Swedish multidisciplinary alt-pop artist RIVER has released her haunting new single ‘Change’, accompanied by a visually striking music video that continues the story behind her forthcoming debut album, A dying source.
RIVER is stepping further into her distinctive world of alternative pop with the release of ‘Change’, an atmospheric new track that combines cinematic textures, haunting melodies and an increasingly claustrophobic narrative.
Released on 16 September 2026 through Bushido, a division of Pub Crawl Recordings, ‘Change’ is the latest preview of RIVER’s upcoming debut album, A dying source, which is set to arrive on 13 November 2026.
RIVER Explores Control and Confinement on ‘Change’
Following her previous single ‘City of thirst’, RIVER’s latest release continues an ongoing narrative centred around temptation, vulnerability and the consequences of giving yourself over to something you know could ultimately consume you.
While ‘City of thirst’ explored the intoxicating relationship between vulnerability, power, desire and temptation, ‘Change’ turns its attention towards what happens after that high begins to disappear.
RIVER describes the track through the metaphor of a dog attempting to adapt to life on a leash, while repeatedly resisting the strict rules imposed by its owner.
“The song is about a dog trying to adapt to life on a leash, unable to stop defying its owner’s strict rules. The feeling of confinement and frustration is also deeply human.”
That idea gives ‘Change’ a distinctly human quality, transforming its central metaphor into an exploration of restriction, frustration and the instinctive desire to break free.
The new single arrives alongside a music video that expands RIVER’s increasingly cinematic visual universe.
@hernameisriver ♬ originalljud – 𝑅 𝐼 𝒱 𝐸 𝑅 ♡(´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)♡ – 𝑅 𝐼 𝒱 𝐸 𝑅 ♡(´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)♡
Continuing the story established in ‘City of thirst’, the video uses kitsch-inspired aesthetics, dreamlike landscapes and hyper-surreal imagery to depict a fleeting and ultimately doomed love affair.
Rather than simply providing a visual accompaniment to the song, the video forms another part of RIVER’s wider artistic project, creating a world where beauty and unease exist side by side.
RIVER explains that ‘Change’ takes place within the same 24-hour period as ‘City of thirst’, effectively capturing the emotional crash that follows the previous song’s high.
“We wanted to evoke the claustrophobia of me being trapped with myself as ecstasy turns into paranoia, with a subtle hint that something went too far.”
The result is a visual narrative that mirrors the track’s themes of confinement, paranoia and losing control.
@hernameisriver The crash right after the high 💔 Change – song & video out now.
‘A Dying Source’ Arrives in November!
‘Change’ provides another glimpse into RIVER’s debut album A dying source, due for release on 13 November 2026.
The project is shaping up as an introduction to an artist whose creative identity stretches well beyond music. As a multidisciplinary visual artist, RIVER places equal emphasis on the worlds surrounding her songs, using music videos and cinematic imagery to build a larger narrative.
Her alternative pop sound similarly draws on atmospheric production and haunting melodies, creating a space that feels simultaneously intimate and surreal.
From Gothenburg to Mexico and Back Again!
RIVER’s journey towards becoming a recording artist has been anything but conventional.
Inspired by her father’s vinyl collection, she developed an early fascination with music and was particularly moved by the songs of Elvis Presley.
The death of her father when she was 17 became a defining moment in her relationship with music. Despite her ambitions, RIVER kept her musical aspirations largely hidden, with stage fright and a reluctance to step into the spotlight holding her back.
After leaving Gothenburg, Sweden, she travelled around the world before eventually settling in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. There, she performed in musicals and spent two years leading a jazz and blues band.
@hernameisriver City Of thirst 🥀 #newmusic
Her time in Mexico eventually came to an end following struggles with alcohol and drug use. After spending time in AA, she returned to Stockholm and began developing the project that would become RIVER.
The artist’s name itself has a personal connection to her identity. RIVER is a play on her surname, Sommarström, which translates to “summer stream” in Swedish. The name reflects her connection with nature, water and the idea of continually moving forward.
@hernameisriver 𝚆𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚍𝚊𝚢 𝚟𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚙𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚛𝚊 𝚘𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 ‘𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝’. 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙸𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 ‘𝙲𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝’ 𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚜! 𝙻Ove /RIVER 🤍
♬ originalljud – 𝑅 𝐼 𝒱 𝐸 𝑅 ♡(´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)♡ – 𝑅 𝐼 𝒱 𝐸 𝑅 ♡(´༎ຶོρ༎ຶོ`)♡
That sense of movement feels particularly appropriate for an artist whose career has already taken her across continents and through dramatically different chapters of her life.
With A dying source approaching, ‘Change’ gives listeners another opportunity to step into RIVER’s distinctive alternative-pop universe.
The combination of atmospheric music, surreal visuals and deeply personal storytelling makes the single another intriguing chapter in the build-up to her debut album.
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