There are no words to describe certain feelings. Or, more accurately, sometimes words don't convey feelings in the intense gradients which they are felt. On the onomatopoeic opening track, "Rapabarapa," to singer/songwriter Cecilia Kallin's new EP Cloud 9, yearning is the sound of a racing heart. The earworm pop song blends plucky and eclectic instrumentation to produce an unfading emotion settling warmly in your chest. The fairy-like vocal harmonies lend the track an ethereal quality, while the lurching percussion grounds Kallin's voice in a heart-pounding reality. As synths crash like waves against the song's foundation, it feels like an awe-striking breakthrough. What does it feel like? "Rapabarapa."
Small details in "Rapabarapa" suggest that the relationship between Kallin and the song's subject has stumbled. "We used to be so damn happy, weren't we?" She asks on the second verse. But Kallin remains focused on the feelings of love that brought them together. "You make me rapabarapa," she sings on the gorgeous chorus. It's no flubbed lyric or placeholder phrase, that's how Kallin expresses this feeling. It invites you to feel what she is describing beyond words. When infatuation is so profound as to escape description, little hang-ups become white noise. The Swedish artist's affection towers over conflict like a tidal wave. Her vocal delivery is so powerful it's as though each syllable sprouts wings and flutters around. There's freedom in accepting the magic in feeling.
Since 2010, Cecilia Kallin has made a name in the Swedish pop scene. Beginning as a the lead singer and guitarist of the folk-pop band Timoteji, Kallin has since spread her artistic vision among multiple creative projects. 2020 saw the artist release her debut EP, Honey, which landed her recognition for her feel-good-guitar-based pop sound. She's created music videos, club music, a jewelry collection, and songwriting for Swedish and Norwegian artists, all alongside her solo pop career. "Rapabarapa" releases as the opener to Kallin's 3-track EP, Cloud 9. The EP also features the duet, "Wait for me" with Joel Nuñez, which won the Swedish radio competition P4 Nästa Västerbotten.
Written By Andy Mockbee
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