- Words Daisy Ayscough
In his gut-wrenching new single 'Somebody Without U', Belgian artist Oscar and the Wolf howls through the pain that lies at the core of obsession.
Oscar and the Wolf – who goes by the less mythical name Max Colombie day-to-day – is making his return to music with his latest single, ‘Somebody Without U’. The track captures his trademark raw emotion and maximalist pop, unveiling the dark side of love and the wrath that addiction holds. The track, along with its cinematic video, depicts the dance between love and addiction in a hyper-dramatic ballad that refuses to be tethered to any one narrative. It masterfully blurs the line between an addiction to love and substance abuse.
True to form, the track weaves through rhythmic melodies and undulating vocals, throwing himself into a vulnerable soundscape and bringing the listener with him. This is paralleled by his emphatic performance in the video where he stumbles around a barren, eerie kitchen: the white tiled walls and jaunty camera angles melt into a crescendo of hysteria, abruptly cutting to a closure.
A creative polymath and sonic shape-shifter, Max has taken his music on a genre adventure, eventually landing at his own unique sound, combining elements of pop, R&B, EDM, and rock. One focal point of all his work is an unwavering honesty and raw pulse of emotion that runs organically through the veins of his music. His limitless creativity has seen him extend to worlds beyond music, dissolving into the world of fashion—from handcrafting soundtracks for Dries Van Noten to his most recent involvement with Belgian-born fashion label Y/Project, which boasts an exclusive range of talents they have worked with, from Kanye to Charli XCX.
It’s shaping up to be a big year for Max, proving that wearing your heart on your sleeve brings good fortune. With a handful of festivals lined up over the summer, this track is sure to be a howling sensation of a performance and, as his pseudonym suggests, have an ethereal wonder throughout.