As upfront in her art as she is in life, Swedish singer/songwriter Sarah Klang shares insights about her songwriting process, the act of singing to her younger self, and her preference for English over Swedish in an open discussion regarding her deeply emotional fifth album, ‘Beautiful Woman’ – a touching tribute to girlhood.
Stream: ‘Beautiful Woman’ – Sarah Klang
In essence, ‘Beautiful Woman’ is a tribute to both womanhood and girlhood… an exploration of the awkwardness of childhood and adolescence, as well as understanding one's body and identity in a patriarchal society.
Sarah Klang has always been unreserved – whether in her music, her lyrics, or her conversations. “Sometimes it’s hard,” she reflects on the feedback regarding her new album’s title track. “Older women approach me after shows telling me, ‘You are a beautiful woman,’ and I’m grateful, but that’s not the purpose. I’m not performing the song for your validation. I’m expressing it from my 15-year-old viewpoint.”
Open, introspective, and relentlessly honest, Klang’s fifth album, Beautiful Woman, finds the Swedish artist delving deeper into the realm of radical authenticity. If Mercedes was a coming-of-age album, this one feels like an awakening – a bold celebration of girlhood, womanhood, and everything in between. From the gentle ache of “Beautiful Woman” to the sparkling critique in “Other Girls,” Klang bares her soul with humor, warmth, and insight, creating a space for contemplation and personal growth with every line she sings.
“I haven’t created anything groundbreaking,” she remarks with a nonchalant gesture. “I just aim to produce music influenced by the artists I admire.” This admiration manifests in various ways – through Carole King-inspired piano ballads, indie-pop nostalgia, and moments of subtlety building into raw intensity.
However, it’s her storytelling that grounds the album: Honest, approachable, and unafraid to embrace unconventionality.
She also brings humor into her artistry, whether she’s comparing “All I Want” to “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” or joking about her tendency to overplay songs until she grows tired of them (“I ruin them myself without realizing it”). Klang laughs at her reluctance to sing in Swedish, admitting she sounds “incredibly basic” in her first language: “I don’t know why, but it’s just annoying.” This balance of humor and heartache, toughness and tenderness, makes her music incredibly impactful.
Musically, Beautiful Woman signifies a period of evolution for Klang. “When I first started, I aimed to write trendy indie songs,” she says. “Now, I write using my own voice.” That clarity radiates through each piece, as Klang shifts from metaphor to precision and from style to substance. The outcome is a collection of work that is as musically confident as it is lyrically exposed.
While she occupies the emotional core of the album, Klang is quick to acknowledge that it’s not solely about her. “Once you share a song, it no longer belongs to you,” she states. “I want listeners to reflect on their lives, not mine. That would signify success.”
Atwood Magazine has long appreciated Klang's artistry, previously describing her 2023 album, Mercedes, as “cinematic and breathtaking… emotionally-charged and stunningly soulful.” If that album marked a coming-of-age, then Beautiful Woman represents the subsequent evolution – frank, unguarded, and rooted in the enlightenment that time brings. As always, Klang does not sugarcoat life’s challenges, yet she also finds moments of lightness within the chaos. Her songs serve to reflect on self-identity as well as to embrace self-forgiveness.
Of course, I have moments where I ponder what being a beautiful woman really means. Is it being nice? Loving oneself? Showing kindness? I simply don’t know.
If Mercedes was about transitioning into adulthood, Beautiful Woman is about existing – embracing the chaos, growth, vulnerability, and strength.
In this album, Klang embodies her most confident and unfiltered self, utilizing vulnerability as a source of empowerment. Few songs encapsulate the spirit of an album quite like “Beautiful Woman.” It is not only the record’s opener and namesake but also its emotional core: With candid lyrics and a poignant display of vulnerability, Klang conveys the raw essence of youth and the desire for acceptance. Lines such as “Practicing every night / How to dance in slow motion” and “Writing in my diary, goals for the new year / 16 and alone in my room” evoke a bittersweet sense of youthful longing. Her delivery is heartfelt and sincere, turning the song into not just a personal reflection, but a universal anthem for anyone wrestling with their sense of identity and self-worth.
Another noteworthy track is “Last Forever,” a collaboration with Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats
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True to her unfiltered nature both in her art and in person, Swedish singer/songwriter Sarah Klang shares insights into her songwriting process, discusses singing to her younger self, and reveals why she favors English over Swedish in an open dialogue about her deeply emotional fifth album 'Beautiful Woman' – a heartfelt tribute to girlhood.