One of the most endearing Swedish talents of the year, VARPU is back today with a song that is the epitome of melancholy pop, Scandinavian style.
“I wanna share a song with you that I wrote after finding out that my boyfriend cheated on me. I instantly knew from the tone of his voice that my universe was about to get pulled out from under me and the days that followed were like quarantine without the virus, just Netflix and social distancing.”
An immediately arresting piece of indie-folk that is both dark and intense, while also feeling epic and atmospheric through it’s production. The song itself is centred around the concept of ego death; the becoming through shedding of one’s own skin, and the anxiety that comes along with it.
While on the surface ‘Vera’ comes across as a typical (and beautifully melodic) country-pop tune, the story behind the lyricism takes this song to a whole new level, and one which is poignant and extremely moving.
“My family has suffered from terrible disease, and the song is from the perspective of the future, when everyone is well again. Until then I put my faith in the whisper in the wind – may it be the whisper of God or love or just wishful thinking – nevertheless I hear it.”
A refreshingly bold soul-pop talent who fuses punchy beats with indie tones to create something quite spectacular. The song itself is an empowering anthem for self-love affirmation, and is totally infectious.
“It’s really about not being frightened of appearing vulnerable.”
SVEA seems to be one of the hardest working Swedish pop songstresses out there, consistently delivering some of the country’s finest Scandi pop right now. And with that, she’s just treated us to another huge banger that’s infectiously fresh.
As a songwriter, the Ivor Novello-nominated Swedish talent Elina has penned songs for artists such as Zara Larsson, Astrid S, and NEIKED (‘Sexual).
Above all this, she’s been releasing her own music for some time now, having first being featured here back in 2018.
Now she’s back with another beautifully emotive and heartfelt ballad, taken from her new EP ‘Remember’ which is out now.
Danish soul-pop songstress Rosa Raye is back with another slice of musical perfection.
This song reminisces of the good times from a relationship that has ended; it takes the pain and serves it in a beautifully blissful way.
“We actually kept the demo vocal on the track, so what you hear is just what I wrote and recorded that day. I wasn’t trying to say the right, correct things – I was just expressing a feeling. I don’t sugarcoat it because stuff like that hurts. But sometimes when the truth hurts, you just want to escape and make yourself feel good by thinking about the good memories and ignoring the bad, so the song is not too serious. There are some fun lines in there.”
One of the most exciting talents to emerge from Sweden this year, Mei River returns with a melodically intense piece of indie-pop.
A fusion of subdued indie and power-pop from a Swedish talent signed to the iconic Future Classic label.
A perfect harmony of dark pop and electronica, immersed within a universe of emotive tones.
Already an established name in her native Denmark, Jada continues to release some of the country’s finest RnB-pop. I think it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world wakes up to this fabulous talent.
“I grew up in the 00s and this has shaped my creativity, my music, and my life. With this song, I was as inspired by this musical era as I wanted to. To me, this means combining elements of the outer space and infinite universe with intimacy, intensity, and drama. And I just love that.”
Jesse Markin really is making his name as one of the boldest talents to have come out of Finland in the last couple of years. Take note of this kid, his approach to hip hop and RnB is too damn good to miss.
There’s so much good disco-pop coming out of Norway these days, and I have no idea why, but I am here for it!
Proof that music is as universal a language as you could imagine, this energising grunge-pop outfit are based out of the Norwegian mountain community of Auma.
The track itself is a tongue-in-cheek ode to California, and was made at a time when Corona stood in the way of the band’s ambitions.
“In April this year, we, Ask Carol, finally got set up for a meeting with some big shot management in LA, which we had been working towards for a long time. We were supposed to fly in around the middle of April, but we all know what happened… So, with all travels out of the question, we were stuck in the middle of nowhere, with internet-speeds from the 90s. ‘What do we do now?’ we thought. In need of a distraction from our frustrations, we made this song, ‘Do It in LA'”.
A finessed blend of soul, RnB and pop from a new Danish artist-producer who’s crafted a song that feels sultry and smooth, yet very mischievous.
The track is inspired by Mahrow’s own life stories of being ‘that guy’ that girls turn to when they get bored of their own partner.
“Something about the drama that comes with it is so tempting and interesting to dive into, and the whole mystery of it is fuelled with adrenaline and sensuality. Although when it comes down to it, it’s only a brief excitement, ’cause there’s no real love involved. It’s all a matter of skin against skin and the hunger for new things.”
Danish electronic power-pop doesn’t come more fantastic than this. A track that takes retro vibes and turns them upside down, to create something that’s not only refreshing but also really feel-good.
One of Norway’s most exciting pop exports finally releases her album ‘Retrospect‘ and I can safely promise you that each song is pure quality.
“‘It’s Only A Heartbreak’ is actually partly inspired by the classic movie ‘Casablanca’ from 1942, and Humphrey Bogart’s famous quote: ‘Here’s looking at you, kid’. Like the movie, the song is about knowing that you will never get someone back, but you can secretly still look at, and admire, that certain someone. The song carries a nonchalant expression, but the undertone makes it pretty obvious that you’re not over that person yet.”
