Inspired by the “cheeky punchiness and pop drama” of artists like King Princess, Lorde and St. Vincent, Red Moon created her own ethereal “forward moving pop sound” on “Emotional.”
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The song, written and sung by Norway-based artist Red Moon, also known as Joanna-Deborah Bussinger, speaks on the complications that comes from an impassioned moment, exploring how emotions can get in the way and spring up impulsively, leaving damage in their wake.
“This song is a confrontation between yourself and someone who throws you off balance; like when things escalate in a fight or when it seems like there is no way out of a specific moment,” Bussinger tells American Songwriter. “In hindsight, you know things could have been handled differently.
“I’m still looking to find that ‘balance’ of finding a safe place for communicating in the midst of a fight. Because in the heat of the moment our emotions cause us to misunderstand each other and ruin what we wanted to accomplish through our fight,” she continues. “It’s accepting what I am feeling and still know it always takes two to want to solve a conflict.”
In this way, the song is lyrically sincere and sheds light on a foundational human trait, but her songwriting accompanied with the airiness of her vocals and evocative instrumentation is really what makes “Emotional” special.
Bussinger shares that there was an intentional juxtaposition between all these elements that she enjoys and thinks her fans will too.
“I love the way the whole song flows and especially all the gorgeous synth, mellotron and pad sounds,” she says. “I loved adding a choir in the end that gave it extra texture and dynamics. I like that the song feels light and approachable because I believe that even a tough conversation should be approached with fearlessness.”
“Emotional” then becomes a song which doesn’t just tackle the power of feelings and the way they can be communicated and interpreted, a topic which she successfully makes both universal and specific to individual experiences, but also a triumph sonically.
As far as Bussinger’s songwriting process, her songwriting is meant to come from a personal place, and that’s where her best stuff comes from.
“The last few years I’ve especially learned much about myself of what I like and don’t like when writing songs. It’s such a personal experience and therefore I think trust and a connection is the most essential tool to writing together,” she explains. “The songs are just a reflection of the people and surroundings.”
Bussinger hopes that listeners will consider their own communication lines and be open to learning how to encounter emotions interpersonally in a much more productive way.
“I’d love it if the song would give a sense of ease and comfort about being an emotional person, and that through it we can learn to get better at communicating with each other.”
