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Join us for ‘Channel R Dance Presents..Karen Harding’ as we go behind the making of her debut album Take Me Somewhere. We’re playing the album and talking to Karen about writing and recording it, her journey getting there, inspirations behind the songs and more.
Showtimes: Thursday Oct 12, 7pm PT/10pm ET.
Encore Presentation: Friday Oct 13, 10am PT/1pm ET/6pm BST
Multi-platinum singer Karen Harding has released her highly anticipated debut album Take Me Somewhere. It comes nine years after the release of her debut single ‘Say Something’, the triple platinum selling UK Top 10 hit co-written with MNEK which stormed the charts with its infectious house and Karen’s soaring voice.
From the inclusion of ‘Say Something’ to brand new single ‘Wrong Places’, Take Me Somewhere is a true labour of love that’s been a decade in the making and an overarching record reflecting the different moods, feelings and pivotal moments of Karen’s life.
I’ve been writing songs pretty much non-stop since ‘Say Something’. I feel like this album is the culmination of all that hard work.
‘Wrong Places’ reflects the rich journey of Take Me Somewhere and the dark trance anthem, written alongside Grammy-winner Kamille, finds Karen continuing to explore new avenues of electronic music with her distinctive infectious melodies.
It’s such a cool, vibey single that sounds different from anything I’ve done before. I’ve recorded a lot of house music over the years, but I’ve also released some more leftfield dance songs and ‘Wrong Places’ feels like a nod in that more leftfield direction.
Karen Harding is of the most sought-after voices in dance music and Take Me Somewhere features a number of her close friends and collaborators. The record launches with the multi-million streamed hit ‘Undo My Heart’ with Digital Farm Animals, she also teams up with house music superstar Armand Van Helden on ‘Wings (I Won’t Let You Down)’, while Shift K3Y joins Karen on the huge club anthem ‘Morning’.
About the new album Karen explains, “It’s definitely a dance album, but I’ve made sure it has real moments of light and shade.” This is demonstrated no better than in the title track itself, another MNEK co-write and a brooding drum & bass track about exploration into the unknown which continues to reflect Karen’s musical journey to date.
Karen wrote much of the album with Franklin, the rising star producer who has also worked with Zara Larsson and NEIKED. Their work on Take Me Somewhere includes recent single ‘Back to You’, a euphoric house tune about a relationship that overcomes moments of doubts, and ‘Other Side Of Love’, a reflective gem that is especially personal to Karen. “I still can’t get enough – after all these years, we still haven’t given up,” she sings on the chorus, celebrating a love that has survived its ups and downs. “I’ve had fans message me to say they totally understand where I’m coming from in this song, which is super-important to me,” Karen says proudly. “When my music connects with people like that, I realise that I’m absolutely where I’m supposed to be.”
Continuing about the album’s title she says, “I’m someone who likes to tell it like it is. I’d been trying to think of album titles that sounded a bit arty-farty or whatnot, but I suddenly realised that’s just not my vibe!”
Take Me Somewhere proves a totem for the Karen Harding’s success over the past 10 years as she hurtles towards smashing through a billion career streams this year. The release of her debut album also marks a whole new chapter in her astounding story, a true reflection of Karen Harding in 2023 which will see her name cemented throughout dance music and beyond.
Listen to Channel R Dance, two hours of non-stop EDM & Remixes direct from the clubs, playing nightly from 7pm PT/1ppm ET on Channel R.
