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May 23, 2022 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Alina Gärtig

Early next month, Berlin-based singer/songwriter and producer Olmo is set to share his forthcoming new record, Trunk. Arriving in the wake of his 2020 debut, Hiroshima Tarantula, the new record sees Olmo taking his melting pot of influences in a more direct and emotive direction, conjuring the instant joy of great pop songwriting. Even as he shifts through shades of folk, electronica, dream pop, and classical music, Olmo’s newest music as he describes is meant to be immediate and instinctive.

“Pop is no longer this dirty word,” Olmo explains. “I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized pop is whatever speaks profoundly to the most amount of people.

The full record is out on June 10th, and today Olmo has shared his fourth single from the album, “Whatever Works,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Whatever Works” is a gorgeous and dreamy waltz, carried by lilting melodies and lush harmonies. Synths, bells, percussion, and keys enlace into a layered menagerie of sound, one that retains Olmo’s natural experimentalist bent, but marries it with a sweeping pop element. Meanwhile, the track’s lyrics come as a ruminative meditation on love and devotion, with the song’s protagonist allowing themself to shift, change, and grow for their love.

As Olmo explains, “The protagonist is willing to shapeshift and change and do whatever it takes to make their relationship work. The protagonist admits to have been wrong and is putting ego and pride aside in the name of love and empathy. It is a testament to the fact we need each other and we need to be willing to compromise to coexist.

Whatever Works’ tries to help the tide settle to a balance where vulnerability and complete empathy by a man is not seen as a form of weakness but an act of love.”

Check out the song and video below. Trunk is out everywhere on June 10th.