Sweden’s Winona Oak releases With Myself single and video
WINONA OAK
SHARES “WITH MYSELF”
DEBUT CLOSURE EP OUT NOW HERE
Photo credit: Julian Gillstrom
“magnetizing…a true testament to her unprecedented singing abilities, and it’s a refreshingly authentic look into the multi-faceted vocalist’s emotional psyche” – V Magazine“Nothing short of chill-inducing” – BlackBook“Winona Oak proves she’s not one to be slept on” – Ones to Watch
Sweden’s Winona Oak embarks on a new trip after having released her debut EP CLOSURE (Neon Gold / Atlantic Records) earlier this year. Her new single “With Myself” HERE and the accompanying music video HERE, which was shot in New York just before the pandemic, show a very confident, defiant, and independent Winona Oak. She has shared a letter as a companion to the new song:Hi. Well, this year didn’t really turn out as we expected.
The music video for my song ”With Myself” was recorded before the pandemic took over the world so looking back at it now is like looking back at a totally different universe. Back then we were able to share champagne glasses, hug each other and talk all night long at some cozy bar under a cold and crystal clear New York sky.
I’m privileged to say that living in quarantine for so long hasn’t been easy but it has offered me an opportunity to slow down and self-reflect. It’s like we’ve all been so busy chasing the future that we’ve forgotten how to appreciate the beauty of the life we’re living right now. My heart goes out to all those who lost their loved ones, those who don’t have a job to go back to and those who are forced to live in complete isolation without anyone to comfort them.
Leading up to the release of this song I’ve been thinking a lot about how scarily easy it is to lose yourself in order to please somebody else. And trust me when I say that I’ve been there. You start overlooking your own needs and all of a sudden it’s like you’re living and breathing to satisfy someone that wouldn’t lift a finger for you.
There’s so many double standards in today’s society. Women are constantly shamed for showcasing our healthy desire to be sexual. And we are seen as “bossy” and less likable for being successful compared to our male colleagues. When me, Sly and Max Wolfgang wrote ”With Myself” we wanted to take all these things and play around with the concept of a “bossy” bad ass woman counting her money, buying her own gifts, enjoying the space in her bed and making love to no one but herself. I want you to feel empowered. I want women of all ages, all around the world to feel comfortable in their own beautiful bodies, and to stop putting somebody else’s needs and opinions in front of their own.
YOU are in charge of YOUR body and YOUR sexuality – and that’s a beautiful thing so I want you to own it. It’s about time that we make more love with ourselves. This is a really special one to me so I hope that it will find its way into people’s hearts. Take care and stay safe. Hope to see you all soon.
Sending all my love /WIn the last few weeks, the rising artist has released “Who Can Sail” HERE from the compilation album At Home With The Kids and “Another Story” from her recently released debut EP, CLOSURE.Winona first caught the public’s attention when she collaborated with The Chainsmokers on their viral hit single “Hope”.
The song, which was co-written by Winona and features her stunning lead vocals, has amassed over 375 million streams globally. Her debut single “He Don’t Love Me” is a paean to finding strength in your own self-worth. The track has been a runaway success, amassing 25 million streams across all platforms to date. Her sophomore single “Break My Broken Heart” followed suit, amassing over 13 million streams across all platforms globally. Both singles are featured on the CLOSURE EP.
Born and raised in the Nordic forests of Sweden on a small crop of land called Sollerön – known as the Island of the Sun – Winona Oak is every bit as enchanting as her origin story. With a childhood spent encountering more animals than people, she grew up a trained horse acrobat and pursued creative expression however she could, writing poetry and songs from a young age. Born into a musical family, Winona sang throughout her youth and began playing violin at 5 years old and piano at 9 years.
After moving to Stockholm to pursue her passion for music, a leap of faith to attend Neon Gold Records’ writing retreat in the Nicaraguan jungle in 2017 led her to Australian electronic maestro What So Not. She would go on to co-write his next two singles “Better” and “Stuck In Orbit”, eventually stepping into the spotlight as both the writer and featured artist on his 2018 single “Beautiful”, which took home the 2019 AIR Award for Best Independent Dance Single at the Australian Independent Music Awards.
In 2018 she also released a cover of “Don’t Save Me” from fellow Neon Gold Records signees HAIM for the label’s 10 year anniversary compilation: NGX: Ten Years of Neon Gold. The minimal production allows Winona Oak’s ethereal voice to shine through, slower than the original and drenched in ethereal melancholy.
https://www.instagram.com/winonaoak
