With the kind of dramatic, electronic-infused elements synonymous with the music output of the likes of Ariana Grande, Whisper All My Secrets is an emotional powerhouse of a record.
Hailing from Norway, Ella Lockert is an 18-year-old solo musician who has already built up a substantial catalogue of material, including her debut EP, Confusing, released in 2021. Here on Whisper All My Secrets, Lockert depicts the experience of being in love with someone, whilst knowing that person isn’t good for you.
Opening with a gentle piano riff and placing Lockert’s vocal at the song’s centre, it quickly establishes the emotional stakes. As she lays out her confusion and the emotional conflict gently, Whisper All My Secrets really reveals Lockert’s inner turmoil as she sings the line, ‘You have misled me before — this time it’s war’.
It is at this point that Whisper All My Secrets mutates into a bonafide pop banger, chugging bass providing the backing for Ella’s loudness to really break through. On the song’s central hook, she sings, ‘You don’t deserve my love’, and you can’t help but feel buoyed by her empowerment.