Category: Nordic Music

Tove Styrke – Start Walking

As a platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated, and national radio P3 Guld ‘Pop Artist of the Year’ recipient in her native Sweden, it’s safe to say that Tove Styrke has firmly established herself as a pop powerhouse.

She returns with a premium bop in the form of new single ‘Start Walking’, which was written alongside some of the biggest writers and producers in pop currently: Caroline Ailin (Dua Lipa), Sly (Shawn Mendes), Lostboy (Tom Grennan, Anne-Marie) and Pablo Bowman (Marshmello, Alan Walker).

“It’s an upbeat song with sad lyrics, which is my favourite combination. It’s about a person who knows a relationship is over, and how it sucks to actually be the one to leave but you know there is no other way.”

Tove Styrke

Moyka – When

Norwegian artist Moyka comes full circle today with the release of debut album ‘The Revelations of Love’ and its lead single, ‘When.’

This stunning electro pop song juxtaposes melancholic vocals with a euphoric beat, and is a perfect example of just why Moyka has established herself as one of the Nordic nations’ most promising starlets.

“To me, love is the most important feeling of them all. It’s so existential ‘cause it’s what I think makes us human. Last year hit us so hard. I felt a lot of grief and sadness because of everything that happened in the world and in my life. As a person who feels a lot intensely, it’s hard to not feel overwhelmed by everything. One thing that kind of woke up the flame in me again, was music that reminded me there is hope to feel good again. To feel love again.”

‘The Revelations of Love’ is out now.

Moyka

New Music: GR8SCOTT

Emerging from Copenhagen is 19-year old artist GR8SCOTT. This talented musician and self-taught producer has created one of the most charming and eccentric alt-pop bops of the week in the form of new single ‘Won’t Be Drinking’.

“I’m not a big party guy but I love to hang out with people and just have fun, and like everyone there is more than welcome to get drunk. I just don’t need it to have a good time, and I would hate not to be in control of myself so yeah, no from me. I just wanna have a good time.”

GR8SCOTT

Estherlivia – hollow

Bad relationships are not a fun thing, but somehow they always seem to turn into great songs. Swedish wonder-kid Estherlivia releases a powerfully expressive and melodic blend of pop and indie in the form of new release ‘hollow’.

“People who can’t speak their mind, and when they finally say something you get even more confused. Misleading love.”

Estherlivia

Emilie Adams – Gone

One of Norway’s most impressive talents of late, Emilie Adams continues to push the boundaries of electro-pop with ‘Gone’. This is a subtly intense and moving track that holds your attention from start to finish.

“Music and melody is important. But the lyrics are even more important. To me. My lyrics are personal, conveying my experiences, feelings and thoughts.”

The ‘Gone’ EP is out now.

Emilie Adams

New Music: Lea Kampmann

Track of the week. Showcasing a superb example of Nordic alt-pop, Lea Kampmann’s ‘In Circles’ is a slow burning and glistening masterpiece that blends house-inspired synths with thoughtfully constructed percussions.

The song was inspired by the need to go out and grab life, instead of waiting for it to pass by.

“The most important thing to me as an artist is to make pieces of art that people can see themselves in.”

Lea Kampmann

Namasenda – No Regrets

One of Sweden’s most interesting hyperpop talents of late, Namasenda releases a track with a very familiar sample that is sure to stick in your head all day.

In equal measures, ‘No Regrets’ is both fun and future-forward, further solidifying this artist as one of the most exciting to emerge from Scandinavia in quite some time.

Namasenda

New Music: Graham Lake

Emerging from Sweden is Graham Lake, is a Stockholm-born singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who is still just 20-years old.

Today sees his debut, and boy is it something to behold! Released via EMI Sweden, ‘Focus’ was co-produced by mentor Linus Eklöw of the iconic duo Galantis.

A flawless fusion of rap and electronic pop compliments Graham’s distinctive vocals over the instantly memorable hook, ‘I’m gonna keep focusing on me.’

Graham Lake

Patrik Jean – NUMB

Patrik Jean’s new single ‘NUMB’ has to be one of the biggest pop releases to come out of Sweden this week. This is a power bop that’s all about reaching a point where you can’t take any more feelings.

Now commanding over 290k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, it’s safe to say that the world is finally waking up to this hugely talented singer and songwriter.

Patrik Jean

New Music: una schram

Emerging from Iceland comes una schram, who’s approach to pop is refreshingly playful while still maintaining a certain sense of finesse.

