Category: Swedish Music

New Music: Paula Jivén

Photo / Eveline Johnsson

Still only 18-years old, Swedish singer and songwriter Paula Jivén creates spellbindingly original pop songs that are deeply captivating in the most beautiful ways.

Her dreamy yet subtly eccentric new single ‘Someone Always Knows’ touches upon loneliness and lingering emotions from her childhood. 

“’Someone Always Knows’ is just a really sad song. I wrote it two years ago when I was going through a pretty tough time with myself, and I took to writing almost like a coping-mechanism. I wanted a truthful song, something that just stated how I felt. Not a fight song for when you want to move on, just a song for when all you want to do is linger in your emotions. The lyrics debate loneliness and fear of abandonment. I’m also reaching back into my childhood, I had trouble finding friends and I remember feeling very lonely. There’s a very raw sadness to being alone, but not understanding why. Honestly, I’m a bit scared to release this song. It’s very close to my heart, and in a sense it’s like giving away a piece of myself? But on the other hand I’m so happy about sharing it with anyone who needs a really sad song.”

Debut EP ‘The Duality In Me’ is out later this year.

Paula Jivén

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Sam Florian – Fire

Blending lo-fi indie with mid-tempo electronic bedroom pop, Swedish artist Sam Florian returns today with charming new single ‘Fire’.

“‘Fire’ is about meeting someone new and feeling a strong instant connection to that person without even knowing anything about them. It’s a weird feeling and I don’t know how else to describe other than that it’s a kind of ‘Fire’ inside me. I wanted this song to sound more organic and a bit cheesy 80’s, especially with the chorus guitars which I’m really weak for.”

Sam Florian

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Miynt – Of the sun

Stockholm artist Miynt returns today with a melodic slice of nostalgic bliss. ‘Of the sun’ feels timeless and classic, while still maintaining a pop sensibility.

If you’re a fan of this Swedish talent then you’ll be pleased to know that the song is taken from her upcoming debut album ‘Lonely Beach‘ (scheduled for release in May 2022).

Miynt

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Molly Hammar – Tell Her

Now commanding over 300k monthly listeners on Spotify alone, it’s safe to say Molly Hammar’s momentum is accelerating at an impressive pace. Her music has spread like wildfire all across Europe over the last year, and together with iconic french producer Bob Sinclair she even landed the top spot on Italian radio with ‘We Could Be Dancing’.

The release of new single ‘Tell Her’ will only continue push this artist into receiving the recognition she deserves. On the song, she says:

“‘Tell Her’ is written and based on a vision I’ve had about all the people who stay in relationships just because they feel comfortable and safe. The song is an anthem about how great things could be if you leave it for something that could potentially be amazing.”

The Swedish songstress has already received acclaim from the likes of BBC, Beats 1, Billboard, NYLON and Complex, and collaborated with the likes of Big Narstie and Ella Eyre.

Molly Hammar

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Casper The Ghost – Different

Swedish outfit Casper The Ghost return today with their punchy new single ‘Different’.

The acclaimed duo of Casper Brodin and Victor Hillbom have launched in to the new year with a sound that is more raw and intense than what we’ve heard before.

The song is all about finding the right person for you – which makes you want to be a better person.

“It’s about when you find that special someone, perhaps not the type of person you thought you’d end up with, but one who makes you a better version of yourself.”

Casper The Ghost

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New Music: Forgetting Yesterday

Photo / Nick Serlstedt

Sweden might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of rock these days, but Malmö outfit Forgetting Yesterday are set to change that.

This is a sound that epitomises the definition of punk pop; delivering a nostalgic sound with a current twist.

’30’ touches upon the emotions of telling yourself that you are okay under the circumstances while neglecting how you truly feel. 

“This modern take on our prior pop punk sound is something we are really proud of. When heading into the studio with producer Ludvig Ottosson (Noija) of Silver Sun Studios we wanted to elevate what we were already doing and that’s something we really think we achieved here.”

Forgetting Yesterday

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New Music: FINE, whatever

In an epic display of commitment, Swedish talent FINE, whatever plans to release a song every month for the next two years.

And in my books, that could well be an interesting thing to experience. Songs take inspiration from bands like Gorillaz and are infused with elements of old school emo pop. The end result is a sound that is pop-driven yet also heart-wrenching, taking on the concept of what it is to be feeling out of place.

“Doing a song in a day sometimes makes stuff much more honest, no story to hide behind just me and my problems. I think it is beautiful in a way.”

FINE, whatever

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Johnning – What The Hell

Gothenburg singer and songwriter Johnning is no stranger to working with hits; his release of ‘Heroes Tonight’ with Janji picked up over 200 million YouTube plays and more than 100 million Spotify streams – achieving gold status in Sweden and Norway.

