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Nordic Alt-Pop Artist IRENE Calls Out a Painful Power Struggle in “Gatekeeper”

Known for raw pop tunes like “Untold Arctic Wars,” one of Finland’s most prominent alt-pop artists, IRENE, is back with a vulnerable new story in “Gatekeeper.”

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IRENE, photo by Mona Salminen

Known for raw pop tunes like “Wars Untold”, one of Finland’s most prominent alt-pop artists, IRENE is back with a vulnerable new story in “Gatekeeper.” Delivering a difficult-to-hear message, IRENE confronts demons that have formerly haunted her love of music.

Her experience with sexual violence at the hand of her piano teacher is a tale not often told out of fear of “he who holds the keys” to the victim’s potential success. Her deeply rooted rage stems from a long and arduous battle with a gatekeeper who held power over her for way too long.

She comments:

“For ten years I played your game. You were the gatekeeper, holding the keys to my piano – and I played your good girl. But your secret is not safe with me anymore. So, here you go, Gatekeeper – keep the shame. It’s all yours.”

As a classically-trained pianist, IRENE has had the opportunity to work with members of Goldfrapp as well as Davide Rossi, known as Coldplay’s trusted orchestrator since Viva la Vida (2008). In 2021, IRENE also wrote the official theme song for the international war documentary tv-series “Untold Arctic Wars.” The series is backed by the Nordic national broadcasting companies (Yle, SVT, NRK, DR) and distributed globally. To date, rights have been sold to many major tv platforms, such as National Geographic, Walt Disney Company and RTL.

And as her influence stems worldwide, it’s our hope that messages like the one told in “Gatekeeper” encourage others who may have experienced something similar to see clearly what’s happening and to overcome adversity, especially at the hands of so many people who hold the keys to the industry’s few paths to success.

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