Tag: Norwegian Music

New Music: amilost

London-based trio amilost is a musical collaboration between Sigrid Zeiner-Gundersen, Ross Craib and Charlie Fowler. Together, these three artists create cinematic and immersive pieces of pop that are both captivating and emotive to experience.

New single ‘The Good Kind of Love’ is lifted from the group’s upcoming ‘Introspective Souvenirs’ debut EP, and features none other than Parallax Orchestra themselves. Lyrically, the song looks at the dynamic between two lovers who seem to have a missing connection with each another.

“We want other people to channel their pain and their questions through listening to our songs.” – Sigrid Zeiner-Gundersen

Aside from amassing thousands of catalogue streams to date, amilost’s music has picked up support from outlets as respected as NRK P3 and Amazing Radio, while also being featured on prominent playlists like Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ and ‘Fresh Finds: Pop’.

amilost | Parallax Orchestra

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Ben Alexander – Rush (feat. Arya)

Norwegian artist, songwriter and producer Ben Alexander unveils an impressive new collaboration today alongside Italo-Venezuelan artist Arya.

With its finessed fusion of synth, pop, alternative R&B and mellow electronica, ‘Rush’ presents listeners with a dreamy and sensual sound that feels both timeless and future-forward in equal measures.

Recorded in Milan, the song’s inspiration comes from the feelings of euphoria and adrenaline that one can experience when they first fall for someone. So if you’re looking for a love anthem to play this weekend – this is the song for you!

Ben Alexander | Arya

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Aiida – Stupid Perfect

Norwegian singer-songwriter Aiida unleashes an almighty pop banger just in time for the weekend, entitled ‘Stupid Perfect‘.

Lyrically inspired by the anxious thoughts that one can feel when they first fall for someone special, the song’s relatable lyrics and memorable melody are accompanied by a punchy and rousing production.

“‘Stupid Perfect’ is about that initial freakout while dating a special someone that just works, but you find yourself over analysing and expecting the worst. I wrote this song based on my past experience and I know that many of us out there feel the same way about new relationships.”

Aiida’s songs have been featured on national outlets Norway ‘s NRK P3 and NRK MP3, as well as on playlists as prominent as Spotify’s Fresh Finds and New Music Friday Norway. To date, the artist has impressively amassed more than 260k catalogue streams.

Aiida plays Hotel Ziggy in West Hollywood on the 10th May – tickets can be found here.

Aiida

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New Music: Janos

Photo / Haakon Paulsen

We are beginning our weekend festivities with a brilliant slice of Scandinavian pop, courtesy of Norwegian outfit Janos.

‘DOWN LOW’ treats listeners to an uplifting and energising sonic experience, and features elements of nostalgia-tinged disco, indie and pop. Through its shimmering production, the song reminds us of the sunny days that lie ahead.

“It’s the promise of summer in a cold spring.”

While still relative newcomers, Janos have already amassed more than 150k career streams to date on Spotify, while also receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Variance Magazine, Celebmix and Earmilk.

Janos

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New Music: Carl :Cries

We’re going to be completely honest and tell you that we have no idea who is behind Norwegian-Swedish duo Carl :Cries, but once you play their debut single, ‘On My Mind’, you’ll know exactly why we are so excited with this outfit.

Lifted from the band’s forthcoming ‘Stranger In My Bed’ EP (out 28th April, pre-save here), the song serves as a masterclass in Swedish indie-pop.

Inspired by the the traumas from a previous relationship, the track’s dark, melancholic and emotive production is nothing short of sonic perfection.

“The feeling to distract yourself and keep your eyes open, then when you close them she’s on your mind.”

Carl :Cries

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MAIH – The Movie of Us

We are quite certain that MAIH will become one of Norway’s next big pop talents, and the release of her new single only further affirms our opinion.

‘The Movie of Us’ presents listeners with a punchy sound that seamlessly fuses an uptempo electro-pop production with a pensive vocal delivery.

“‘The Movie of Us’ is a song about a love that’s nothing like the movies, but that still feels like a movie. It’s hard and frustrating, but still very real. It’s definitely a song you can both cry and dance to!”

With more than 78k streams from the release of just three singles to date, MAIH is one Nordic artist on the rise!

MAIH

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Hanne Mjøen – Hard To Love (feat. Ryland James)

Photo / Fabian Fjeldvik

Not many Norwegian alt-pop artists have made as much impact globally as Hanne Mjøen has over these last few years.

Today marks her return with a powerful new single that features the talents of Ryland James, entitled ‘Hard To Love’.

Beautifully melancholic and refreshingly honest in tone, the song looks at the emotional vulnerabilities that start to appear when we find ourselves connecting with someone special.

”’Hard To Love’ tells the tale of being a complex person. Everyone has bad sides and struggles and through the lyrics I wanted to put mine on the table, letting the one you love know that if you want a love of eternal sunshine, I’ll give you the opposite. I’ll make it hard for you to love me cause unfortunately I’m not a perfect person either.”