‘Crush’ is a sugar-coated gem that was mined from her hometown of Reykjavík, with some funk tendencies and lyrics that tap into the consciousness of most late teens and early twenty-somethings.

una schram

Ash Olsen – VIBE KILLER

Hailing from Norway, 21-year old independent artist Ash Olsen has already been picking up attention since the release of her 2020 single ‘KITKAT’, with praise coming from the likes of NRK P3 and P3X.

With a highly unique approach to rap, this artist is one of the most exciting talents to emerge from the Nordic region of late, and well worth keeping an eye out for. On new song ‘VIBE KILLER’ she says:

“My girl killed my vibe right before I hit the studio, so I went in with good inspiration. PS. don’t be a vibe killer.”

Ash Olsen

Gustaf – on n off

Emerging Danish talent Gustaf returns with a charming and melancholic fusion of indie pop and synth. ‘on n off’ was mixed and mastered by Gustaf himself, along with fellow artist Daniel Joy who helped write and produce the song.

“It’s about having an on and off relationship with someone, and although you know that it’s probably for the best if you would let it go it’s difficult when you have the same friend group or go to the same school – and all your friends keep saying: ‘they are on and off’, like: ‘they can’t figure it out’. It is that feeling of being at a party, only aware of how you look, or what they were doing, what signals they are giving, but then at one point you might encounter the inevitable realisation: we’re running out of lies, this can’t go on, and then it just goes in circles.”

Gustaf was recently featured on one of Germany’s largest radio stations, bigFM as a newcomer to watch. With traction picking up across Europe, this may well be one of Denmark’s next pop exports.

Gustaf

EYJAA – The Wrecking Crew

Danish-Icelandic sister duo EYJAA (Sara and Brynja) return today with wonderfully moving new pop single ‘The Wrecking Crew’.

With subtle hints of folk and country added for good measure, this song is sure to touch a few hearts across Europe over the coming weeks.

“Going through life we all experience challenges that we tend to overthink or simply misunderstand within ourselves. ‘The Wrecking Crew’ is about how you are never alone with your thoughts. Really, it can be just as beautiful to be sad as it can to be happy. It’s just human emotions, and they are not unknown to any of us.”

EYJAA

Pink Milk – Everything Must Die

Acclaimed Swedish darkwave duo Pink Milk return today with a haunting and ethereal sound in the form of new single ‘Everything Must Die’. The song is about lovers reaching the point of no return, where everything must simply just die.

Since returning to Sweden from packed shows at Iceland Airwaves and the Reeperbahn Festival in 2019 (just before the pandemic broke loose) Pink Milk have been hard at work finishing their upcoming album ‘Ultraviolet’.

Pink Milk

New Music: I don’t speak french

Swedish outfit I don’t speak french craft a refreshingly original and wildly exciting sound that combines a multitude of genres together to create something unexpected and fun.

‘Skate in Barcelona’ is the story of a wannabe social influencer monster, much like the band’s own mascot ‘Bob’ the monster who tries desperately to build a facade of coolness. 

“No song should sound the same, I rather have the listener jump out of their seat than having to repeat myself”.

Members of the band can also be found in Stranded Mermaid, and Swedish Red Elephant (the alter-ego of Håkan Persson and Louise Lindenger), where they write, produce and collaborate with artist such as Lucas Estrada, Matisse & Sadko, farfetch’d, Timmy Trumpet and more.

I don’t speak french

Rhys – Thanks a lot now I can’t smile

American-Swedish starlet Rhys returns today with a supreme sound that fuses pop and rock tones together in both a balanced and nostalgic way.

Taken from her next EP (due early next year), ‘Thanks a lot now I can’t smile’ incorporates that style of early 00’s American punk-pop, which in many ways shaped Rhys while she was growing up in Portland.

“I was quite depressed for a year and felt incapable of socialising with others without killing the vibe. Walked around thinking ‘well, I’m gonna feel this bad forever, thanks a lot! When being in the middle of it, it was hard to see it, but in retrospect it was sick liberating to write a sarcastic song about that time.”

Rhys

Pasha – Bad Trips

Norwegian MC Pasha has been steadily building a global fanbase ever since NME highlighted him as one of the most promising artists in the world back in 2017.

Since then he’s sold out shows, had regular listings on Norwegian national radio P3, and been featured on respected tastemaker publications like Clash and Highsnobiety.

Produced by Mogilla and Pluto, ‘Bad Trips’ delivers a chilled atmosphere lifted by bass riffs, rhythmic guitars and a hook that easily makes you wanna sing along.

Pasha