Jenny Hval Announces New Album ‘Iris Silver Mist’

The Norwegian artist explores fragrance, memory, and transformation on her latest experimental art-pop record

Album Announcement: ‘Iris Silver Mist’ Set for May 2 Release

Jenny Hval has unveiled details about her upcoming album, Iris Silver Mist, due to drop on May 2 via 4AD. The follow-up to her 2022 release Classic Objects, this new work draws inspiration from the complex and evocative fragrance created by Maurice Roucel for Serge Lutens.

In her signature style, Hval blends personal reflection, sound experimentation, and symbolic themes to explore the physical and emotional facets of human experience. Iris Silver Mist will feature 13 tracks, including the newly released single, “To Be a Rose,” which already has listeners captivated.

New Single “To Be a Rose” and Accompanying Video

The lead single, “To Be a Rose” stands as an atmospheric exploration of memory and change. Hval’s description of the song as a “restless pop structure” sets the stage for its shifting nature. The chorus of the track changes subtly each time, representing different moments in time, bodies, and even generations. The song’s themes of transformation are encapsulated in the titular rose, which Hval describes as “restless,” moving from one metaphor to another—shifting from a rose to a cigarette, then dissipating into smoke.

The accompanying music video, edited by Jenny Berger Myhre, presents an intimate view of Hval’s tours from 2015 to 2024, offering a powerful visual layer to the song’s thematic essence. Watch the video below:

Watch the music video for “To Be a Rose”

The Fragrance of Music: Hval’s Fascination with Scent

Hval’s journey towards Iris Silver Mist began in an unexpected place: perfume. The pandemic’s halt on live music led Hval to explore the world of fragrance, where she found herself delving into the smells of cigarettes, soap, and the residual effects of warm stage lights. “I was seeking another way of sensing physical intimacy,” Hval explains. This exploration of scent, which she describes as filling the void left by music, provided the foundation for the album.

“Iris Silver Mist” is more than a fragrance-inspired project—it represents a shift in Hval’s creative process, blending the abstract qualities of scent with her nuanced approach to music. In Iris Silver Mist, scent and sound converge in an attempt to capture the intangible nature of human connection.

Tour Dates: Hval Brings ‘Iris Silver Mist’ to European Stages

Fans of Jenny Hval can catch her live across Europe this spring, where she’ll bring the tracks of Iris Silver Mist to life. The tour kicks off in Madrid, Spain, and spans multiple major cities before concluding in Oslo, Norway. See the full list of dates below:

• May 21: London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall
• May 23: Brussels, Belgium – Le Nuits Botanique
• May 27: Berlin, Germany – Silent Green (Betonhalle)
• May 30: Amsterdam, Netherlands – Muziekgebouw
• June 5: Oslo, Norway – Parkteatret

Tracklisting for ‘Iris Silver Mist’

1. Lay Down
2. To Be a Rose
3. I Want to Start at the Beginning
4. All Night Long
5. Heiner Muller
6. You Died
7. Spirit Mist
8. I Don’t Know What Free Is
9. The Artist Is Absent
10. Huffing My Arm
11. The Gift
12. A Ballad
13. I Want the End to Sound Like This