Swedish one man-band The Sweet Serenades (aka singer and songwriter Martin Nordvall) unveils his new single today, entitled ‘Back in Your Arms’.
Created alongside producer Johannes Berglund (who has worked with the likes of Fever Ray and Shout Out Louds), the song presents listeners with a beautifully emotive and captivating fusion of indie, alternative pop and folk.
Fans based in Germany will be pleased to know that The Sweet Serenades will be touring the country from 29th Oct to 6th Nov 2022 – tickets can be found here.
Mikaela Stenmo continues Sweden’s proud tradition as being the home of electro-pop with the release of new single, ‘Heart Attack’.
Unmistakably Scandinavian in character, the song’s melancholic essence contrasts beautifully against an uptempo electronic production, while the lyrics tell of the stresses that come with being in love.
“The lyrics explore how I realise that I am the culprit in a fight between my ex boyfriend and I and try anything and everything to get him back. The song highlights the stress one feels when desperately trying to get a hold of someone they love.”
The song was originally conceived in 2020 with the help of Wille Enblad and Lucas Albrektsson, and has undergone two years of revisions before its release today.
Not many talents can claim to have released a new single and EP while also launching their international acting debut at the same time. But that is most certainly the case for Swedish artist Janice.
Lifted from new EP ‘The Playlist’ (out now), ‘My Kind Of Woman’ expertly fuses nostalgic soul and alternative R&B with power-pop, ultimately creating a bold anthem for body acceptance:
“‘My Kind Of Woman’ is an anthem that celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. It’s about being the woman you want to be. Dare to throw yourself out there, flourish and believe in your own power. Don’t let anyone else define you.”
Janice also stars in Netflix drama series ‘The Playlist’, which was inspired by the origins of Spotify (streaming globally now).
One of Sweden’s most promising pop starlets right now has to be singer and songwriter Namelle.
Having already amassed well over four million cumulative streams on Spotify to date (including a successful collaboration with Dutch producer Piece Wise), this rising talent has marked herself as a Scandi artist to watch.
Speaking on the lyrical meaning behind her newly-released single ‘Goodbye Boy’, Namelle says:
“‘Goodbye Boy’ says ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ to all the Romeos out there who think you’re interested in them just because you’re being nice.”
Fans can look forward to Namelle’s forthcoming EP, ‘Salt’, which is scheduled for release later this year.
Not much is known about Stockholm-based artist Boko Yout (aka Paul Adamah), but the music pretty much speaks for itself.
This is a sound that pushes indie music to the extreme. Bold, experimental, invigorating and refreshingly unique in tone, songs like ‘ANXIETY’ are as captivating as they are intriguing.
There is no doubt in our minds that this emerging talent will become one of Sweden’s newest musical exports in the coming future.
It’s barely been a month since we last featured Stockholm duo Sötnos, but today marks their return with the release of new single, ‘Care About Nothing’.
With its eccentric mix of indie, pop and rock, the song delivers a sound that feels care-free, fun and uplifting – and further cements Sötnos as one of Sweden’s most exciting newcomers.
“This was the first song we ever made together. Recording this song, we jumped up and down and screamed as loud as we could. It was a total blast and it went fast and we hope it translates for you out there listening.”
The track shares its name with the duo’s debut album, which is also released today and can be heard here.
Swedish singer, songwriter and producer Juliander unveils his latest single, entitled ‘We’.
With its refreshingly original approach to pop, the sound feels experimental and future-forward in tone, yet also carries a deeply emotive and meloncholic undertone which is truly captivating to experience.
Speaking on the single, Juliander says:
“‘We’ was born from a single sound and the lyrics came to me right away. It was written in a one take. Everything felt natural and it just flowed, the best feeling for a songwriter. I experimented a lot in the production and my favourite part is probably the instrumental after the second chorus, it just feels euphoric and I love it.”
Already an established artist in his native Sweden (with over 95k monthly listeners on Spotify alone), Juliander has released a string of successful hits and toured alongside the likes of Zara Larsson and Alan Walker.
Scandinavian pop starlet Bishat unveils a beautifully emotive new track today, entitled ‘PROBLEMS’.
