Undoubtedly one of my favourite Danish talents of late, Emi Wes returns with an infectiously catchy blend of soul of indie-pop that gives you dreamy, summery vibes.
This is a playfully quirky sound that still feels effortlessly sleek, all the while glistening with hints of nostalgia.
“‘Take Me To The Moon’ is about a very short-lived fling where you just want to have fun while it lasts, feeling confident in your desires, knowing that you have to go soon. ‘Cause you’re too busy.”
Swedish outfit ViVii have long been a blog favourite for years now, thanks to their trademark indie style captivating listeners across the world.
Now they’re back with a new take on their sound, and it’s a flawless slice of uptempo hazy dream-pop that is perfect for the summer weeks ahead.
“We had enough mid-tempo songs and were eager to do something more danceable. What does it take to make a simple dancing song? We thought two chords at first but then we indulged in a third chord and suddenly it became complete! A tribute to our Swedish music heroes ABBA who we mixed with a little Fleetwood.”
Taken from the new album ‘Mondays’ which is out now.
One of Norway’s most promising indie-pop talents of late, Ruben Dawnson has rocketed past 1.5 million streams on Spotify alone since the release of his debut.
And there’s good reason for it; this is a talent who is deeply connected with this work, constructing everything in his own bedroom and not shying away from showing raw honesty and vulnerable emotions.
Look out for the forthcoming EP ‘Sunshower’, which is scheduled for release this summer.
If you know your Danish pop then you may recognise Ellison from his previous project, SHERPA (who was featured on here countless times).
Now he’s venturing solo with the fantastic debut release of ‘I Could Be Your Lover’. This is premium synth-pop that was made for the dance floor, taking inspiration from the New 80’s vibe which is spreading all across Denmark.
Starting the weekend off with a belter of a pop song from Stockholm-based artist, producer and creator SOMA. ‘In The Night’ exudes good vibes, sleek beats and one hell of a catchy melody.
“This is a song I’ve had with me for the past 3 years. It has seen many phases, several different productional styles and finally found its form on the cusp of the pandemic that we’ve all come to know so well. In March 2020, I made the decision to put the release on hold. At a time when the world was, and still is, struggling to cope with deep shock, friends and family members losing their jobs, and some their health and lives, a song that so brutally celebrated the body felt like a sin.“
“Today, the same song that started out as a catchy tune with no remarkable depth, is nothing short of a tribute to our magnificent human bodies. Big or small, confined or free to move, in pain or in bliss, our human bodies are the containers and the pure expressions of life-stories. From our nearly unbearable intergenerational trauma to our secret one-night-stands.”
Taken from the upcoming EP ‘Make Me Human’ which is due on 27th August 2021.
Through a haunting blend of dark pop and trip hop, Zueva’s suspenseful ‘preying on me’ is nothing short of sublime.
Both atmospheric and cinematic, this song commands your attention and takes you on quite the journey.
The weekend has just gotten a little better after listening to SHY Martin’s new single ‘Feelings’.
A low-key pop banger, this track softly builds up before the chorus hits mild shots of euphoria into your blood stream.
“I was going through some major changes when we wrote ‘Feelings’ and felt extremely lost and exhausted. I wasn’t sure I wanted to release more music, so I stopped writing for myself for a while, but after writing this song I found myself listening to the demo every time I was working out or on my way to the studio. The lyrics were pretty much about what I was going through and had been feeling for a long time. It’s about the moment you realise you’re a few words from breaking something that means a lot to you because you’re caught up in feelings”
Hailing from Aarhus in Denmark, duo Soon have created one of the catchiest Scandinavian bops that you will likely listen to all weekend. ‘Soda’ is an infectiously feel-good track that reminds you to stop, smile and appreciate life for a moment or two.
“‘Soda’ is all about letting go of your worries. It came together after a long writers’ block and is a reminder of the importance of naivety and immediacy in life. It’s charming, persuasive and youthful – and we hope ‘Soda’ will make you let go of your worries and inspire you to go after what you really want in life!”
I am really excited to introduce new Danish duo AICK ( Helene Hoier and Eik Petterson).
‘Only’ is an upbeat blend of alt-pop and RnB, with lyricism that looks at finding the inner strength and courage to stand up, break free, and move forward despite the odds.
There’s no doubt that Danish talent RoseeLu is shaping up to become one of the biggest pop exports to emerge from the Scandinavian nation. Previous release ‘Playing Alone’ ended up getting featured on more than 20 big tastemaker sites worldwide, including Billboard themselves.
Now she’s back with an equally fantastic follow-up, showcasing a style of music that blends alt-pop with hip hop, while adding a little 90’s nostalgia in there too for some extra goodness.
