Citing Prince and Bowie as two inspirations, Kristofer Greczula’s sound feels nostalgic yet future-forward in equal measures.
‘Leaving You For Another’ was a song written about and for his brother – the two had drifted apart for two years prior, but have since found their way back to each other.
“He cried the first time he heard it. That felt like a confirmation that I was on the right track. If I write songs that touch me, chances are they will also touch other people.”
An infectiously catchy bop from one of Sweden’s most exciting prospects. Maia Wright has already garnered over 300 million streams just as a songwriter and feature artist, so it really is only a matter of time before this mega-talent establishes a solo name for herself.
Swedish talent Hannah Mel brings a dark, almost haunting approach to electro-pop that is completely engrossing. Subdued yet intense, her sound feels atmospheric and cinematic while still easy to connect with.
“‘Shy or Something’ is about two introverts having a crush on one another. Each too shy to admit it, and the frustration that it brings. I am a very introverted person myself, who easily gets quiet around large groups of new people. With this song, I wanted to play with the difference between being introverted or shy. Even though people might perceive them as the same thing – they feel totally different from within.”
Taken from the upcoming EP, scheduled for release later this autumn.
I’ve made no secret of the fact that Molly Hammar is one of my favourite Swedish talents from recent years. The winner of last year’s ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ at the coveted Swedish awards Rockbjörnen, she returns with the sensational ‘Friends’ today.
A finessed slice of RnB-pop infused with hints of soul, Hammar delivers a song that looks at a common situation most of us have fallen into:
“‘Friends’ is about not wanting to feel lonely and romanticising a friendship that shouldn’t be any more than that, just because you don’t want to feel alone. Sometimes it is just better to accept people and relationships for what they are and move on.”
Taken from the sophomore EP, ‘God Is lonely Too’ which is out now via Cosmos Music.
This may be the first you hear of Swedish outfit Isle of You, but they are already making significant headway in their home nation.
Just last year, the duo was nominated for ‘Artist of the Future’ at the hugely prestigious P3 Guld Awards last year, after their single ‘Hold Tight’ had the honour of being the most played song on Swedish radio station P3 in 2020.
And the moment you press play on ‘Fallback’ you’ll understand why they get so much love. Their style of music brings a new take on pop while still maintaining a sense of nostalgia that is totally mesmerising.
“This one goes out to the hopeless romantics who in a time of lockdown and isolation didn’t let fear and doubt get in the way of love.”
While still a relatively new talent, Swedish producer UNDREAM has already amassed over 2.5 million streams on Spotify alone from previous releases.
With TIMMS on vocals, ‘Chemical X’ is a dark (almost sinister) sound that feels ambient and atmospheric, formed through a masterfully intricate production that cements UNDREAM’s name as one to watch.
“A lot of the time I get inspired by what I can’t explain with words or something that is out of my understanding. Abstract imagery and unexplainable situations are things that inspire most of my sounds”
Another week, another outstanding Swedish talent to share with you! This time it’s Stockholm-based artist Cohle.
Drawing inspiration from modern-day legends such as Seinabo Sey, NAO and Emilie Nicolas, Cohle creates a refined fusion of dance-pop and RnB, laden with catchy melodies and sleek vocals.
‘Let Me In’ all about waiting too long on someone to make a decision and to get their act together; asking them to communicate their feelings and make their mind up.
If you feel that NEIMY’s voice is familiar, then it’s probably because she was the vocalist on Jubël’s huge hit ‘Dancing In The Moonlight’ which became a global mega-success in the summer of 2018 (to date it’s been streamed over 180 million times).
Now she’s back with her own solo material, and it’s as premium as you can expect for Swedish pop. It’s bold yet relatable while also being empowering yet vulnerable.
“’Trust your gut’ is about someone who’s always going against their gut feeling and realising that they need to start trusting their intuition more. To not do what doesn’t feel right and how empowering it feels to let go of things that weigh you down.”
Taken from the new EP ‘Trust your gut’ which is out now.
A hugely promising talent hailing from Sweden, Lars Martin’s approach to music-making is quite extraordinary.
Through ‘Plans’, the listener experiences a beautifully arranged blend of soul and RnB, twisted and shaped with an alternative edge to create something that feels nostalgic yet experimental and a little quirky.
“I write songs about life, love and overcoming myself in order to be more myself.”
Another week and another sensational Swedish talent. This time it’s Stockholm-born songwriter and producer Noomi, with her debut release ‘Ride’.
The track seems to blend future-forward electronic pop with 90’s inspired RnB beats, forming a sound that feels refreshingly original yet also familiar. Matched with airy vocals gliding over a smooth melody, I’m quite certain you’ll fall in love with Noomi just as hard as I have when you press play.
Swedish DJ Chris Tall returns today with his sixth release, ‘Dancin’ Alive’. Featuring the vocals of MLK, this is a perfected fusion of disco, electronica and pop that gives us an essence of empowered sensuality in the form of retro-futurism.
“‘Dancin’ Alive’s’ message is to never give up on that feeling of losing yourself to the music and dance yourself away into happiness.”
Featuring a spoken word appearance from 4-time Grammy nominee Phoebe Bridgers, today sees the return of multi-talented Swedish creative Luminous Kid (Olof Grind) with the release of new single ‘Mountain Crystals’.
