"Heathens" is a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

for her fourth studio album, ''

The Gods We Can Touch ''The Gods We Can Touch'' is the fourth studio album by Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer Aurora (singer), Aurora. It was released on 21 January 2022 by Decca Records, Decca and Glassnote Records. As in her other releases, Aurora w ...

'' (2022). It was released on 2 December 2021, through

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

and Glassnote, as the fourth single from the album. "Heathens" is a tribute to

Eve Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop through oral traditions and there ...

and women who have shaped human freedom, celebrating free will and life's complexities. Inspired by

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...

, the song was praised for its storytelling and powerful chorus. Released as a single, it was accompanied by ''A Touch of the Divine'', a virtual concert broadcast globally via Moment House. Aurora described the event as a rare chance to present her music in its purest form.

Background

Aurora described the track as a homage to

and women who have contributed to human freedom throughout history. She expressed admiration for the act of embracing free will and experiencing life in all its complexities, stating, "I think life should be lived in all of its colours, and that is why we live like heathens." The song was released as a single and accompanied by a virtual concert experience titled ''A Touch of the Divine'', which was broadcast globally via Moment House on January 25. Speaking about the event, Aurora told ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' that it was a rare opportunity to present the essence of her music in its purest form.

Critical reception

According to Tom Taylor of ''

Gigwise ''Gigwise'' is a British online music news site featuring music news, photos, album reviews, music festivals, concert tickets and video content. Founded in June 2001, the site is based in London, England. History Gigwise was launched in 2001 in ...

'', "Heathens" is inspired by

, the queen of the Underworld. He praised the song's soulful storytelling and powerful chorus, predicting that it would become a radio staple, much like Aurora's previous songs " Running with the Wolves" and " Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)".

References

{{Aurora (singer) Aurora (singer) songs 2021 songs 2021 singles