I’m just a moment that stretches into infinity: What Sofie Royer boils down to a few words in her song ‘Nichts Neues im Westen’ aptly summarises the impetus of her music. On the one hand, her songs are characterised by a great closeness, dealing with contemporary issues and the thoughts of an entire generation. The here and now is important to the Viennese artist, but it arises above all in contrast to yesterday and today, which Royer likes to draw on musically. Creatively erupting indie charm and stylistically confident art-pop airs come together, as do shimmering Italo disco from the 80s and synthwave from the present. Between the vibes, Sofie Royer integrates one idea after another into her retro-futuristic signature sound and yet remains unmistakably an artist who does her very own thing, detached from the trendsetting of these days. It’s therefore hardly surprising that she has once again enriched the Stones Throw roster with ‘Young-Girl Forever’ (2024), which was released last year. This is pop music as an artistic venture that deserves to be rewarded.