Serotonin

Album: If I Could Make It Go Quiet (2021)
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Songfacts®:

  • I'm running low on serotonin
    Chemical imbalance got me twisting things
    Stabilize with medicine


    Serotonin is a chemical in the body that regulates mood. It is believed to be a contributor to well-being and happiness; if one's brain does not produce enough serotonin, it leads to depression. Here, Marie Ulven (aka Girl in Red) paints a picture of her struggles with mental health.
  • During the song, Ulven details her demons, which include intrusive thoughts where she considers self-harm and even suicide.

    I get intrusive thoughts like cutting my hands off
    Like jumping in front of a bus
    Like how do I make this stop


    Ulvin explained to the BBC that she's had intrusive thoughts since her early teens, "Thinking I'm going to jump out of a window, thinking I'm going to jump in front of the train. It's really intense and you feel like you have to fight with yourself like to not do it."
  • The Norwegian songstress penned "Serotonin" after starting therapy in 2020. She said the analysis has helped her understand her impulsive thoughts and get them "out of my system."
  • Written entirely by Ulven, she released the song on March 3, 2021 as a single from her If I Could Make It Go Quiet debut album. Girl in Red penned and demoed the 11 tracks at her Oslo home during the coronavirus lockdown.

    "I really poured my heart into a lot of these lyrics, fully," she told American Songwriter. "I just feel like I emptied myself in this album."
  • Ulven made the eight-hour drive across Norway to Bergen where she recorded the album with producer Matias Tellez. Billie Eilish's brother and songwriter partner, Finneas, helped give "Serotonin" a vibrant art-pop sheen after meeting the singer backstage at a festival in 2019.
  • Girl in Red made her US TV debut when she performed this song on the May 3, 2021 episode of The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

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