With every new single, TEA SHOP TEA ROOM feels a little closer. Following the release of where is your girlfriend? at the beginning of July, sebastian axe returns today with on my heart, the latest glimpse into an album that’s shaping up to be his most honest and fully realised work to date. Set for release on August 21, the record has steadily introduced listeners to a new chapter in the Norwegian artist’s career.
Blending alternative pop with shimmering electronics, retro influences and flashes of rock, axe has quietly carved out a space of his own within the Nordic music scene. Inspired by artists such as LCD Soundsystem, St. Vincent and Prince, his songs balance infectious melodies with an emotional honesty that has become increasingly central to his songwriting. That evolution reaches another important milestone with on my heart, a track that captures the overwhelming intensity of falling in love without ever losing sight of its irresistible pop instincts.
Driven by warm synths and a cinematic chorus, the single explores a feeling so consuming it almost becomes physical. “I’ve always struggled to write a traditional love song,” he explains. “When I fell in love for the first time, I wanted to capture how it takes over your body, possesses you and can even become physically painful.” That tension between euphoria and vulnerability gives on my heart much of its emotional pull. The single also reinforces the direction established by the songs we've already heard from TEA SHOP TEA ROOM. For the first time, axe is writing openly from a queer perspective, allowing personal experiences to shape the album without filters or distance. It doesn't feel like reinvention for the sake of it, but rather the sound of an artist becoming increasingly comfortable trusting his own voice and embracing every part of his story.
With just two weeks to go until the LP arrives, the picture is becoming clearer with every release. If the previous singles had hinted at an album unafraid to move between intimacy and high-energy pop, on my heart might be its most affecting preview yet, proving that some of the strongest love songs are the ones brave enough to leave a few scars behind.
