You know the year is off to a good start when it’s hard to make a choice for the Wildcard. That’s our ‘song of the week’ (in other words: the best new release of them all), which will from now on be announced on New Music Friday. Quite logical, in fact 😉

This week, I chose a young and fresh artist from Denmark. Encouraged by her Danish mother and American father, Emily Bowen explored art, dance, theater, literature and music from a very young age. Now 20 years old, she’s developed an unmistakable talent. Her debut album Hate Me For This (out today) clearly proves so. It sounds like a diary containing pages of confessions, truths, pain, laughter, humor and an honest, vulnerable openness to all the first-time experiences of life.

She describes one of these experiences in her new single Agnes. Emily explains: “I met Agnes a couple summers ago when I was backpacking around Europe. We sat on a couch and talked for three hours – sucked into each other’s worlds in that moment that only the two of us shared and had together. Agnes moved on to Paris, and we’ve been strangers to each other ever since. But I took the moment along with me, bittersweet and beautiful, like the lifelong exercise of being honest with yourself.”

Agnes by Emily Bowen is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. It will be prominently displayed at the top of the blog for an entire week.

Follow Emily Bowen on Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

In the Wildcards 2025 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.