Winona Oak Links With Robin Schulz For the Soaring and Brooding "Oxygen"

Photo: Julian Gillstrom

There is a timeless quality to Winona Oak's ineffable brand of pop. It draws upon the alluring, smoky thrall of vintage Hollywood while still finding the space to carve a path forward for the genre. Nowhere does the sentiment ring more true than in "Oxygen," an absolutely breathtaking collaboration between Oak and superstar producer Robin Schulz.

"Oxygen" marks the first taste of new music from rapidly rising pop artist Oak since the release of her debut EP, CLOSURE, earlier this year. It is a praise-worthy follow-up, building on the ethereal nature of her debut to present a vision that is equal parts brooding and soaring.

Backed by larger-than-life production courtesy of Schulz, Oak makes her way through a slow-burning, radio-ready hit. Opening with a spellbinding saunter, Oak lulls about a romantic partnership that is all-consuming, threatening to swallow up every ounce of herself. As the lyrics hint at a darker side to this infatuation, sentiments like an encroaching fear and feeling damaged beyond repair take on an air of otherworldly vulnerability. Oak spoke further on the new collaborative single, sharing

"I've spent way too many nights sleepless and overanalyzing. It's like someone holds your whole heart in their hands and you can't afford to make a mistake. It doesn't matter what they tell you because you can't help yourself but to freak out and jump to conclusions. 'Oxygen' is all about that - to feel like your whole existence is depending on that one person. You just can't breathe without them.“

As if to match Oak's forthcoming lyrical confession, Schulz' production soon evolves to unveil the trappings of a festival-ready sensation. Oak's chopped vocals scored by Schulz' dynamic production is outright intoxicating. It's the sort of heart-racing pop smash that has us all the more excited to experience live music once again.

Listen to "Oxygen" below: