B-Side Guys

After capturing Danish radio station P6 Beat’s rotation with “Smiling In Your Face” throughout 2024, Copenhagen-based M Rosenbaum returns with “Intense,” a nocturnal meditation on solitude that succeeds through both structural simplicity and production intricacy. The track serves as a promising herald for her forthcoming EP, showcasing an artist comfortable with emotional vulnerability while pushing her sonic palette forward.

“Intense” opens with a nighttime drive scenario—a classic setting for introspection—as Rosenbaum’s narrator finds herself awake and mobile while the world sleeps. Her voice carries a fascinating duality throughout: controlled yet emotionally raw, particularly when she repeats the self-aware refrain “It’s me again being intense.” This chorus functions as both confession and reclamation, turning what might be perceived as a character flaw into a source of power.

Musically, the track builds around subtle electronic elements that never overwhelm the organic core of the composition. The production creates an atmospheric cocoon around Rosenbaum’s vocals, with instrumental flourishes that mirror the late-night contemplative state described in the lyrics. When she sings about “playing with temptation” and “trying to make sense,” the arrangement responds with textural shifts that enhance the emotional narrative without resorting to predictable crescendos.

The song’s genius lies in its treatment of Friday night solitude not as tragedy but as inevitability—the natural consequence of her self-proclaimed intensity. The recurring motif of missing someone’s company paired with continued solitary motion toward the ocean creates a narrative tension that remains unresolved, mirroring how emotional intensity often creates both longing for connection and the very isolation that prevents it.

Rosenbaum demonstrates exceptional restraint by keeping the lyrical structure accessible while embedding complex emotional nuances. This balancing act between simplicity and depth extends to her melodic approach, where straightforward patterns carry unexpected emotional weight through subtle vocal inflections and thoughtful production choices, marking her as a songwriter capable of making the personal feel universal without sacrificing specificity.