Swedish talent Korantemaa returns with a stunning fusion of trip hop and dark pop to create something that feels conceptual and experimental, yet timeless.
Korantemaa – noise cancel / denial
Tag: Swedish Music
New Music: Vi.
Showcasing a perfect balance between EDM and pop, Swedish songwriter & producer duo Per Berglin and Adrian Bellan have come up with one of the catchiest tracks of the week, featuring vocals from VAALEA.
The song itself is all about accepting someone for everything that they are when you fall in love…
“If I take the best of you, I better take the rest of you. I guess that’s how it’s supposed to be.”
New Music: Julia Viktoria
Another week, another outstanding Swedish pop discovery. This time around it’s Julia Viktoria, a talent who has created one of the most perfect-sounding electro-pop songs that I heave heard from Sweden in quite some time. Talking about this track, Julia says:
“I started getting a lot of flashbacks from my previous relationship. I could not stop thinking and reflecting on the time we had together and what we shared. I also reflected on the fact that a person who I shared a part of my life with suddenly turned into a stranger. I didn’t want us to be strangers, I wanted to be able to get to know that person again, in a different perspective.”
Taken from the new ‘Stranger’ EP which is out now.
New Music: DREAMDNVR
Swedish-born producer and artist Philip Tillström, also known as DREAMDNVR, could be one of the most exciting pop exports from the Nordic nation. The music itself blends an intensely powerful style of electronic pop with RnB to create a sound that feels both dark and intriguing .
“SCORPIO is a story about having an affair with a mysterious & manipulative person. Just like the astrology says the Scorpio is known to be one of the most feared and powerful zodiac signs . They know just what to do to keep you hooked and can be dangerous when circumstances are not right.”
New Music: Lou Elliotte
While Lou Elliotte is not an entirely new name (she’s already one of Sweden’s most established songwriters, as well as part of the massively successful super-group Estraden), this release marks the introduction of her English language solo project. It’s a low-key banger too, at that.
Joel Malka – Hell Of A Summer
One of the most gorgeous releases to come out of Sweden this week, Joel Malka’s ‘Hell Of A Summer‘ is a delicate, emotive and captivating piece of experimental RnB-pop that looks into how this year is affecting our mental health.
“I guess most of us have had to get used to a feeling of loneliness this year, while missing birthdays and funerals and worrying about loved ones from a distance. I wrote this about appreciating whatever little moments of mental diversion I could find, like on some ‘we can stay strangers, it’s just nice to have someone to talk to for a minute’-type of vibe.”
LOVA – Lonely Ones
I’ll let LOVA explain this song, because not only is it a beautiful cut of pop but the message will warm your heart:
“‘Lonely Ones’ is basically me reaching out with a hand to anyone who feels alone or has ever experienced it. Loneliness is something I think we all feel sometimes, and it can come in so many different shapes and forms.You don’t always have to physically be alone to feel lonely. You can feel alone in your relationships, at work or in big crowds of people – like me. Usually when I feel lonely, I think to myself that I must be the only one feeling like this – pathetic, boring, and unlovable – and that no one can relate or knows how it feels. But I guess the truth is that we all feel it, and knowing that and hearing other people talk about it makes it all feel a little less lonely. So, I hope this song can do just that for you. That it can be a friend to keep you company in moments of loneliness and remind you that YOU ARE NOT ALONE.”
Ramverk – Last Hour
With the release of their new album today, the Swedish duo are back with another flawless piece of dreamy electronic pop that feels both intense and cinematic.
“The music is a result of our collective experiences musically and lyrically. Many of the songs are about our current life situations, about putting things behind us and looking ahead.” – Alexander Maksic, Ramverk
Taken from the album ‘Resurrection’ which is out now.
JÁNA + VanJess – Green
Stockholm based pop talent JÁNA joins forces with Nigerian-American RnB duo VanJess to create one of the smoothest, most luxurious slices of soulful jazz you will experience this week.
“It’s reflecting on jealousy within a relationship. I’ve been giving jealousy a lot of thought – how we are so willing to give a person everything, except the romantic love of someone else – and how that feeling can eat you up. Like showing love in the form of jealousy.” – JÁNA
New Music: Ida-Lova
While entirely sung in Swedish, this is one of the most beautiful Scandinavian releases that I have heard all month.
And even when the lyrics aren’t in English, you still feel a connection to the song. It’s a sweet balance of breezy dream-pop, juxtaposed against a distinctly melancholy vocal.
New Music: KITE
Powerfully dark and impactful Swedish synth pop. So many things speak to me when I hear this track. It’s raw, rebellious, confident, haunting, bold and totally immersive.
Play it loud and lose yourself to those pulsating beats and ethereal vocals… it’s well worth it.
Duvchi – Impatient
An experimental yet beautiful blend of dream pop and downtempo from Swedish mega-talent Duvchi.
Eleonor Léone – Karma
Just you wait til that first chorus hits, because this is one of the most intense pieces of dark Scandinavian pop you’ll experience all week. The track looks at those sleepless nights we all experience when anxiety takes over, and how those thoughts can create a prison in our minds.
“I think everyone can relate to the feeling of not always being able to be your true self. You put yourself down and judge yourself based out of fear, and fear breeds fear. And the more space you give something, the more real it becomes.”
Menke – Echo of Youth – Story Behind The Music (Short Film)
Today marks World Mental Health Day across the globe; a time to remember that pain can hurt just as much when it’s unseen, as it is seen.
With that in mind, Swedish singer Menke has released a deeply personal short film to accompany the collection of songs from ‘Echo of Youth‘ that were written over a ten year period when her life was turned upside down as a result of depression in her family.
During that time, Menke had to move from Berlin where she was performing as a folk singer, back home to her native Sweden to look after her 13-year old sister.
Their mother had lost the ability to function as a parent due to her deep depression, and Menke had to step up and look after her sibling full time.
The EP is heartfelt a story of struggle, and the departure of youth as one transitions to adulthood.
“We recorded the songs in one long take, not track by track. I wanted to capture a human and close feel – the withered and the exposed.“
VARPU – Pretty Girls
One of the most endearing Swedish talents of the year, VARPU is back today with a song that is the epitome of melancholy pop, Scandinavian style.
“I wanna share a song with you that I wrote after finding out that my boyfriend cheated on me. I instantly knew from the tone of his voice that my universe was about to get pulled out from under me and the days that followed were like quarantine without the virus, just Netflix and social distancing.”
Anna Bergendahl – Vera
While on the surface ‘Vera’ comes across as a typical (and beautifully melodic) country-pop tune, the story behind the lyricism takes this song to a whole new level, and one which is poignant and extremely moving.
“My family has suffered from terrible disease, and the song is from the perspective of the future, when everyone is well again. Until then I put my faith in the whisper in the wind – may it be the whisper of God or love or just wishful thinking – nevertheless I hear it.”
SVEA – Never Call Me Again
SVEA seems to be one of the hardest working Swedish pop songstresses out there, consistently delivering some of the country’s finest Scandi pop right now. And with that, she’s just treated us to another huge banger that’s infectiously fresh.
Elina – Remember
As a songwriter, the Ivor Novello-nominated Swedish talent Elina has penned songs for artists such as Zara Larsson, Astrid S, and NEIKED (‘Sexual).
Above all this, she’s been releasing her own music for some time now, having first being featured here back in 2018.
Now she’s back with another beautifully emotive and heartfelt ballad, taken from her new EP ‘Remember’ which is out now.
New Music: Late Verlane
A fusion of subdued indie and power-pop from a Swedish talent signed to the iconic Future Classic label.
