He’s billed as “a northerner in a southern world” as Henrik Felipe hails from the pristine isolation of the far north of Norway, and presumably the ‘southern’ bit refers to Oslo, where his record company, Monstera, is based.
‘SCUTI’ is Henrik Felipe’s debut single, from his upcoming EP ‘BACKYARD’. It’s a complicated tale of love between friends, describing the situation when friends become more than just that (I’ve been waiting for your green light” he sings) and the subsequent swirl of emotions. In Henrik’s own words:
“‘SCUTI’ is about having feelings for a close friend even if both parties know it should never happen. Even though it feels so good, it makes things complicated. It hurts in the best possible way.”
I was a little put off by Henrik’s image when I first saw it; it’s like a police mug shot or a remake of De Niro doing his “you talkin’ to me?’ thing in Taxi Driver. It gave me the wrong impression of his style because as it turns out he adeptly combines elements of indie-pop with a little rap and the odd trap beat thrown in for good measure. Rap isn’t my favourite genre but Henrik pretty well gets its right in his mix, allowing it to do no more than introduce a slight urban edge to what could otherwise be a soppy ‘tinder-era’ love song.
His vocal fits the confluence of confidence and insecurity, an aspect of modern life which impacts on all youngsters these days and for that reason alone I suggest the song will hit a nerve with plenty of teenagers.
‘SCUTI’ is out on Monstera Records on April 17th.