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Feral Hearts is a song performed by Kerli. The song premiered at Kiek in de Kök in the night of February 18. She debuted the single, as an independent artist, on February 19, 2016, but it was published nine days before, on SoundCloud.[1][2] The music video was released on February 25. On April 8, a remixes EP featuring three songs was released.[3] On April 26, Kerli uploaded the music video for a piano version of the song called The Sacred Forest Session, which was available as a free song on Hive. It was the first single of the original version of Kerli's third studio album, which was scrapped along with the original album art and the original fantasy theme as happened with Blossom, Diamond Hard and Spirit Animal, for the new darker album theme for the official released album, Shadow Works.

Background

In 2015, Kerli left Los Angeles where she had resided since 2008 and returned to her birthplace of Estonia. She sought solitude and the mythical tranquillity that could only circulate throughout the lush forested landscapes among the animals, plants, and energies under the Eastern European moon where she first found inspiration as a child. Kerli revealed the cover on social media on February 12.

She stated:

I don’t just go into the forest for a photo shoot; I actually live here, and I make music here. Studying magic and shamanism of my ancestors is as important to me these days as making art

After spending half of my life living and creating in different parts of the planet, I have found a deep appreciation and a way back to my ancient Estonian roots. The art you’re about to experience was made during a year in which I soaked in this magical land’s inspiration by practicing an extremely simple lifestyle by myself in a little forest temple, having not much else with me than my music making tools. I am humbled to share the first piece with the world as these are some of the most honest sounds and visuals I’ve ever created. It is my hope that they bring as much joy to the listener as they have to me while birthing them into reality

Composition

Feral Hearts is set at a 3/4 time signature, with a fast tempo of 180 beats per minute. The equivalent of this tempo in 4/4 signature is 120 beats per minute. Musically, Feral Hearts incorporates strings and atmospheric instrumentation, as well as background vocals accompanying Kerli's voice throughout the chorus.

Release and promotion

On February 18, she premiered the song in the medieval tower of Kiek in de Kök. She performed Feral Hearts, a song in Estonian, and, then, she revealed the music video. On April 26, 2016, Kerli released for free The Forest Sessions track, a piano version of the song.

Audio commentary

Feral Hearts: to me, is a song about going back to the animal part of ourselves, wich is actually the biggest inspiration on all my new music. This specific song talks about trusting your instincts in the world that is mainly focused on thoughts. You know that got feeling we get about things, but often deny, because we're trying to do the right thing or the smart thing. I really do believe that our bodies are always telling us the truth. Just the voice of instinct is so [?] that it often gets lost and not heard, in all the noise of the world. And this noise is most of the time not uplifting or empowering, but quite the opposite: the society seems to be built upon insecurity and competition between human beings. So with the message of this song, I'm trying to remind my moon babies, that we are the carriers of our own torch, and the only ones that know what is true and good for us.

The whole world trying to tame the spark,
but we've got fire burning bright, hidden

I've had a very difficult, but a really wonderful journey this year, that has lead me back to my roots and the nature of my homeland Estonia. I [?] moved to live in the forest by myself, and did so for nine months. The noise, the expectation, and the false ideas of living have just taken over to the point where I felt like I had lost myself completely; I needed to let that version of myself die, in order to reconnect with the version of myself that truly believed in magic. Magic was the first thing, that got me making music - creating the community of Moon Children - and magic has always been the secret driving force behind every lyric that I write, and every vibration that I create. I needed to find that kid in myself again, that was [?] of the night sky. I [?] felt so wounded by the harsh [?] ways, that, for the first month in my journey, I didn't do much else but sitting in the forest and talk to the land and the trees. I asked for them to heal me, to empower me, and to remind me of the purity of being: I want to be like them. The trees and the plants, who just grow towards the sunlight and don't have a skin, or a plan, or get approval from other plants to be complete and perfect in their peace. There's so much to learn from plants, and they're completely alive, each one having their own unique spirit, just like people. When it comes to this song, I wanted to lyrically recreate the feeling of wilderness, and not just of these beautiful human running wild in the untouched nature, but connecting with the raw, untouched part of themselves. I had a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with one of my favourite producers, Lester Mendez, who by the way produced Walking on Air as well, and creates some more nature-inspired art: I feel like all these micro beats in this track, are like insects flying around in the woods, and the deep almost ambient drums are reminiscent of the Earth's heartbeat. I couldn't do without the strings either, as nothing gives off in more epic feel, than a beautiful string part, in my opinion.

You are the vision I'm looking for
Make me remember all I forgot
Watch me become just an animal
Naked to nothing more than who we are

I'm wishing all of my moon babies lots of Integrity, Love and Unity and I love you so so so much.

Music video

The music video for Feral Hearts was released on February 25. Kerli is the creative director and she designed the four characters of the video :

  • The Näkk : a mermaid.
  • The Puu Vaim : a tree spirit.
  • The Amblik Jumalanna : a spider deity.
  • The Valge Hirv : a white stag.

The video begin with a view over the forest, then a mirror can be seen and after a blue-dressed girl who, entering a portal made by woods, starts to levitate over the ground, with a lantern in her hand. The music video for Feral Hearts can be downloaded with the Racing Time bundles. The video reached 1 million views on August 17, 2016 and 2 million on March 6, 2017.

