On the 29th of September, Sweden dropped all of its Covid restrictions, and Molly Sandén, Sweden’s most prominent pop star, dropped a single.

Titled Vi ska aldrig gå hem (We Will Never Go Home), the song encompasses the feeling we’ve all dreamed of: late nights on the light-up dance-floor, in your best shoes with your best friends, crushing against one another in a crowded room — dancing with tears in your eyes.

An evening we’ll remember for a long time, Sandén seized the moment by taking us on moveable feast of a release party throughout Stockholm, hitting four of the best stops to celebrate the end of the pandemic nightmare… at least for a little while. Surrounded by friends, family, and first and foremost fans, this was the inauguration of the post-pandemic, the return of culture to the late hours of the northern night.

The event began on a balcony overlooking the centre of Stockholm and travelled to the cool bar Tjoget on the south side of town, then to Stockholm’s famous Spy Bar, and then finally Stureplan 1. As Molly sang her new song live on the bar tops, she had us dancing, laughing and maybe even shedding a tear. The return of the constant four-on-the-floor beat from the Stureplan nightclubs after an 18-month break reminded us to reflect on how much our world has changed and how grateful we are to be here still. Vi ska aldrig gå hem is a classic three minute and 15-second pop record that we’ll remember as the sign that we could go back to our real lives. With a floating chorus that is just destined for a sing-a-long— this is what hope sounds like.

For the first time since the beginning of 2020, we can let go of the great responsibility and severity of our current climate and finally receive some well-earned therapy in the form of dancing till your feet are numb. The triumphant return to the sweaty dance floor is here, so let’s make the most of it while we can.