ALMA has the kind of voice that doesn’t come around often. The Finnish electro-pop artist is known for her signature soulful sound and neon green hair, reflective of her fiery personality and refusal to conform to societal pressures. We’ve been following ALMA on her rise to inevitable fame, from her 2017 single “Chasing Highs” to her latest release, “When I Die.” 

ALMA’s musical reach spans wide as she writes both for herself and other artists, though she keeps family and friends close through her musical journey—her twin sister is her backup singer. ALMA is back yet again with “Summer,” another sneak peek from her forthcoming album, which she’s been cooking up with the help of Charli XCX and songwriting prodigy Justin Tranter.

The fact that Amy Winehouse is ALMA’s favorite artist is apparent in every inch of her sound. Similar to ALMA, Winehouse had an affinity for being outrageous and offbeat, while still creating beloved music with universally relatable messages. “Summer” is just that, a simple song with a melodic line that weakens the listener. Verbed-out guitar and cyclical vocal lines paired with ALMA’s crackling, siren-like voice makes for a sonic sensation. 

She commented on the meaning behind “Summer,” 

“Every winter lots of people get depressed because of the cold and the darkness-it’s called seasonal affective disorder or winter depression. Lots of Finnish people have this. I wrote this song in LA- it was my first day there and I was jet-lagged but I remember I was still feeling alive and just happy, probably because of the sun! My relationship wasn’t doing great at that time, I was stressed and depressed, so I wrote this song to my girlfriend…I think we’re all better humans in the summertime!”

Most people have trouble admitting fault—it’s not easy to own up to mistakes. ALMA doesn’t have that problem, almost exclaiming her shortcomings in being vulnerable and open to intimacy. She sings,

“Don’t leave before the summer. I’ve got my heart to show ya. You’ve never seen what’s under my covers.”

“Summer” comes from ALMA’s debut album, Have You Seen Her?, which is set for release in April. Mark your calendars people.