The Mirror

Template:Hover When the video hit more than 222k views, Kerli published this on her social accounts:

The Mirror symbolizes spiritual reflection - fearlessly looking at oneself. As I spent 9 months living in the forest contemplating my past choices and the different paths I could be taking in the future, deep self examination became the key word for my life.

Look at the video closely again. It starts and ends with looking at oneself. And once the little girl catches the white stag/her vision, it is surrounded by nothing else but mirrors. Meaning, to achieve your highest potential, one needs to achieve complete and unapologetic self acceptance. The gold is not further outside. It is deeper inside.

Do you look at these mirrors differently now?[4]

The Owl

On 11 March she explained another fact about the music video: the Owl.

The owl is a symbol of deep knowledge and intuition. When the spirit of this animal guides you, you can see through illusion and deceit as the owl can see in the dark. Owls are also symbolic of death in many traditions. In most cases however, it should not be taken literally, but rather viewed as a symbolic death - transitioning from one phase of life to another.[5]

Lyrics

The whole world trying to tame the spark
But we've got fire burning bright, hidden
Catch the shimmer of showering stars
The sky gets dimmer, and your light shows

You are the vision I'm looking for
Make me remember all I forgot
Watch me become just an animal
Naked to nothing more than who we are

Feral hearts in the night
Loving like we've been kept captive
Freed to wild
Feral hearts come alive
Loving like we've been kept captive
Freed to—

Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Feral, feral, feral hearts
Feral, feral, feral hearts

Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Feral, feral, feral hearts
Feral, feral, feral hearts

The whole world trying to blind the way home
But we've shelter deep inside, secret
Tame the whispers of winds as they blow
Feel my shivers in your arms stop

You are the vision I'm looking for
Make me remember all I forgot
Watch me become just an animal
Naked to nothing more than who we are

Feral hearts in the night
Loving like we've been kept captive
Freed to wild
Feral hearts come alive
Loving like we've been kept captive
Freed to—

Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Feral, feral, feral hearts
Feral, feral, feral hearts

Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Feral, feral, feral hearts
Feral, feral, feral hearts

Track listing

  1. Feral Hearts - 4:38

The Sacred Forest Session

  1. Feral Hearts (The Sacred Forest Session) - 5:03

PledgeMusic exclusive

  1. Feral Hearts - 4:38
  2. Feral Hearts (Sacred Forest Session) - 5:03
  3. Feral Hearts (Audio Commentary) – 4:40
  4. Journey Thorugh the Elven Kingdom - 11:00

Remixes EP

  1. Feral Hearts (Melvv Remix) - 5:04
  2. Feral Hearts (Fatum Remix) - 3:59
  3. Feral Hearts (Varien Remix) – 4:31
While the acoustic version of the track is titled Feral Hearts (The Sacred Forest Session) on the EP, it is listed as Feral Hearts (The Forest Sessions) at PledgeMusic, iTunes, Amazon, etc.
The song Journey Thorugh the Elven Kingdom can be downloaded for free with the Racing Time bundles.

Credits

Song

  • Written by Kerli and Lester Mendez
  • Produced by Lester Mendez
  • Vocals and vocal production: Kerli
  • Piano, keyboards and programming: Lester Mendez
  • Engineer: Lester Mendez
  • Mixing: Robert Orton
  • Publishing: Tiny Cute Monster / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI) / Metasongs Inc. / Kobalt Music Services America (BMI)

Music video

Credits adapted from the music video.[6]

  • Creative director: Kerli
  • Director / DOP: Cj Kask
  • Technical director / gaffer: Sven-Erik Mändmaa
  • Editor: Ethan Chancer
  • Production: Widescreen Studios
  • Producer: Anneli Lepp
  • Production manager: Matilde Matvere
  • Location manager: Laura Lisete Roosar
  • Ac: Fil Vinokurov
  • Grip assistants: Magnus Niinemets, Siim-Martin Kaasik
  • Set design: Armin Kohlman, Kristen Raudkats, Joonas Hirv
  • Vfx: Frost Fx
  • Sfx: Rauno Linnamäe
  • Stunts: Enar Tarmo
  • Drone footage: Sander Allikmäe
  • Little girl: Amelie Kubi
  • Mermaid: Celine Kubi
  • Hair: Intersalon (Liina Heck, Maarja Roots, Kaja Seppel)
  • Make-up: Liisa-Chrislin Saleh
  • Nails: Marina Ohotina
  • Character design / styling: Kerli
  • White stag gown: Liina Stein
  • Spider goddess gown: Triinu Pungits
  • Spider goddess accessories: Tanel Veenre
  • Mermaid tail: Mertailor
  • Flowers and mirrors: Shishi

Special thanks

Special thanks from the music video.[6]

  • Piret Kõiv
  • Gaida Talu
  • Kalev Spa Hotel & Water Park
  • Julia Guljajeva
  • Mart Vares
  • Tallink Hotels
  • Egert Kamenik

Gallery

Template:Hover

Feral_Hearts

Feral Hearts

References

  1. Feral Hearts - Single by Kerli. February 19, 2016. Apple Music.
  2. Feral Hearts by kerlimusic. February 10, 2016. Soundcloud.
  3. Feral Hearts Remixes - Single. April 8, 2016. Apple Music. Retrieved on September 6, 2017.
  4. Post by kerlimusic. March 3, 2016. Instagram.
  5. Post by kerlimusic. March 11, 2016. Instagram.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Kerli - Feral Hearts (Official Music Vídeo). February 25, 2016. YouTube.
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