Montreal singer-songwriter Laurence Nerbonne is the instigator of a new musical project that reshapes long-held views on female pop music. The multidisciplinary artist, also 2017 Juno winner, 2016 SOCAN Songwriting Prize winner, 2016 ADISQ nominee and 2016 CBC Revelation, is undeniably reaching for the sky with XO, her first solo album. Rich with minimalist yet warm electronic sound, all songs on XO were composed and produced by Nerbonne. Her work is at the forefront of a new movement inspired by Swedish pop rhythms and contemporary hip hop. Directed with finesse by Philippe Brault, XO is a thoughtfully crafted electro-pop gem that is equally accessible and joyful, without compromising its own integrity. Manipulating words with ease, Nerbonne touches on a variety of subjects, notable love in the digital era, the drive for excellence, freedom, hope, solidarity, courage and feminism. Drawing on her classical musical training and background as profession painter and graduate in Arts Management at HEC, the artist flirts with the infinite possibilities brought forth by the diversification of creative tools, embracing self-production at all levels. While many artists remain pessimistic about what they view as a fracture of the industry, Nerbonne rather sees an opportunity to design pop music on a human scale. XO is a genuine breeze of freshness in the landscape of Canadian pop.

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