Ivy Bae - “parade” (ft. AKA lisa)
Photo: Jenny Forsberg
It’s no secret that we love songs that are anchored in dejection, so when we first heard “parade,” by Swedish folkster Ivy Bae, we knew that we had to feature it on the blog.
Pressing play on “parade” will cause you to marvel at how reminiscent Ivy’s vocals are of Maggie Rogers and Phoebe Bridgers, all while maintaining a poise that is Ivy Bae’s alone. Her voice is raw and soothing and it’s as though her music is destined to find the ears of the world so that people might take a moment to forget where they are. She carefully places the lyrics atop a bed of chill vibes, with the gentle rhythm completely drawing in the listener, urging the track forward.
As the harmonies appear on the back half of the verse, there’s a magnificent throwback to Fleetwood Mac, and it’s at this point where we anticipate you adding it directly to your favorite playlists. When done properly and appropriately, the right harmony can turn a good song into greatness– we are happy to report that this is the case with “parade.” It’s exactly what we look for in these folksy dream pop numbers– the soundtrack to a midnight drive in order to reflect… to accept… to forgive and forget…
Ivy has collaborated with her dear friend AKA lisa on this number, bringing to the arrangement some modern Bon Iver vocal stylings. This ethereal performance is the perfect tonal juxtaposition to the already dreamlike state of this fantastic pop song. At the climax, we are gifted with the sounds of some grittier lead guitar before receiving another round of those glorious vocal harmonies. You simply cannot afford to miss out on this song.
-HD