It’s well known that natives of Scandinavia or other Arctic regions are accustomed to the beauty of extraordinary light and endless nights. Norwegian singer Susanna explores her relationships to both elements in “Hole,” a bioluminescent reflection on the feeling of plunging into darkness. “There’s a hole in the ground, where I fall,” she spills over a whirlpool of keys and thick beats, “And when I try to get up, something pulls me down.” This force sounds dooming, but Susanna delivers her tale with astute bliss.-=-=-=-

“Hole” may inadvertently recall the ancient Greek myth of Persephone, who is abducted to the Underworld and then becomes its queen, returning every year. Susanna has remarked that regular visits to her “black” mental state are not exactly negative, as the act of repetition eventually creates a sense of safety. In her own way, Susanna, like Persephone, is queen of some underworld, comfortable in the abyss but forever searching for a way out.