At some point in the ‘90s (Tonemama history lessons aren’t going to get more specific than that) a couple of Swedes shouted “Eureka!” in their pop-lab. They had come up with a formula, the formula. Fast forward slightly to the early 2000s and pop music is thriving as a result. Remember that glorious time in pop  music, Tonemillers? Yes we had super stars like the Britney bish, Shakira Shakira, Jenny from the Block and InSynC, but we also had Nora Jones and Corinne Bailey Rae. Everyone owing some of their success (directly or indirectly), to that dark and stormy night in the Swedish pop-lab. “Okay, Tonemamas, why are you rambling on about a long lost time” you may ask? Because children and adults, today’s feature is someone who has decided to bring this school of pop-music back and now that you’re appropriately educated, we can begin.

Canadian-born, New York-based, singer-songwriter Jenny Kern is contemplating a break-up in her latest single “Now We Know”. There’s an appreciated maturity to Kern’s performance. She sings about a heartbreaking situation, but in a past tense without desperation – “Now We Know” is not about the heartbreak itself, but about coming closer to the point of acceptance about the decision. She guides us through her moment of introspection in a relaxed, breathy and warm that pays tribute to singers like DIDO. 

We love this classic throwback production with a tidy arrangement of guitar layers, a simple groove in the classic drum set and bass (yes people… we’re talking about a regular four piece band with some synth layers like it’s a thing of the past – have actual real instruments really become retro?) Another sublime aspect about this production is the form of the song: they’re giving us exactly what we want exactly when we want it. And we want it now, and so should you – head over to your referred streaming platform and hit play to Jenny Kern’s, “Now We Know.”

Listen for: 0:48, when Kern sings “Don’t come around again, is what you say.” She delivers these heart-aching lyrics in a cool and distanced way which makes them even harder to bear. 

Best enjoyed: When you’re having a pretentious moment of acceptance while walking home after an evening of fun that you initially didn’t feel like going to, but then it turned out great – you know what we mean?