Icona Pop are stepping into a new era with Ritual, their new album out now via Ultra Records and Iconic Sound Recordings.
Across the project, Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo bring their signature dance-pop energy into a more intimate space. Ritual is built for the club, but the songs are rooted in real life: friendship, motherhood, heartbreak, anxiety, growth, healing, and the kind of joy that arrives after making it through a difficult chapter.
The duo also shared “Hurt” as the album’s focus track, accompanied by a visualizer co-directed by Icona Pop and Nicole Walker. The song begins in a more vulnerable place before building into a larger, dance-floor-ready release, capturing the moment when the pain of a breakup starts to shift into acceptance.
Rather than leaning into revenge, “Hurt” focuses on letting go. Caroline described the track as being about acknowledging that a relationship has ended, holding onto the beauty of what once existed, and finding a way to move forward anyway.
“It’s okay to not be okay, but still go out and dance,” Caroline shared in a press release. “It’s okay to be where you are right now. Find your rituals, find your friends, and find your energy.”
This fall, Icona Pop will bring Ritual to the stage with headline dates in Brooklyn, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles before heading to Scandinavia. Tickets are on sale now!
XO Diva D 