Photo / Charli Ljung Iconic Swedish pop star Loreen unveils her first new single since her triumphant Eurovision win at Liverpool this year. ‘Is It Love’ is sonically inspired by Loreen’s Moroccan Berber roots, while the elevated vocals provide listeners with style of ‘spiritual pop’ that is really quite phenomenal to experience. “‘Is It Love’ was born from a place of seeking clarity, it’s a song describing and contemplating a love that’s so deep but at the same time filled with confusion. It’s about realising that to create a deeper understanding of yourself you need to accept the duality of ..read more

Photo / Room7 Swedish singer and songwriter NOEL is back today with one of the biggest Scandinavian releases of the week. ‘Headed North’ treats listeners to an anthemic fusion of indie and alternative pop. The sound is impassioned and bursting with raw emotion, and continues to mark this hugely gifted 20-year old musician as a superstar of the future. “Writing ‘Headed North’ was like a therapy session. In the past I’ve found myself leaving a potential relationship before it got too serious, and I never really knew why. It sounds like a cliche, but the conversations in the studio made me reali ..read more

If you’ve never experienced ‘stoner rock’ before then we’ve got a very special treat for you. Swedish band Repeat have been gaining steady momentum in recent months thanks to their distinct style of sound, which is bold, vivid and energising in character. Today marks the release of the group’s self-titled debut album, along with a thumping new single called ‘Out of control’. The track is immediately arresting, and sets the sonic tone for the rest of the record. “The idea behind the album is to provide a short and explosive experience of repetitive aggressive songs. We really prefer the short ..read more

Track of the week. Acclaimed Swedish singer-songwriter, producer and artist Dajana has just released one of the most breathtaking singles of the year, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Written as an ode to life, ‘I Say Yes’ presents listeners with a spellbinding fusion of gospel, soul and hip hop. The sound is bold, joyful and cinematic, and reminds us of the transformative powers that music possesses. If you have time to play only one song today, make it this one. ‘I Say Yes’ is lifted from Dajana’s inspiring new EP of the same name, which is out now. Dajana Ones To Watch Playlist Sca ..read more

Photo / Johanna Pettersson Swedish artist Sarah von Reis is no stranger to these pages, so we’re happy to announce see that she’s back today with a stunning new single that deserves your attention. ‘Phenomenon’ is an intimate and seductive piece of music that fuses lo-fi jazz and pop with strings and horns, resulting in a sound that is sultry and entrancing. Elaborating on the song’s lyrics, von Reis says: “The song is a lesbian declaration of love and the sexiest thing I’ve written so far. I chose to use a bass clarinet because it is the hottest instrument out there. I expect a lot of people ..read more

Photo / Fredrik Andersson We’ve got a phenomenal new Scandinavian talent to share with you today, who is almost certain to hit the global mainstream very soon. Hailing from Stockholm, NOEL is a Norwegian-Swedish singer and songwriter who transitioned into the world of music after a knee injury halted his progress into becoming a footballer. ‘When You’re Not Mine’ serves as a powerful anthem for the broken-hearted, and is sure to resonate with huge swathes of listeners across the world. “‘When You’re Not Mine’ was one of the first songs I wrote on my songwriting journey, and it has sort of pr ..read more

London-based Swedish artist, producer and vocalist Tilda Allie has just unveiled one of the most sonically spectacular releases of the summer, in collaboration with Portuguese filmmaker Maria Nunes and composer Laura Lesourd. ‘Theme II’ showcases a conceptual style of sound that is luxuriously textured and cinematic. Allie builds a mysterious musical universe that is rich in character, while the track’s lyrics focus on themes like existentialism and capitalism. “Inspired by the raw landscape of Sweden the strings and the contemporary but classical piano takes you on a cinematic journey into ..read more

Acclaimed musician and producer Oliver Malcolm marks his comeback today with a bold new single. ‘What Am I To Do?’ presents listeners with an energising mix of alternative pop, indie and rock, while the lyrics look at the times in our lives when we are uncertain of how to shape our futures. “I made this song kind of by accident; one of those things where I only created a hook and decided to tease it on the internet, and boom; it reacted so I knew I had to finish it. It’s quite literally a song about not knowing what to do, not being sure of what the next move is.” The track is Malcom’s first ..read more

Photo / Hannes Söderlund Readers in Scandinavia will most likely have already come across Cuban/Swedish songstress LUCIIA at some point over the past year – and once you press play on her new single you’ll understand why. ‘SAME THING NEW MAN’ is taken from the artist’s forthcoming ‘WITH II EYES‘ EP (out in October), and showcases a finessed production that seamlessly fuses 90’s inspired R&B with pop. Explaining the lyrics behind the song, LUCIIA says: “My self-confidence is starting to emerge, and the lyrics are written with a sense that what I receive in relationships is never enough. I ..read more

Photo / Jennifer Söderlund We’ve got a very exciting Swedish talent to share with you today, called Elise Elvira. While not a total newcomer (Elise released a debut EP last year), we’ve only just come across this promising singer and songwriter today. Elise’s new single ‘Charlie, Don’t Do It!’ was written by the artist herself to one of her friends, as a response to the way that he was behaving towards women. The track is dreamy, soulful and enchanting in its production, and (in our view) feels sonically similar to Janet Jackson’s ‘Velvet Rope’ era. Impressively, Elise has already achieved mo ..read more