Young popstar anxieties and the potential of early burnout are starkly captured in this highly cinematic new documentary about 22-year-old Norwegian artist Aurora.
Viral beginnings
Once Aurora follows the singer-songwriter, described by W Magazine as “the mythical lovechild of Björk and Grimes”, a couple of years removed from a successful debut album and preparing for a follow-up. Like with many stars of the digital age, she was discovered after a friend posted a video of a 16-year-old Aurora singing online.
It went viral and major record labels snapped her up soon after. She hasn’t stopped touring since she was seventeen and upcoming her plans to go on the road, subsequent to the release of her next EP, means she won’t be breaking the streak any time soon.
To describe Aurora to unfamiliar readers: she strikes me as sort of the ‘good twin’ to Die Antwoord‘s gleefully unhinged Yolandi Visser, the opposite in both appearance and music, conjuring a seraphic baroque pop sound as opposed to Yolandi’s shrill hip-hop vocals.
An admirable alt-pop artist
Putting Aurora’s lyrics into a word cloud, some of the highlights would be “scars” and “rivers” and any phrase that’s a metaphor for catharsis, so it’s easy to connect the dots between her and the sort of alternative crowds who are more Lana Del Rey than Katy Perry. What’s admirable about Aurora, based on the observation here, is that she connects to that particular fanbase without pretension, platitudes or the edginess of some of her contemporaries.
“If I have to release another song I don’t like, I’ll quit.” These words are delivered by Aurora to her producer Magnus, who speaks on being taken aback by her complicated relationship with her first album’s material – namely the song Conqueror which she’s hated to promote. She even mentions that she’s cried to sleep thinking about having to perform it.
“You take too much control”
There’s a stinging moment when she speaks to manager Geir who says that the album doesn’t have radio hits. She responds with, “I think what I need is someone who thinks differently” to which she is told “But isn’t that part of the problem, that you take too much control?” It’s the thesis of Once Aurora – how does an early 20’s popstar take control of her own career and avoid getting swallowed up by label pressures and commonplace marketing strategies, especially as a woman around men trying to drive her career in a certain direction?
Co-directors Benjamin Langeland and Stian Servoss aren’t very interested in exploring her lyrical content or production choices – it was independent research that shaped my previous point about a hypothetical word cloud – but we get the sense that her music is both dreamy and intensely personal. The filmmakers’ music video background serves them well in constructing their documentary with atmospheric finesse, favouring close-ups and fiery montage to encapsulate the erratic and exhilarating emotions associated with Aurora’s life in the studio.
Once Aurora: Conclusion
Once Aurora is breezy, raw and evocative, an often surprising visual and psychological close-up of a young artist moulding her career against the mainstream methods of finding pop success. Whether that means taking her time to record or ensuring she gets the final say on the tracklist, Aurora navigates her early career as the antithesis of the archetypal bratty young musician, standing up for her artistry whilst remaining grateful for her supportive folks, even when they aren’t on the same wavelength as her. Then again, few people are as unique as Aurora.
What did you think of Once Aurora? Let us know in the comments below.
Once Aurora will be playing at the Sheffield Doc/Fest 2019 on Saturday 8 June and Sunday 9 June. International release dates and further screenings will be announced later in the year. To buy tickets for the Doc/Fest screenings, click here.
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