Telling a relatable story about finding resilience and hope in the throes of grief, Elina describes the track:
“At the time, two people in my life that I love dearly and care about very deeply had recently decided to walk their separate ways after a long, long time. I feel I subconsciously steered the lyrics in the direction of their story. I admire and respect their strength in wanting the best for each other and being supportive, selfless and strong throughout it all. This song to me is about that kind of strength. The ability to help each other pursue happiness, even if that means you can’t be together.”
"Paper Planes" marks Elina's first new release of 2020, which follows a strong 2019 for the budding artist whose songs up until now have garnered 100MM+ Spotify streams and counting. In May 2019, Elina released her debut EP, In Hindsight, a bold first statement sparking standout singles "Wild Enough," "Champion," and "Here With Me."
Fall 2019 saw Elina release two new singles, starting with "Free," a folk-inspired song bursting with lush melodies and self-reflective lyricism. The track was playlisted on Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and saw love from outlets like 1883 Magazine and EUPHORIA, who debuted the song's gorgeous live video. Elina later released "Another Round," which Ladygunn praised, noting, "The piano driven song is soaked with Elina’s raw voice."
Before debuting her artist project in April 2018, Elina had already made an impression as a highly sought-after songwriter, penning hits for artists such as Zara Larsson, Astrid S, NEIKED ("Sexual"), among many more.
About Elina
Growing up in a small village in southern Sweden, Elina began exploring creativity and story telling at a young age. She learned to play guitar in 8th grade and was eventually admitted to renowned Swedish songwriting academy Musikmakarna (whose alumni include LÉON, Skott, NEIKED) where she developed her skills at a higher level.
With a razor-sharp lyrical sensibility, Elina's songs tell delicate stories of the vulnerability and uncertainty that makes us unapologetically human - beautifully flawed and courageously resilient. Inspired by the strong history and tradition of Swedish songwriters (Björn and Benny [ABBA], Max Martin, Cheiron, et al) Elina's craft has not gone unnoticed, garnering multiple awards including the 2018 ASCAP Pop Award, Best Contemporary Song nomination in the Ivor Novello Awards and a Denniz Pop Award nomination. She was also honored with the Swedish Publishing Awards' ‘Song of the Year’ for "Sexual" by NEIKED (which she co-wrote).
The transition from songwriting to her own artist project has been a vulnerable yet ultimately enlightening path for Elina, who notes, "I had written a few songs I really loved but hadn’t been picked up by any artist, so I decided to release them myself. Creating this artist 'persona' and everything is still very alien but making music on my own terms has been such a healing experience."
With an upcoming sophomore EP, Elina is set on continuing to explore the depths of human emotion in the most raw and human ways. As she describes, "It’s important for me to try and shine more of a light on the value of self-esteem, especially with the pressures we all face in today’s society. I want to continue exploring that down the road with my next EP and hopefully reach a point where I can make a real difference using the platform I'm lucky to have.”