Serving as the follow-up to her much-hyped previous single ‘MANNERS’, Bishat once again displays a finessed and well-constructed fusion of R&B and pop, while her candid and honest lyricism reminds lovers not to dwell on their partner’s negative traits.
“It might sound obvious but I think in reality, we’re not very good at it. I feel there are so many preconceived ideas of how a relationship should be and that sets us up to fail. I wrote it in the beginning of a relationship when we were trying to figure out how NOT to mess it up like we always had done before. We just sat there telling each other all our flaws and desires a few days later I wrote the song.”
Proving herself to be one of the Nordic region’s most promising talents, Bishat’s recent work has found her achieving a nomination for Rookie Artist of the Year at the prestigious Denniz Pop Awards.
Hailing from Sweden are newcomers Euro Cowboy, who unveil their melodic debut single ‘420@hotmale.com’ today.
Through its refreshingly original mix of bedroom pop and alternative R&B, the song feels tastefully understated in tone – while also maintaining a strong sense of individuality and character.
The track is lifted from Euro Cowboy’s forthcoming EP, which is scheduled for release later in the year. In the meantime, be sure to follow this eccentric and loveable Scandinavian outfit on social media here.
Scandinavian musician Raindear returns today with her bold new single, ‘Rush’. No stranger to these Alfitude pages, this talent has consistently proven herself to be one of Sweden’s most interesting pop artists from recent years.
With a beautifully intense fusion of electronica and dream-pop, the song presents listeners with an atmospheric soundscape that is truly quite captivating to experience.
Serving as a taster to Raindear’s forthcoming album, the track’s lyrics were inspired by the hardships and sacrifices that creatives have to endure – in order for them to continue with their artistry.
As you may know, Scandinavians take their summer vacations very seriously. Around this time every year, the volume of new releases from the region dips, which is why we haven’t been featuring much Scandi music lately.
But that’s all about to change today, with the release of ‘Pancakes’ by Swedish newcomers Sötnos.
Thanks to it’s charming and playful blend of garage pop, indie and rock, the track serves as an immediate mood-booster and a perfect anthem for the weekend ahead.
Sötnos consists of Stockholm-based bandmates Albin Eidhagen and Tore Bojsten, who proudly self-produce all their work. Fans can look forward to the duo’s forthcoming ‘Care About Nothing’ debut album, which is released in September.
Swedish-Moroccan starlet Sofia Karlberg is no stranger to these pages, having first been featured back in 2016.
Since that time, Karlberg’s momentum has exploded – with the artist garnering over 1.5 billion catalogue streams, 1.2 million monthly Spotify listeners and a significant following across social media.
Today marks the release of Karlberg’s ‘Hold My Love’ EP (out now), alongside melodic new track ‘Just For You’. A masterclass in Scandi music, the song infuses subtle hints of melancholy into a thoughtfully-constructed pop production, and sets the tone for the EP.
“The journey of this EP started when I was contemplating what to do next, not only musically but in general with my life. The pandemic forced a lot of us to dig deep, ask ourselves questions we might not want to know the answers to and to revalue our purposes. I realised I needed to stand on new grounds so I decided to move to Berlin from my hometown Stockholm. I wanted to invite all the different parts of my new city into this EP, the darkness, the fun, the love but mainly the diversity. It’s such a weird and unique city with plenty room for everyone to be themselves in and I hope that this collection of songs can give you just that feeling, that there’s something for everyone, and that you’re all welcome into my world.”
Track of the week. Emerging from Bavaria are German-Swedish sisters Josy and Mimi, collectively known as HAVET.
Inspired by the likes of Billie Eilish, Tyler, the Creator and Bruno Major, this promising teen duo create songs that incorporate a multitude of genres together – creating songs that carry mainstream appeal while still maintaining a strong sense of individuality.
New single ‘Toxic’ fuses 90’s inspired indie-rock with current pop sounds, treating listeners to a sonic experience that feels both nostalgic and future-forward in equal measures.
“‘Toxic’ is about getting free from a toxic relationship and finally realising all the ways the other person treated you wrong.”
Listeners can look forward to HAVET’s forthcoming debut EP, entitled ‘Muma’s Lullaby’ which is out on 11th August 2022.