Mjøen has received recognition from international outlets and tastemaker publications as prominent as Fader, NRK P3, Line Of Best Fit and many more. Meanwhile, rising artist Ryland James already commands more than 250k monthly Spotify listeners.

Hanne Mjøen | Ryland James

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MIIA – Skin of a Fool (feat. Vaarin)

Fans of dark melancholic pop will be delighted with Norwegian artists MIIA and Vaarin’s new collaboration, ‘Skin of a Fool’.

Quintessentially Scandinavian in its production style, the song’s mystifying soundscape lures listeners in to a world that is haunting and tense, while the powerful lyrics encourage us to break free from the insecurities that hold us down.

“I didn’t know Vaarin that well, but I admired her. Her truth was just so clear to me. Not only are her melodies beyond special and sincere – she also takes risks and isn’t afraid to make the listener a bit uncomfortable. We wrote “Skin of a Fool” during a vulnerable conversation about feelings we had felt surrounding not being good enough. Our producer, Joachim ‘J RYGGS’, already had these enchanting chords that immediately spoke to us. You need to allow darkness to ‘get out’ of it. And sometimes, in order to do that, you need to know that you’re not alone. You need to let love in – and only when you do that – you can finally be free.” – MIIA

Both MIIA and Vaarin have had exceptional rises to fame within their home nation and globally. MIIA has amassed more than 150 million catalogue streams to date, while Vaarin’s work consistently draws over 14k monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

MIIA | Vaarin

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New Music: Nelly Moar

Track of the week. Hailing from the Norwegian city of Bergen is Nelly Moar, who rapidly building momentum as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting R&B newcomers.

A trained jazz vocalist, Moar delivers a style of music that fuses dark pop with dreamy, soulful R&B tones. The resulting sounds are atmospheric, intense and beautifully captivating.

Amassing more than 150k career streams to date from the release of just one EP, it’s clear to see that Moar is one Nordic star on the rise.

Nelly Moar

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New Music: Elfrida

Hailing from Norway is singer, songwriter, producer, technician and composer Elfrida (aka Grete-Johanne Torvholm), who is a rising talent specialising in a style of music labelled as ‘arctic electronica’.

Sonically sparse yet perfectly constructed, Elfrida’s work contrasts minimalist sounds with raw and sincere lyricism.

‘Descend’ is likely to be one of the most thoughtful songs you’ll experience this week. Inspired by the inner conflicts of a neurodivergent mind, the lyrics offer listeners an insight into the artist’s world.

“All my life I’ve been a bit different, stood out in a crowd. I was a curious child, and others saw that as an opportunity to try and break me. I have ADHD and ‘Descend’ describes how my mind works – typically on a bad day. I don’t believe you have to have ADHD to relate, I think everybody feels this way from time to time. Creating music is a therapeutic process for me, and my vision is that my music can help others understand themselves better, and consequently develop a healthier relationship to their mind, soul, and body.”

Elfrida

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Jouska – Fragrance

Photo / Hans Olav Settem

As one of Norway’s most exciting alternative starlets, Oslo’s Jouska has consistently treated listeners to eccentric sounds that push sonic boundaries while still maintaining some pop sensibilities.

Lifted from Jouska’s upcoming ‘Suddenly My Mind Is Blank’ album (out 17th Feb), ‘Fragrance’ presents us with a dreamy and melodic (albeit lyrically bold) slice of experimental electro-pop.

“‘Fragrance’ is probably the most honest song I’ve ever written. I was feeling like such a loser when I wrote it. Usually I like to play with metaphors and hide behind my words when I write songs, but Fragrance turned out really personal and direct.”

London-based fans can catch Jouska on the 15th March at Stoke Newington’s The Waiting Room – tickets can be found here.

Jouska

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New Music: NINV

Photo / emmomoe

As a rising artist and producer from Norway, NINV (aka Nina Ugland) is responsible for crafting some of the most interesting blends of electronica and pop to emerge from Scandinavia.

Inspired by the notion of just ‘letting go’, experimental new single ‘Only We Know‘ serves as NINV’s first single of the year, and as a taster for more releases scheduled over the coming months.

With support from the likes of Under The Radar and Norwegian national radio NRK P3, NINV will be one Nordic name to watch for in 2023.

NINV

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Sval – ANGELA (feat. Jimi Somewhere)

Photo / jacobsen_photographs

Norwegian starlet Sval teams up with frequent collaborator Jimi Somewhere on new single ‘ANGELA’.

In what is likely to be our favourite release from Norway so far this year, the track treats listeners to a sound that is both tender and vulnerable, but also euphoric in tone.

