Undoubtedly one of Norway’s biggest pop exports in recent years (she’s amassed over 2 billion streams to date), Astrid S has released new album ‘Leave It Beautiful‘ today, and each song is a shimmering slice of perfected synth pop (just like ‘Hits Different’, which is one of my personal favourites).
Quirky indie pop doesn’t get more charming than this. The entire EP is a joyride, to be honest. Give it a spin here.
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.
A perfect harmony of dark pop and electronica, immersed within a universe of emotive tones.
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'”.
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.”
This is what it feels like when melancholy and euphoria are blended together into an indie song.
“’Scared’ was written a couple of years ago and we’ve played it live every time since – it’s one of our favourites. But we struggled to translate the energy that Ellie (front woman, Das Body) radiates during the live performances into the studio version. We feel like we finally managed it, to project the eccentric Ellie Linden, almost as if she is pushed through even the tiny speakers on your laptop or phone.”
Taken from upcoming album Peregrine, which is due soon.
A quintessentially Scandinavian pop sound; one that carries a fine balance between melancholy and light-hearted introspection. A very promising release from Norwegian talent Andrea, who is still only 21-years old.
“I wrote this song in early 2020, while living in London. A song about not quite knowing where and how to move forward in life. Mentioning a failed relationship as well as the struggles with making and seeing through plans, ‘Fighting For’ addresses the pressures in the life of a young adult.”
Norwegian artist Paria has managed to create one of the catchiest slices of pop this year! A hypnotic, charming and beautifully simple track that will stay with you all weekend.
“‘C ́mon’ is really the most spontaneous song I have ever made. I wrote it while I stayed in a farm in Norway last summer, I remember walking around humming the melody that now has become the hook for this song ‘c’mon, c’mon, c’mon’ for some reason. ‘C’mon’ puts you in the situation of someone who tries to convey their basic needs to another person, but they’re too scared to say the words out loud.”
A fusion of old-school soul blended with a modern and eclectic edge to create a sound which feels conceptual yet emotive.
A Norwegian talent who is already on an ascent; having been featured as singer and co-writer of Coucheron’s wildly popular single ‘LOUD‘, and more recently with the release of ‘I Don’t Want to Lose a Friend‘ garnering almost half a million streams and being the most played single on Norwegian radio NRK P3 this spring.
The sound itself feels organic, mellow and soulful. There’s a unique charm to the music that makes it relatable, warm and full of emotion.
The Norwegian 23-year old multi-instrumentalist returns today with a slick number; this release bounces between being playful and sweet, while still feeling an appreciation for old-school soul.
“Yet another love song… My favourite thing is to relax and chill out in my own home, and it’s even better when you are with someone you love.”
One of Norway’s most promising new boybands return with nothing short of a Scandinavian pop banger.
Following on from a break in music, Laurent has recently signed with hugely successful Made Management (one of Norway’s premier agencies and home to Aurora, Sigrid, dePresno and a ton of other talents), so you can expect to see and hear a lot more of this kid in the coming future.
Laurent’s blend of glitchy pop and RnB is a unique and entertaining experience, and this song in particular carries a storyline that many fellow artists can associate with.
“Before ‘I’m Done’ I had long tried to force myself to go back to a ‘normal’ job, but at that time struggled with it because I was too hung up on everyone else’s opinions. I was simply too proud and terrified to lose my ‘place’ and afraid that people would have a different impression of me than ‘artist’. It all started with my first day at work as a bartender in Bergen. The nightclub was in full swing and I was thrown into the bar. The first guest I was to serve was someone who recognised me from my previous music career. His first comment was ‘It went damn fast from a stage to a bar!’ This was what inspired me to write ‘I’m Done’. It feels very wrong to stand in a bar or sit in an office and promote other artists for a nightclub when you yourself are an artist, rather than working on your own artist career. I have an extremely bad conscience and I immediately feel a nasty kind of fomo (fear of missing out) feeling.”
SKAAR has well and truly become an established pop newcomer in her native Norway, having had her first five singles all be A-listed on national radio.
Add to that the international buzz that this 22-year old talent has been getting from her debut track ‘Higher Ground’ which has now exceeded 11 million streams at Spotify.
This new release was written as a song for hope and looking forward when times are hard.
“We needed to let go of things that hadn’t been working for us and people that had been a bad influence. This year has been a turning point for us all. It’s important to have a song that looks towards a brighter future.”
Check out the debut EP ‘The Other Side Of Waiting’ here.
This is one of those songs that is so unashamedly pop that it’s impossible not to feel good once you press play. Disco seems to be making a resurgence in Norway and I am here for it!
“‘Madness’ was written during the first session we had had in a while, because I live in Bergen and my producer Benjamin Giørtz (Tiësto, Betty Who), lives in Oslo, and the country had just started allowing people to travel again within Norway. It’s a buzz to be finally able to do the thing you love again, and that was probably where the bubbly, playful vibe in this song came from. The lyrics are about when someone suddenly becomes interested in you and gets really friendly, and you question yourself about where they’re really coming from. Because other people’s intentions often aren’t good, and you know you shouldn’t get involved really, but it can be difficult to keep yourself away.”
