Artist Profile: AURORA

Aurora Aksnes, better known mononymously as AURORA, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter currently living in Høle, Norway. First introduced to music at 6 after finding an old keyboard in her upstairs attic, she is often found clad in odd outfits, donning cut up sleeves, mesh gloves, and a head of platinum white hair, painting the picture of an eccentric hippie, or perhaps a woodland elf straight out of myth and legend. Despite being only 23, she has released three full-length albums, as well as several hit singles to her name and collaborated with the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Askjell and Odd Martin Skålnes.

Aurora’s music has been widely categorized as pop, electronica, folk and even indie, but I find there is no one definition that satisfyingly describes its genre, nor her distinctive, expressive soprano. Though her first songs were conceived when she was a child, the fact belies the meaning hidden beneath her songs, confronting subjects like social acceptance, gender expectations, and wistful childhood nostalgia with fierce determination. In the same manner, she carries herself with incredible sincerity, preferring to dance barefoot on stage, speaking pensively, as if pondering every question with utmost seriousness, uncovering a grown, hugely talented singer with the heart of a child - not innocent, but deliberate, wide-eyed and awake.

The River

This track, released last year before the second half of her two-part album, ‘A Different Kind of Human - Part 2’, is a reflection of the stigma surrounding expressing one’s emotions, in particular the way we tend to hold them back to avoid weakness and vulnerability. Aurora has stated she drew inspiration from her discovery that around 72% of all suicides are committed by men. This raises an aspect of ‘macho culture’ not talked about t00 often; that men are also victims of the stringent patriarchy that compels them to suppress their feelings and adhere to a standard that commands unrealistic stoicism and apathy for a false show of strength - a standard that women are perhaps not as beholden to.

The ‘river’ Aurora refers to is symbolic of tears, and how that is generally perceived as a sign of fragility. However, this notion seems ironic because having, and more importantly expressing our emotions is the very crux of what it means to be human. She understood immediately that one of the causes of this sobering statistic is the apprehension men have towards talking about emotions, for fear that it is unmanly, and makes him seem weak. Crying, according to the social norm, is evidence of one’s insecurities, and is to be avoided at all cost in favour of overbearing strength, confidence and toughness even when one does not feel empowered.

The fact that this is a convention found not only in Norway but many other places in the world, including Hong Kong is dangerous for all of us because for men, it has cultivated a pattern of suffering in silence, maintaining the machismo facade and depriving them the right to show anything reminiscent of ‘effeminate’ emotion, such as crying, lest it infringe upon their supposed identity as a man. For women, this means they are subconsciously taught that femininity is the opposite of masculinity, and that masculinity means power and strength. What does that make femininity? The answer is the same reason why for young boys, it is often considered an insult to be compared to a female.

Beyond the surface of the electro-synthesizer sound she has imbued into The River, the optimistic atmosphere she has created around this song presents a stark contrast to its dark subject matter. Aurora has imparted her own thoughts into the song, conveying her own experience with crying through it’s oddly upbeat, fast-paced melody; that it is a positive experience when one learns to leave it uninhibited, to understand that bearing the brunt of human experience is far too much for one person alone.

"It is important to know that you are loved" - AURORA, on The River

I Went Too Far

First written by Aurora at the age of 9, I Went Too Far featured 11 years later on her 2016 debut album ‘All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend’. She sings in the first person but writes using the perspective of others at the helm of her songs. The lyrics tell the story of someone borderlining on obsession in their pleading cries to be the subject of someone else’s approval and satisfaction, alluding to a cruel, self-perpetuating cycle found in abusive relationships that preys on our innate, base desire to be loved and feel accepted.

The song does not just refer to romantic relationships, but also a sort of pressure we might feel to change for other people in our lives, be it tradition, peers or family, and thus lose our individuality in the process. Her character's unhealthy desperation is highlighted when she turns to the extremes of self-destructive habits and self belittlement in hopes that it will gain her their acknowledgement and affection in return.

But despite the character’s appeals, they are also fully conscious that they are going too far in their desperation; it is a hidden acknowledgement of their own worth without this person and know they are giving too much of themself away. It is a truth they are hesitant to admit to, and is not confessed until the post-chorus, ending with cryptic lines admitting that although they were reluctant to leave, they could not stay like this and left the relationship.

“We sometimes go too far for the approval and love of someone else, when we really should just learn to love ourselves; that should be enough” - AURORA, on I Went Too Far

Conqueror

The melancholic, pained voice of the previous song leaves no trace on her apparent answer to the open ending faced by the character in I Went Too Far. The second track on ‘All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend’ is centered around someone who seeks a ‘conqueror’ for rescue and security when in fact, she argues, it should be found in ourselves first.

Conqueror presents a foil to the character who felt as if they were not enough on their own and relied on someone else to complete them, sung with bittersweet and dark emotions. The message behind this song is one of empowerment and independence, that one needs to reach no farther than themselves to be whole, and should not ever need the validation of others to be fulfilled.

"But you’re looking for the conqueror in someone else, which I think is something you should not do. You should find the conqueror in yourself first, and be your own hero"

AURORA, on Conqueror

Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT6dLJd3rYk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUxHcoQN0Rk&list=LL2yDMJCx_BZoFYoGnZPnfkQ&index=6&t=416s

https://genius.com/Aurora-the-river-lyrics

https://aurora-aksnes.fandom.com/wiki/I_Went_Too_Far

https://genius.com/Aurora-conqueror-lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb9J68FSjo0&list=LL2yDMJCx_BZoFYoGnZPnfkQ&index=25

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/aurora-interview-singer-new-album-infections-of-a-different-kind-release-date-tour-a8534271.html

http://www.populartv.com/music/aurora-singer-interview/

https://herasayssheshouldbethestarnow.wordpress.com/aurora-aksnes/