Today, the ever-mysterious Karin Dreijer has returned as Fever Ray. "What They Call Us" is the first new original song from the project since 2017's Plunge, and the single was written and co-produced with their brother and former musical partner in The Knife, Olof Dreijer.
A stark drumbeat pulses behind words of resistance as the track unspools: "My plan was flexible / Don’t get stuck anywhere." Later, their words mold to a new form: "I’ve got a plan that’s flexible / Just don’t stop anywhere." Despite the pain, despite the misconceptions, despite the hurt, Fever Ray pushes forward.
In the visual written and directed by Martin Falck, Dreijer is clad in gaunt pastel makeup and a business suit that features an unsettling smiley face tie. Dreijer maneuvers a cluttered office building, making an appearance at a farewell party. Like some mundane demon of chaos, their entrance into any room unspools havoc—papers raining down in a storm, a co-worker whipping around a stripper pole, and another devouring someone's tie.
Watch the video for "What They Call Us" below.
