“I Wanna Feel Like That” is the latest single to be released by Swedish multi-instrumentalist and producer sir Was. Taken from the forthcoming album Let The Morning Come, due out October 15th, the song follows two previous singles released earlier this year.
sir Was – moniker for Joel Wästberg – shares that ““I Wanna Feel Like That” is about how to visualize this desire to be an updated version of your own self. The only way I could think was to compare myself to an imagined self.” Seeking out to obtain ‘that’ feeling, the track is upbeat and hopeful, even given the reflective and questioning nature of the lyrics. Highlighting Wästberg’s falsetto and his fondness for funk-indebted electronica, the result is a self-exploratory piece that might be best described as groovy, in the end.
The accompanying video continues to explore the desire to be the best version of one’s self, and stars four versions of Wästberg that make an appearance throughout, each a bit different though following the same steps. Featuring some 70’s style wigs and synchronized dance moves, the video is just as fun and lighthearted as the tune of the song, but with those questioning lyrics there’s an underlying introspectiveness. The video was directed by Damien Priest, and features Wästberg’s brother, Nils, friend and actor Tobias Sondén and fellow musician Frederik Wallen of Little Dragon.
Wästberg was set to be opening for Little Dragon across Europe, a run that was ultimately cancelled due to COVID. Deciding to instead focus his energy on writing new music, Wästberg was thrown a second curveball in 2020 when told he carried the gene for a rare, hereditary disorder causing multiple strokes. That confrontation with mortality and overall health can be heard in the lyrics of “I Wanna Feel Like That,” like in the second verse’s closing: ‘Trying to not let it show / Let the feel of loss sting / What’s left after emptying / Let the bell of freedom ring / I got one last thing.’
Let The Morning Come will be sir Was’ third LP release, and is entirely self produced by Wästberg.