Hailing from Prague, Elisa May is a name buzzing in the alternative pop scene, drawing listeners in with her raw, emotionally complex sound. The new single ‘War Inside’ captures a striking and hauntingly blend of pop and soulful undertones through its rich an emotive piano ballad arrangement.
In War Inside, Elisa returns to the studio with producer of her previous material Gregory Darling, crafting a piece that blends jazz influences and sparse production with a captivating and heartfelt vocal performance. The song unfurls like a hypnotic journey, evoking an intensity that’s both dark and poetic through its simple yet effective piano, drums and bass arrangement, augmented by the addition of some cinematic strings.
Talking about the singles, Elisa shares: “It signals change. The “war inside” is therefore self-explanatory: everything is shifting within you, making you feel like a stranger to yourself. However, I still like to leave room for interpretation, as I believe there’s more that can be found within the lines of the song.
While ‘Black Lines’ speaks directly to someone else and points a finger outward, this song turns inward, becoming a mirror that reflects on myself and the fragility of one’s core. The idea behind it is about losing yourself and parts of who you used to be, a process that can be devastating. It forces you to confront the question of who you are now if not the person you used to be.”
The song builds upon themes Elisa began exploring with previous single Black Lines, her previous single. But where Black Lines channels anger outward, War Inside turns inward, drawing from the depths of self-reflection. Elisa’s lyricism delves into the painful yet transformative process of self-discovery. “The idea behind it is about losing yourself and parts of who you used to be, a process that can be devastating,” she says. “It forces you to confront the question of who you are now if not the person you used to be.”
Listen below:
