Jenny Hval Announces New Album Iris Silver Mist, Shares Lead Single “To Be a Rose”
Norwegian artist Jenny Hval has officially announced her new album, Iris Silver Mist, set for release on May 2 via 4AD. The album follows her critically acclaimed 2022 record, Classic Objects, and takes inspiration from a fragrance created by Maurice Roucel for Serge Lutens.
The Inspiration Behind Iris Silver Mist
“Rather than beginning with music, Iris Silver Mist emerged from absence. When live performances ceased during the pandemic, the familiar sensory experiences of concerts—cigarette smoke, soap, stage lights, and shared spaces—were replaced by at-home listening through digital platforms. In this shift, Hval found herself drawn to perfumes, immersing herself in scents, reading about them, collecting them, and writing about them as a way to reconnect with physical intimacy. It took her a year to realize that fragrance had become her new way of sensing presence in a world where live music had turned into a void.”
Lead Single: “To Be a Rose”
The first single from the album, “To Be a Rose,” is an evolving composition that transitions from minimal, percussive elements to a lush and immersive soundscape. Hval describes it as a “restless pop structure” where each chorus slightly changes, creating the sensation of hearing the melody from different perspectives—across seasons, decades, or even different bodies.
“The clichéd rose metaphor in the song is equally restless,” Hval explains. “It can change shape into a cigarette, then evaporate into smoke. My mother and I—two restless humans—are both present in the song: ‘I was singing in my room, she smoked on the balcony / Long inhales and long exhales performed in choreography.’ If anything, ‘To Be a Rose’ is about how one thing transforms into another, how we all originate from somewhere and someone, and how this is more mysterious and powerful than we often realize.”
Accompanying the single is a music video featuring a decade’s worth of tour footage, shot and edited by Jenny Berger Myhre.
Iris Silver Mist Tracklist
- Lay Down
- To Be a Rose
- I Want to Start at the Beginning
- All Night Long
- Heiner Muller
- You Died
- Spirit Mist
- I Don’t Know What Free Is
- The Artist Is Absent
- Huffing My Arm
- The Gift
- A Ballad
- I Want the End to Sound Like This
2025 Tour Dates
Hval will also embark on a European tour in support of the album. Here are the announced dates:
- April 5 – Madrid, ES @ Electrónica en Abril
- May 21 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall *
- May 23 – Brussels, BE @ Le Nuits Botanique
- May 27 – Berlin, DE @ Silent Green (Betonhalle) *
- May 30 – Amsterdam, NL @ Muziekgebouw
- June 5 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret *
(* denotes select tour dates featuring special performances.)
A Live-Infused Album
Many of the tracks on Iris Silver Mist were shaped and rehearsed during live performances before making their way into the recording studio. This approach helped Hval emphasize the physicality and raw essence of live music, ensuring an organic, immersive sound throughout the album.
With its blend of evocative storytelling, experimental soundscapes, and deeply personal themes, Iris Silver Mist is poised to be a compelling addition to Jenny Hval’s discography. Stay tuned for more updates and listen to “To Be a Rose” now!