For lasting only 3 minutes and 22 seconds, this "Melancholia" by Bosnian artist Noctvvrnm is quite eventful. In a certain way it sounds like it's two tracks fused together. But let's go in order.
The first part is a lovely mid-tempo that revolves around a simple catchy melody played by a very high pitched synths. This refrain comes and goes, creating interesting interactions with the glossy backing track. There are no vocals, only bright keys, bouncy basses and reverbered drums. The production has a bit of a vaporwave touch to it, in the sense that it sounds very 80s but as if we're hearing it from not-so-high-quality speaker (and I mean it in the most complimentary way possible, I promise).
Around the 2 and a half minute mark, the track dissolves and fades into silence, and you would expect it to be over, but then the second part cathces you by surprise. The mood shift is very sudden, as we are faced with an arpeggiated synth with a much more aggressive tone compared to what we heard in the previous section. The tempo also gets faster, and the drums more cutting. Obvuoisly, do not expect the levels of heaviness you could find in a Carpenter Brut album, but it is a bit shocking at first.
To be completely honest, I don't find the two parts of the tracks to be cohesive, but the final result is still quite enjoyable, and this surprise effect generated by the coda is surely entertaining even after repeated listens. I also found an interesting contrast between the title and the uplifting (at least to my ears) atmosphere of the track, especially the first half. Maybe the melancholia doesn't come from the track itself but from the nostalgic vibe given by the production?
To conclude, the song is supposed to be the first single of an upcoming album, and it has definitely sparked my curiosity. Well done!