The pair first became acquainted after Grind shot the cover to Bridgers’ 2020 record ‘Punisher‘. As master of many arts, Luminous Kid is not only a pop singer and songwriter but also a photographer and visual artist. Together with his self-directed music videos, he aims to create a complete body of queer art with his portfolio of work.
“I think the more role models and queer experiences that exist in popular culture, the better. If a song or a work of art can make a sad and trapped young queer person feel better about themselves, then it is a step in the right direction.”
Taken from the new album ‘at the end of the dream’ which is due 23rd April 2021.
One of my favourite Swedish talents so far this year, Dear Sara returns with a guitar-driven pop bop in the form of ‘Do Better’.
Featuring those distinctive vocals that float so effortlessly over an infectiously catchy melody, you’ll have this song playing in your head all weekend.
“Ever since I was little, I’ve had a very vivid imagination. I’ve always enjoyed writing and coming up with stories. ‘Do Better’ is not about anything I’ve experienced personally, but more of a ‘what if’ kind of thought experiment.”
Stockholm-based songwriter Amanda Cygnaeus is already an established name within the industry, having worked behind the scenes with the likes of LÉON, Iggy Azalea, Paloma Faith, Soleima and Icona Pop. She was even even nominated for ‘Songwriter Of The Year’ by the Swedish Music Publishers Association in 2018.
Today marks her debut as a solo project with the launch of ‘My Name Next to Yours’ – a song that was written as a reminder to stop romanticising about an ex-girlfriend.
It’s an empowering indie-pop bop that acts as a call for self-respect after a breaking up, while also wondering if you’re the only one thinking about the past.
“I wrote it after my first real heartbreak, back when me and my ex-girlfriend broke up. I have a tendency to either romanticise the past or worry about the future, so this was a way of reminding myself of what the relationship was really like and the fact that she ditched me. Kind of ‘how dare you?’ but at the same time feeling okay cause you know that you just weren’t right for each other. I had built up those emotions for a while, so the song literally flew out of me.”
Swedish indie-pop duo Vola Tila’s distinctive blend of indie and pop-rock features haunting vocals and hazy atmospherics that culminate in huge swathes of emotion.
New single ‘Not Your Fault’ looks at the their thoughts on the concept of time, and being stuck in a desire for something else.
“We know that the present is the only thing we have. Despite this, the future has had a great impact on us, and we have many times been stuck in a desire for something else, looking for something that does not exist. We processed a lot of this when we wrote the album. But we both realised somewhere along the way that we could not find what we were looking for until we stopped looking.”
Taken from the debut album ‘Soon’ which is out now.
Life wouldn’t be normal if we didn’t feature at least one Swedish pop talent every week. So here’s a treat for you!
JAYNIE takes inspiration from the music of the early 2000s and adds a current spin to create something playful and charming; all the while her lyrics carry darker tones as a contrast. On her new single ‘Blame’, JAYNIE explains:
”It’s like playing chess, you have to be smart and know the next move to ruin the other persons plan (aka push the right buttons to get an outcome that’s in your favour). But it’s silly, because in the end it’s JUST a game, but it can get a little too serious and then it’s not fun anymore. It’s knowing when you’ve gone too far that’s the hardest I think.”
I’ve often featured talent from Sweden’s most-watched television event, Melodifestivalen. You’ll be hard pressed to find a famous pop artist from the Nordic nation not to have been involved with the competition at some point in their career. It runs for six weeks and acts as a process to select country’s Eurovision entry.
This year saw the return of the hugely popular Eric Saade – one of the biggest names in Swedish pop from the last decade. And while he was declared as the runner-up eventually, he delivered one of the most experimental and avant-garde performances ever to be seen on the show’s 62-year old history.
One of the most exciting exports to emerge from Sweden recently, Boy Destroy returns with a vibrant, emotive and nostalgic fusion of emo and alternative RnB.
“Everybody longs for connection. Togetherness. A need that can be fulfilled with flesh or love or peace or whatever. I used to be in a twisted relationship with a person that I didn’t really love. I wasn’t a very good person to her but I made it look like I was. I felt like the devil, but then and there it felt like it was exactly how it should be. She hates me now, and I deserve it. You can fix yourself if you’re lucky.”
Swedish artist Astian initially broke in to the music scene back in 2016, having been discovered by national radio show P3 Osignat where his track ‘Like it’ was voted as the number one song several weeks in a row.
Now heralding a new era for himself as an independent artist, he launches this next stage of his career with the release of ‘Pain’.
The song is a finessed blend of Astian’s soulful vocals, and a catchy melody that balances elements of Scandinavian pop and RnB in a subtle and delicate way.
“On the surface ‘Pain’ is a song about an infectious love relationship. But for me the song is about the love/ hate relationship I’ve felt towards making music for some year’s now. The song is an outlet for me to write all the anxiety and hurt away. Though this song is very much about my past, it reflects my future, and I’m starting to write that with the release of this single.”
Regular visitors to Alfitude will know that there is no introduction needed for Swedish artist SHY Martin. I have been a huge fan of this talent for quite some years, and still she never fails to impress with her releases.
Now back with the stellar ‘Break With Me’, this song looks at the mixed emotions that arise when two people become strangers, and serves as the debut to her new record label, SHY Recordings.
“For the first time in years, I have spent a lot of time with myself and taken the space to reflect. I have thought a lot about how these strange times we are in have changed so many relationships, some that have become stronger, and others that have broken down. We started writing ‘Break With Me’ one summer evening in the car on the way home from a lake, but I relate to it now more than ever.”