“‘ANGELA’ is a what if story. You fall in love, but you don’t have enough time to make it work. It’s about meeting someone and falling in love in a place where you know it’s temporary. To me the song feels nostalgic, about someone you don’t see anymore, but you still think dearly of.” – Sval

Elaborating further on the song’s creation, and her process with working alongside Jimi Somewhere, Sval explains:

“Writing this song was super easy, I just sang the first thing that came to mind. I only had a guitar loop and some drums and wrote my part on a late night in my living room, before bringing it to the studio with Jimi and Milo. Jimi’s verse really elevated everything, and I love having him as a feature. His voice really suits the song, and I love the story in his verse. It’s one of my favourites from my upcoming project and I hope people can resonate with it.” – Sval

As one of Norway’s newest alt-pop exports, Sval has received tastemaker recognition from the likes of Earmilk, Clout and Going Solo, while her most recent single, ‘GRENADE‘, has been streamed more than 200k times on Spotify alone.

Sval | Jimi Somewhere

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Botaii – Résumé

Artist and producer Botaii (aka Sander Askeland) has proven himself to be one of Norway’s most interesting and experimental newcomers.

‘Résumé’ continues to showcase this talent’s skill at crafting sounds that feel future-forward and unique in tone, while still maintaining a powerfully emotive essence.

With a style of music-making so original and bold, Botaii is one Norwegian talent to keep an eye out for in 2023.

Botaii

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New Music: Markella

Photo / Sara Westergaard Karlsen

As far as premium emerging Scandipop goes, you’ll struggle to find someone as impressive as Greek-Norwegian newcomer Markella.

‘Burn Again’ is a rousing and anthemic fusion of electronica and synth that perfectly encapsulates the feelings of melancholy which Norwegians portray so well in their music.

With more than half a million streams from just two singles, Markella will undoubtedly become one of the Nordic region’s biggest creative exports in the year ahead.

Markella

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New Music: DARKOWA

Photo / Chai Saeidi

Norwegian starlet DARKOWA crafts a style of electronic pop that is future-foward and experimental, but still feels accessible enough for any listener to form a connection with.

‘Aquarius’ is taken from the rising artist’s debut EP, ‘Time Machine’ (out now), and showcases a dreamy sound that is somehow both ethereal and playful at the same time.

Supported by tastemakers as prominent as Wonderland and 730 magazines, DARKOWA is one of the most exciting Nordic talents to keep on your radars in 2023.

DARKOWA

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New Music: Bo Milli

Photo / Synne Sofi Bønes

Another week, another stellar newcomer to emerge from Norway. This time it’s the turn of Bergen-based Bo Milli, who has just unveiled her new single, ‘FOMO’.

Demonstrating a natural flair for writing catchy pop songs that carry with them intelligent lyrics, the track finds the 21-year-old starlet wondering how things would unfold if we were more honest with our feelings towards each other.

“I like writing lyrics that sketch out what someone would say to another person if they were actually honest. In that vein, ‘FOMO’ is about the breaking point in a casual relationship where I lose my cool — in a very literal sense: while that other person is out partying with cool people, I’m unable to hide my true feelings on the matter, unable to stay emotionally distant and hard-to-get. It’s about losing a game you’ve been engaged in with someone, because you care more. And it’s about the ‘fear of missing out’ that constant digital insight into other peoples life has fostered.”

With support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit, The Luna Collective and When The Horn Blows, Bo Milli might well be one of Norway’s next big pop exports.

Bo Milli

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New Music: MAIH

Photo / Sara Westergaard Karlsen

Another new name to add to Norway’s ever-growing roster of impressive pop vocalists, MAIH introduces herself to the world through single ‘Let Him Let Me Go’.

With its perfected style of melancholic dream-pop, the song presents itself as an anthem for the broken-hearted, and feels emotive and vulnerable in tone.

It’s a sound that is so typically Scandinavian in style, but never fails to win us over. Keep MAIH on your radars for the year ahead – this talent may well be one of Norway’s newest exports.

MAIH

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MARBLES – World Inside Me

Norwegian outfit MARBLES are back with a spellbinding slice of dreamy synth-pop through new single ‘World Inside Me’.

Lifted from the band’s forthcoming LP (out early next year), the song was inspired by the emotions that come with loneliness.

“‘World Inside Me’ was written in our most isolated period through the pandemic. It tries to describe a feeling of loneliness that is mostly conjured by our own mind. Even though there are options and offers from the outside world, sometimes you just feel better in your own sphere. Living in your own little world (or bubble) can feel both pleasant and safe, but also quickly turn into a lonesome and desperate state of mind.”

Until their new collection of songs is released, fans of this emerging Nordic group can explore 2020’s self-titled album here.

MARBLES

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New Music: Natan Dagur

Norway continues to deliver world-class pop artistry through rising singer and songwriter Natan Dagur.

Initially gaining prominence from an appearance on Norway’s edition of The Voice, Dagur has since accumulated a significant following that has resulted in over two million catalogue streams on Spotify alone.

New single ‘Holding On’ treats listeners to a perfected pop sound that feels understated yet emotive in tone, and serves as a promising introduction to this exciting newcomer.

Natan Dagur

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