisbon during Eurovision 2018 but many Eurovision fans like to remember her for her broader body of work. Post “Storm”, SuRie’s voice packs strength in songs which unveil her vulnerability. Dozen, her 2019 LP, is a brilliant concept album that takes listeners on reflective journeys from January right through to December. An underrated classic!

Building a Woman — SuRie

Since Dozen, we’ve had a global pandemic. More recently, there’s been the run-up to Eurovision 2023. After a crazy month of back to back performances, presenting and hosting Eurovision fans in Merseyside, SuRie headed back to Fiction Studios in London to launch her brand new album Building a Woman. A perfect setting for an intimate album launch, SuRie played for an hour with her group of musicians in a small studio space that resembled an upscale library.

 
 
 
 
 
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A self-composed singer-songwriter album, Building a Woman is another testament to SuRie’s artistry. As a Royal Academy of Music graduate with a stable career supporting other stars behind the scenes, and fronting her independently published work, her quiet success appeals to those that value quality music.

Building a Woman is largely supported with live instruments such as the piano, percussion, oboe, guitar and bass. Throughout the album, SuRie engages her listeners with stories cradled with simple melodies. The theme of the album came from a combination of Greek mythology and feminist Chilean writing. Witty in parts — there is a song dedicated to Professor Whitty, literally! — and teary in others, this is a body of work updated for a post-pandemic existence. Standout tracks include “Nostalgia”, “Dancing with Danger” and “Trust”. Self-assured but also vulnerable, “Man with Map” acknowledges that building a woman doesn’t always equate to the exclusion of men.

Speaking exclusively with wiwibloggs, SuRie explains:

Building A Woman draws from some of the themes in Isabel Allende’s novel, “The Soul of a Woman”. Somehow during corona, I felt really fortunate to be a woman. Yes, I have had my fair share of knocks in many ways, but I am very lucky with strong role models around me. Watching my niece grow has been fascinating, especially when seeing the world through her eyes. I am still a work in progress, but at the same time, I am still building the woman you see in front of you.”

Like the pandemic that didn’t have an end date, the running order of Building a Woman took months to edit. There were over 100 songs which didn’t make the cut. “Narrowing it down to just 11 songs felt like chipping away at a fine piece of sculpture,” SuRie says.

And although these eleven songs echo themes of womanhood, they are independent of one another. As the LP launch draws to a close, SuRie performed the final track “Epilogue” with remarkable poise and then thanked the audience.

There was silence for what seemed like a long minute, and then it was followed by a rapturous applause. SuRie is undoubtedly the UK’s homegrown treasure — even if she’s too modest to admit it.

What do you think of Building a Woman? Would you like to hear more music from SuRie? Let us know in the comments below.

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Zagulis
Zagulis
8 months ago

She undoubtedly has a talent but the snippets of these songs amount to dull, tuneless wailing. Even Through The Storm was a masterpiece in comparison. And she’s still on about storms.

Emma
Emma
9 months ago

Okay enough now. People who dont live in the UK please let me make something clear; this woman is not famous, her music does not chart and is not on TV. Most people in the UK have never heard of Surie. What happened the stage invasion was regretful but the way she is portrayed by the eurofandom as some kind of national treasure is not accurate.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
9 months ago
Reply to  Emma

I am fortunate to have met SuRie once in real life, and I’ve seen her perform twice. “National treasure” may be an overstated description for the nation, but SuRie certainly won a treasure in my heart, and hopefully in the hearts of many Eurovision fans in the UK.

Patrick
9 months ago

Overrated (by herself mostly) and so pretentious. They keep having her on shows here in the UK during Eurovision season, sharing her thoughts amd “expert” advice. Quite how she is an expert goodness knows. I got nearly as many points as she did just watching at home on my sofa. Storms was a euroTurd of a song.

Antoine
Antoine
9 months ago
Reply to  Patrick

Is that sofa in your mum’s basement? How’s the view from there? Do yourself a favour and check the credits for Storm (singular by the way) before launching into an attack on her as a songwriter. As to sharing her thoughts: she was there in 2018. I realise you’d prefer for those shows to come to you to share the insights you’ve gained by watching it all unfold from your sofa, but what exactly have you ever done that warrants any kind of interest from any other living being – yes, that includes your mum’s cat. As you were.

Fatima
Fatima
9 months ago
Reply to  Patrick

Storm (singular) was my favourite Eurovision song that year, Patrick. And she was part of the act which placed fourth in 2015.

Patrick
9 months ago
Reply to  Fatima

No she was a backing vocalist.

Briekimchi
Briekimchi
9 months ago
Reply to  Patrick

Wiwibloggs tends to overstate and overpromote many of the acts who are willing to associate extensively with the site and its writers. It’s only natural to give space and attention to an act who is willing to give exclusives.

However, I’ve got to take you up on SuRie overrating herself and being pretentious. I’ve just never gotten that vibe from her at any point or in any interview etc. From what I’ve heard from her, she’s quite down-to-Earth and realistic.

David
David
9 months ago

I was at the launch of Building a Woman. A beautiful intimate evening. The album shows SuRie at her finest, as a song writer and vocalist. The launch did not disappoint as it showed SuRie as a skilled performer and communicator with her audience. Go see her on tour. Details https://www.surie.me/

TomTW
TomTW
9 months ago

I don’t know if anyone else has heard it but in 2016, two years before Eurovision, Surie released *another* song called Storm, and it’s really very good. Totally different vibe, a little bit overlong in the verses, but stunning in the chorus. I reckon it would have been more successful at Eurovision than the second Storm. It’s on Spotify and well worth checking out.

Sjodni
Sjodni
9 months ago
Reply to  TomTW

The first Storm is seriously incredible, I didn’t realize it was the same SuRie for a long time but it is really a beautiful piece of art. Love her!

Notabonko
Notabonko
9 months ago

Are u surie she did that?