Ones2Watch Home

Fresh off commanding stages across the UK with Avril Lavigne, Alt pop-star phem is back with a danceable new track inspired by everyone's favorite furniture store. "IKEA" is jam-packed, infectious power melodies, and despite its assumingly kitschy title, the song is an especially meaningful one, written about losing a relationship that couldn't overcome the trials and tribulations of life.

The single opens with subdued guitar riffs and echoing, underwatery vocals, hinting at the earwormy melodies to come. The singer paints a scene of introspection as she stands in an Ikea, ready to blow her money on who knows what as early noughts guitar riffs and samples of a cash register swirl in the background. Recalling that she and her ex were standing in the same spot a year ago, she processes her various emotions, from anger to melancholy, and reflects on the relationship, knowing that life without them makes more sense and realizing that they stayed together longer than they should have.

"I was building a life with them and furniture. We went to IKEA several times and enjoyed every minute of it. We would always run into random friends, usually accompanied by their partners... shopping for things to make them feel adult and equipped to be in their first "real adult relationship." Everyone in there is hopeful and ready for more.. but the view is narrow. Playing house for the day and all the rooms make the future look so bright and easy. Yea... we passed the IKEA stress test, but we failed all the others."

In the song's second half, she observes that her ex isn't happy on the internet, noticing that he's "still smokin' those cigarettes/ Now ur trying to erase what we were/ Is that your new girl? Never heard of her." With a Tatu reference in her pen, she reveals that she's not done healing yet, ending the song with the biting line, "Yellow and blue now you're just someone I knew."

This fall, phem will be hitting the road alongside Miki Ratsula, supporting G Flip on their US Tour. Kicking off September 19 in Santa Cruz, CA, the selling-out tour will make its way through big cities like Houston, Chicago, Denver, and more before coming to a close in Los Angeles on October 27.

Be sure to check out phem's latest single, "IKEA," today!