Swiss avant-pop artist Maria Ria makes a striking first impression with debut single ‘Turning Red’, the first glimpse of forthcoming album An Angel Turning Red, due in 2027 via Radicalis. Performer Anna Hirsch transforms the embarrassment of blushing into a celebration of stepping beyond your comfort zone, with lyrics encouraging listeners to show off, take up space and embrace everything bubbling beneath the surface.
At just over two minutes, ‘Turning Red’ is remarkably minimalist. A low, growling bass dominates, revving beneath finger snaps as repetition, texture and attitude take the place of conventional melody. Extra percussion gradually creeps into the arrangement, but Maria Ria leaves plenty of empty space around her detached, sensual vocal. Chopped and fractured into the production, her delivery becomes another rhythmic element, while flashes of Swiss German add another distinctive layer. There are shades of Rosalía in its fearless minimalism and rhythmic experimentation, without feeling derivative.
The repeated ‘baby boom’ refrain eventually takes over almost completely, pushing that rhythmic approach to its logical conclusion. Strange, confident and deliberately sparse, ‘Turning Red’ feels less like Maria Ria cautiously introducing herself and more like stealing the room on arrival.
