The Vildes return with the pop-electronica, โManicure for the Strangers.โ The Norwegian trio, Ingvild Tafjord, Hilde Wahl, and Glenn Tvedt, wrap emotional honesty in sleek electronic skin, and this second release sharpens that contrast even further, after their debut. Released on January 9, 2026, the track feels perfectly at home in the space between intimacy and distance, where connection is real but carefully controlled.
Built through remote collaboration from bedrooms in Oslo, ร lesund, and Bergen, the song carries a strange closeness, as if everyone involved was whispering their ideas into the same late-night voice note. โManicure for the Strangersโ circles around the idea of beauty rituals as emotional armor, how polish, gloss, and perfection can protect us while weโre out there performing versions of ourselves for people who barely know us.
The track opens with thumping, grounded beats before bursting into bustling, shimmering layers of vibrant and slightly detached sound. A tender, lush vocal glides in, catchy and almost hypnotic, floating above the production like a practiced smile that hides more than it reveals. The tension through the melody softly, with a sense that something fragile is being held together by routine and surface-level grace.
As the song unfolds, the electronics ripple and sparkle,lets the emotional weight sneak in through the cracks. The Vildes keep things pop-forward and melodic while letting vulnerability hum underneath. Itโs music you can nod along to, while asking uncomfortable questions about how much of ourselves we actually give away.
โManicure for the Strangersโ hums it softly, confidently. With this release, The Vildes continue carving out a distinct Scandinavian electronic soundโpolished on the outside, quietly bruised at the core, and all the more compelling because of it.
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Review by: Naomi Joan