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Mar 20, 2025 By Issa Nasatir Photography by Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø

Oslo, Norway-based duo Smerz will release their sophomore album, Big city life, on May 23 via Escho. Along with the announcement came the release of the album’s second single, “You got time I got money.” Check out the music video for the song and the new album’s artwork and tracklist below.

Smerz is Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt, two friends from Norway. Big city life is their sophomore solo release, following their debut LP Believer in 2021. Last year they released two collaborative albums with GAEA and Allina respectively and have previously produced for K-Pop supergroup New Jeans.

Big city life is described as a collage by the group, an album that loves the small and adores the big. Talking about the new album in a press release, the duo says “Some of the songs are pieces of advice to ourselves. Some are doorways into dreams. Some songs are secret wishes. Some are written for someone who is not here. And some are predictions.”

“You got time I got money” is their second single for the new album along with “A thousand lies.” While still staying true to the group’s minimalist approach, the song is fleshed out with light strings and retro background vocals and inhabits a more traditional structure. Catharina says of the new song: “It is a love song. Some songs just come from what’s happening in real time. I wrote the lyrics when I got my first real grown-up job and was in love at the same time.”

The accompanying music video, filmed and edited by the duo alongside Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø, features slices of life interspersed with the duo performing in front of a green screen. Its intimacy pairs perfectly with the track, a perfect ’90s dream-pop-inspired love song.

Big city life Tracklist:

1. Big city life

2. But I do

3. Roll the dice

4. What

5. Feisty

6. A thousand lies

7. Close

8. You got time and I got money

9. Big dreams

10. Street style

11. Imagine this

12. Dreams

13. Easy

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