Today sees the release of his first single of the year, featuring punk-inspired guitars and a heavy-hitter chorus inspired by the glory days of EDM from the 2010’s.

“The idea of the song is to tell yourself to have the guts to take the leap, and dare to commit yourself to that special one you might have feelings for.”

Johnning

New Music: Skøien

Emerging newcomer Skøien is a Swedish born, Danish-Norwegian artist who is rapidly gaining traction thanks to an impressive fusion of dark pop and alt-R&B.

This is a sound that is sleek, well-constructed and thoughtfully produced – making Skøien one Scandinavian talent to watch out for in 2022.

Skøien

Miynt – Station station

Ever the experimentalist, Stockholm-based artist MIYNT returns today with a superb blend of atmospheric lo-fi indie and pop-rock in the form of new single ‘Station station’.

Blending minimal production with a chugging guitar riff, interlaced with those signature ethereal vocals, the song serves as a taster for the next album (due early 2022).

MIYNT

New Music: GERD

Track of the week. A true breakout star, Swedish artist GERD has caused quite the stir since ‘Lies For A Liar’ was debuted by Zane Lowe on Apple Music Radio 1 last month.

The consequent release of the video picked up over 65k views in just over two days, and the momentum doesn’t seem to be stopping. This could well be one of the Nordic region’s newest sensations to watch out for.

GERD

Samson For President – If You’re Lost Just Like I Am

Swedish-Colombian musician, songwriter and producer Samson For President returns today with the beautifully emotive ‘If You’re Lost Just Like I Am’.

A sweet melody sets the tone for captivating vocals and lyrics to shine through, as the slow-building production takes you on a journey that climaxes in a gorgeously moving way.

Taken from the coming ‘Beauty Supply EP’.

Samson for President

Watch: girl in red – I’ll Call You Mine

Alternative pop mastermind girl in red shares the Jared Hogan-directed music video for her latest single ‘I’ll Call You Mine’, taken from the critically acclaimed debut album ‘if i could make it go quiet’.

Already amassing 1.6 billion career streams to date, the Norwegian singer-songwriter is undisputedly Scandinavia’s latest big new music export.

She embarks on her biggest ever headlining US tour in March 2022, joined by special guest Holly Humberstone.

girl in red

New Music: Matilda

No week goes by without introducing some outstanding Scandinavian talent, so today it’s the turn of Swedish newcomer Matilda.

With an energised take on melancholic electro-pop, ‘Imaginary Friend’ is a song that slowly builds in intensity, setting the scene for Matilda’s distinctive vocals to shine through.

“This song is about me feeling invisible in relationships, but still being a safety blanket for someone. I’ve always been the one that is there for people and I’m that one who is needed in their life but always in a hidden way. I felt like I was an embarrassment, like an imaginary friend.”

Matilda

Tall Blonde + Suncat – Lucky Charm

Northern indie wunderkind Tall Blonde reveals ‘Lucky Charm’ featuring Suncat, the lo-fi-alias of folk/ soul singer Olle Nyman.

Both retro and raw in tone, the track feels refreshingly eccentric thanks to it’s nostalgia-tinged folk sound, making it one of the most interesting releases of the week.

“It’s about the dream we’re chasing. Work ethic’s nice and all but sometimes you just need dumb luck.” – Suncat

Taken from Tall Blonde’s upcoming debut album ‘Ponderosa’.

Tall Blonde | Suncat

Cy – Hate To Hate You

Swedish starlet Cy returns today with a 90’s inspired ballad in the form of new single ‘Hate To Hate You’.

With it’s perfect fusion of pop and R&B, the song is all about being so chained to your negative thoughts that you start hating yourself. The track is also taken from Cy’s new EP ‘Ugh!’, of which she says:

”Being 20-something can be so draining, and especially when you’re heartbroken and unsure about everything. This EP is a package of feelings that grew from this time when I had thousands of questions about where I am, who I am and where I’m going, but no answers. Even though a lot of people probably feel the same you can feel extremely lonely. I hope that my music can give someone a hand to hold for a little while.”

New EP ‘Ugh!’ is out now.

Cy

Elias – I’ve Been Waiting

Stockholm-based artist Elias unveils his stunning new album, ‘Holy, Endlessly Sad, Love‘ today, and with it new single ‘I’ve Been Waiting’.

The Swedish born singer-songwriter is no stranger to these pages; Elias has been consistently creating some of the most impactful releases to come out of the Nordic nation for some years now.

“I write about what’s inside and around me at the moment.”

‘Holy, Endlessly Sad, Love’ is out now.

Elias