“‘F*** with my Feelings’ is about the insane state of mind you are in when you are in love – but also the addiction which I know way too well from past relationships
Gustaf has been one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Denmark so far this year, in my view.
If you’re a fan of LANY or LAUV then you’ll absolutely fall in love with this 26-year old musician, songwriter and producer. Scandinavian alt-pop at it’s finest, ‘lose u.’ is a sound that is infectiously catchy yet understated in a very cool way.
“‘lose u.’ originates from a fight I had with my girlfriend. In the heat of the moment I said something that I instantly regretted. In the time after the fight, she needed to think things through, it wasn’t really that dramatic looking back, but my feelings of losing her back then were nonetheless true for me. And as a coping mechanism I kinda told myself that what I said back then had some truth to it.”
The world may not yet be familiar with Norwegian outfit Whales & This Lake, but this group are one of the most popular electronic indie bands in their native homeland.
And after listening to ‘You Don’t Calm Me Down Anymore’ you too could very well become a fan; this is an emotional ballad which feels almost cosmic and transcendental in it’s style.
“‘You Don’t Calm Me Down Anymore’ is a song about being paranoid in a relationship. Being at a good place in life, but constantly fearing for it to end, for things to change. The mellow sonic mood, mixed with chaotic and desperate musical elements is trying to illustrate this emotional turbulence.”
Taken from their upcoming EP which is set for release on 28th May 2021.
Norwegian talent Mabi’s new release ‘We Are Best Friends’ is a slice of feel-good pop that is near impossible not to fall in love with. It won’t be long before this little-known talent starts to garner a big legion of fans!
Icelandic artist Tómas Welding returns with the beautifully emotive ‘Here They Come’.
This is a song that builds up from a dark and intense start, and ends in an epic- almost cinematic conclusion which is just so stunning to experience.
Fun fact: Elise Eriksen is the daughter of one half of legendary producers Stargate. Born in Norway, raised in Manhattan and now LA-based, this new talent is certain to hit pop dominance soon; she already receives over 160,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone!
With a uniquely distinctive vocal tone and an ability to create infectiously catchy pop melodies, INA IVY is a new force to be reckoned with.
”This song is about when people are trying to make you feel beneath them in everyday life but where they can’t get to you because you know your own worth. For example, a clerk in an upscale boutique maybe treats you like a bum, assuming you’re only browsing since everything according to them is way too pricey for your looks not knowing that you are the pricey piece in the store.”
I first featured Swedish artist Ulrik Munther back in 2011, when the then-teenager was just starting out on what has ultimately became quite the career.
Having achieved viral fame with his cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ and competing at Melodifestivalen, Munther released three albums that all charted top-five in his native homeland.
Now he’s back with the beautifully sincere ‘Stay Awake’, a subtle fusion of indie and pop that feels deeply emotive and endearing.
“What I want to say most with this music is probably, be yourself and be honest. To think about things a little more.”
Taken from the album ‘Put Your Self Out There’ which is out now.
Sweden really is delivering some outstanding pop artists so far this year, with Hugo Andersson being another fantastic talent to emerge from the Nordic nation. A power-pop anthem with an infectiously catchy chorus, ‘Easier’ is all about that terrible feeling that comes to you after a breakup; when the person you’re used to talking to about everything isn’t that person anymore.
“I received a DM on Instagram from the songwriter and producer Isac Halldin after my debut release ‘Eleven’. Isac invited me and my companion, Rasmus Gustafsson, to come to his studio to write with him. Weeks after that we all met up and wrote ‘Easier’ that day, and after just one day it felt like we’ve known each other for years.”
It’s already been a busy year for Stockholm talent Julia Alfrida, having just recently competed at this year’s Melodifestivalen (Sweden’s biggest music competition) with the equally impressive song ‘Rich‘.
‘GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS’ is a Scandinavian pop banger in every sense; this is the kind of track that commands you to get up and dance your ass off!
Sublimely mesmerising and dreamy vibes from Swedish newcomer Noomi. This is the second single to drop from her upcoming debut EP ‘Life Aqua’, which is set for release on 21st May 2021. On the song, Noomi says:
“It’s an emotional tug-of-war between letting in or pushing away, between wanting to but not daring to, of that very first time you really let down your guard for someone and you share those amazingly intense, but somewhat claustrophobic first 24 hours like inside a cocoon breathing the same air in and out until you’re all intertwined. In true self sabotage manner you open windows for your fires just to see how long someone can still breathe inside there or if they’re getting choked by the fumes. It’s not me being scared about getting hurt, but rather that I will be the one who hurts, which always has and still continues to worry me a lot.”
