Helsinki-based artist i know her releases the new single, ‘Smile On My Lips’. The track arrives ahead of her forthcoming debut EP, At Least I Know How To Love, due May 22nd, a body of work that traces an emotional journey through heartbreak, reflection, and the gradual rediscovery of love in its many forms.
‘Smile On My Lips’ began life as a living room demo nearly three years ago, just a voice, a melody, and an emotion that hadn’t yet found its language. From that fragile starting point, it evolved into a fully formed, cinematic and beautifully paced track that still holds onto its original sense of intimacy. At its core, it captures the ache of longing for someone you never properly said goodbye to, and the quiet weight of everything left unspoken.
The inspiration came directly from experience. As i know her explains: “I met someone who moved abroad shortly after we met, and I was left with a lot of unexpressed feelings. I tended to be quite nonchalant at the time, so instead of sharing those feelings, I turned them into music, which turned out to be far away from nonchalant. I wanted to capture that emotional tension in the production as well, to emphasise the yearning feeling by moving from intimate moments to a cinematic drop for the chorus.”
That push and pull sits at the heart of the track’s structure. The verses are restrained and close, almost conversational, while the choruses open into something vast and cinematic as delicate synths and vocals are surrounded by layers of strings and sub bass, using the lack of drums to its advantage. Her vocal delivery moves between those spaces with ease, grounding the production’s larger moments in something raw and immediate.
The single forms part of her debut EP, At Least I Know How To Love, which unfolds as a carefully shaped emotional arc. Across its tracks, it moves from the turbulence of toxic relationships and emotional pain, through personal growth, and toward a more grounded understanding of love. Romance is central, but so are friendship and the quieter, more enduring forms of connection that remain after heartbreak. Sonically, the project blends acoustic warmth with electronic texture, creating a tension that mirrors its emotional themes.
The EP was built over nearly three years, written and produced across her home studio, libraries, and cafés. Imperfections were intentionally preserved along the way, including an out-of-tune ukulele left in one track because it felt honest rather than polished. As i know her puts it: “I see myself as a very kind person — you could call me a people pleaser — and that has shaped my experiences in relationships. Although I’ve faced situations where my kindness has been taken for granted, I haven’t let that harden me.”
Originally from a small town in Central Finland and now based in Helsinki, i know her is a 26-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer working in soft, emotionally driven alt-pop. She writes, composes, produces, and performs entirely on her own terms, building a sound defined by vulnerability and sonic clarity.
Her influences range widely, from the symphonic metal she grew up with to the sounds of Sting and Sade playing in her household. A formative shift came with discovering Jhené Aiko’s Sail Out, which opened her perspective toward alternative R&B and contemporary pop. Artists such as Jorja Smith, Lykke Li, Charlotte Day Wilson, and Finnish artist Dwara have also shaped her direction, united by a shared focus on emotional honesty, restraint, and delicacy.
Listen below:
