Era Istrefi Takes no ‘Prisoner’ on New Reggae-Tinged Track
No bail or bribery will help you escape the latest by Era Istrefi — her new "Prisoner," released Friday (June 8), will make you a hapless hostage of the Kosovar singer and songwriter's relaxed hum.
Istrefi, who assumed a seat at pop's table in 2016 with the unshakable "Bonbon," is back with a song that she's described as a perfect harmony of dance-pop and Island/reggae beats. "Prisoner" soothes as she — conversely — delivers a warning about a relationship that's headed in a dangerous direction.
"Boy, you drive me crazy / Don't wanna wait, just get me what I want / 'Cause so when I get angry / It's like looking down the barrel of a gun / I know you like to play with fire, fire / But if you get too close, you might get burnt / So you better ru, ru, ru, ru, ru, ru, run and take no prisoner," Istrefi croons over breezy production and verses cool enough to cut through summertime haze.
Istrefi told PopCrush that she knew she wanted to record "Prisoner" as soon as she heard its prototype.
“I grew up listening to reggae records, so when I heard a demo of ‘Prisoner’ written by Emily Warren and Scott Harris I felt the song was so relatable to me, I identified with the incredible melodies and lyrics. It’s got emotional levels that take me to both happy and melancholy places, whilst being authentically reggae, which I love,” she said.
Istrefi also appears on the new official World Cup 2018 anthem "Live It Up" with Will Smith and Diplo.
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