It wouldn’t be a normal week for us here at Alfitude if we didn’t feature some stellar Scandinavian talent, and this time it’s the turn of Swedish artist JonathanBo.
Tastefully experimental in character, songs like new single ‘Hit That Low’ delicately fuse a multitude of genres that include alternative R&B, jazz, indie and lo-fi pop.
This is a sound that feels unique and conceptual in its production, yet still maintains a human and soulful and essence at its core.
“This song is about learning to realise when to part from something. From a relationship or a piece of yourself. It can be just as hard. But sometimes the hardest decisions in life are the most crucial.”
Contrary to their name, Disco Arcade create powerful and anthemic sounds that consist of indie, electronic pop and synth tones.
Inspired by the 80’s, this outfit craft songs which feel tastefully nostalgic while still maintaining a current edge.
New single ‘Paint You Wings’ reminds listeners of those sporadic moments when you cross paths with someone on a night out and feel an overwhelming sense of connection with.
Swedish songwriter and artist LOUUD unveils her latest single today, and it’s just as engaging as one would expect from Scandinavian pop.
‘Find An Island’ addresses those highly relatable feelings we all get – when we wish we could just run away and leave all our worries behind.
”I wrote ‘’Find An Island’ last year together with Jonas Peker and Robin Gustafsson. It’s a song about self-sabotaging and wanting to escape reality instead of facing my problems and hanging out with seahorses instead of people… ‘cause people can really suck sometimes.”
To date, this Stockholm-based talent has garnered praise from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, Ja Ja Ja and Radio P3, while her songs have been featured on flagship Spotify and Apple Music playlists.
Swedish artist Boy In Space unveils one of the summer anthems of the year through the release of new single ‘A**hole’.
Lifted from his forthcoming ‘BACKYARD’ EP, the song treats fans to a sound that is reminiscent of Blink 182 and The 1975 – thanks to its unique mix of bedroom pop and punk.
“While the frontyard is what you’re happy for people to see, the backyard is everything else. It’s what you try to keep hidden. The backyard is where you can see the ugly stuff. ‘A**hole’ is about some of the lowest times in my life, and the behaviour and thoughts that come to you in those periods of time.”
Now commanding well over two million monthly listeners on Spotify, this rising Scandinavian artist has worked alongside the likes of Alan Walker and SHY Martin, and received airplay on BBC Radio 1.
‘BACKYARD’ is out 16th September 2022, while ‘FRONTYARD’ is out now.
Rapidly gaining momentum across Scandinavia is rising artist Daniella Binyamin.
New single ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ showcases this talent’s extraordinary abilities at writing songs that feel gripping and moving, while still maintaining some pop sensibilities.
“The day I wrote ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ I remember feeling everything and nothing all at once. My heart felt like a rollercoaster and my head was a mess. I went to the studio, where me and my co-producer Oskar were supposed to write for another artist. But I just felt, I needed to write something else. Something real. To get all those feelings off my chest. All those feelings turned into the song toothpaste kisses. I think I needed to write that song in order to move on. It’s such a special one to me.”
With a style of music-making that features vivid lyricism over luxurious productions, it may come as no surprise to learn that Binyamin is already an accomplished songwriter, having written for the likes of Lukas Graham and Zara Larsson.
Now Binyamin is set to make her own mark as a solo artist – and the future looks bright.
One of the most interesting collaborative projects to have emerged from Europe over the last couple of years has been Saint Djuni. With their eccentric and playful take on indie-pop, this outfit has consistently surprised and delighted with their choice of releases.
Uplifting new single ‘Drifter’ is one of those songs that leaves you with a smile you on your face, and reminds us that a positive mindset is something we can all achieve.
“We all seem to have the urge to see and follow what is trending. Yet we don’t stop and think how it would be if you choose to decide to drift away and live your own form of perfection. A song dedicated to the dreamers. The ones that dare not to let negativity cloud their journey.”
Saint Djuni is a musical duo consisting of musicians Rasmus Viberg and Clifford Goilo, who have each achieved notable successes in their own rights with various projects including Bakermat, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, and Next To Neon.
