These American Superstars Work with Scandinavian Songwriters and Producers on Their Chart-Topping Hits. Here's How the Scandi
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These American superstars work with Scandinavian songwriters and producers on their chart-topping hits. Here’s how the Scandipop genre came to be and how it’s making its mark on the music industry. BY TAYLOR HUGO 22 VIKING MARCH 2020 sonsofnorway.com sonsofnorway.com VIKING MARCH 2020 23 ou no doubt recognize ON THE POP MUSIC MAP their music lives on thanks to tribute the names Taylor Swift, Originally made up of two couples— bands like A*Teens and movies like Britney Spears and Katy Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus, “Mama Mia!” In 2010, the group was Perry, but what about and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid even inducted into the Rock & Roll Max Martin, Andre Lyngstad—ABBA drew its name from Hall of Fame—but perhaps their most Lindal or Mikkel Eriksen? the members’ first initials. The group significant achievement was putting YThough their names don’t carry the began performing together in 1970 Scandinavians on the global pop music same star power as America’s biggest as a cabaret act called Festfolket. map. Many of your favorite pop artists can trace their chart-topping songs pop musicians, their work speaks for Although that initial collaboration was “ABBA, of course, ticked off the big back to Scandinavian songwriters and producers. Here’s a look at some of those connections. itself: They are the people responsible unsuccessful, their 1972 song “People boost for Scandinavia when it comes for a large portion of those catchy Top Need Love” garnered some positive to pop music,” says Siw K Sommer 40 tunes—think: “Blank Space,” “Baby attention in Sweden, their home Winther, a cultural historian, composer, One More Time,” “Irreplaceable” country. That prompted them to enter artist and CEO of Sound of You, a and “Unfaithful,” to name a few. But the 1973 Melodifestivalen, an annual Norwegian audio-branding agency that competition that determines has worked with artists like Sting, Boy ONE the country’s representative in George and Miley Cyrus. “ABBA had a SHAKIRA DIRECTION the international Eurovision very distinct sound, and it kind of lifted RIHANNA Song Contest. Though ABBA the roof for Scandinavia. They paved REDONE JESSICA SIMPSON didn’t win Melodifestivalen the way.” BEYONCÉ with their song “Ring Ring,” LADY GAGA it became the biggest hit in SCANDIPOP REVOLUTION STARGATE JUSTIN BIEBER Sweden that year, spreading Since ABBA signed off and told their MARIAH CAREY their name and sound to other fans “Thank You for the Music,” European countries. Scandinavian artists have continued Within a year, everything to succeed with pop in their home had changed. In 1974, ABBA countries and abroad. A-ha, the band entered Melodifestivalen again from Oslo, was the first Norwegian JENNIFER LOPEZ KATY PERRY P!NK and won, going on to take part group to have a number-one hit in the in the Eurovision finals hosted U.S. with their iconic song “Take On GWEN besides getting a credit on the albums of in Brighton, England. There they took Me,” while Swedish pop group Ace of STEFANI BACKSTREET BOYS the music industry’s A-listers, they have top honors with their song “Waterloo,” Base sold more than 9 million copies of NICK JONAS *NSYNC another trait in common: They are all which soon reached number one on their 1993 album “The Sign.” Swedish ED SHEERAN MATTMAN Scandinavian. the charts in Europe and the top 10 singer Robyn also had two Billboard & MAX KELLY CLARKSON in the U.S., spawning a series of hits It’s openly acknowledged in the music Hot 100 singles after dropping her ROBIN MARTIN industry that Scandinavians are the over the next decade including “SOS,” debut album “Robyn Is Here” in 1995. not-so-secret weapon when it comes to “Mamma Mia,” “Dancing Queen” and “I really wish that [modern] TAYLOR producing many of today’s irresistible “Fernando.” Scandinavian pop music would be more SWIFT earworms, so this may come as no The group disbanded in 1982, but influenced by ABBA because their sound surprise. Scandinavians have been pop they left an undeniable legacy. To this is so spectacular,” Winther says. “There SELENA GOMEZ powerhouses for decades—just look day, ABBA remains the most successful are very few artists around the world in back to the 1970s, when a group called Eurovision winner in the contest’s 64- any genre that really can master making MAROON 5 ABBA burst their way onto the music year history (the 2020 event takes place good, happy music, so I would love to scene and changed it forever. May 12–16 in the Netherlands), and hear more of that.” One contemporary artist she KYGO ELLIE GOULDING NELLY FURTADO PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MATT WINKELMEYER/TAS18, LARRY BUSACCA/PW, KHALED DESOUKI KHALED BUSACCA/PW, LARRY WINKELMEYER/TAS18, LEFT: MATT TOP CLOCKWISEFROM PAGE, PREVIOUS thinks has come close is Kygo. Born SPEARS BRITNEY Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, the 28-year-old ANDRE Norwegian DJ exploded in popularity BLOODSHY & LINDAL when he released his first original song AVANT “Firestone” in 2014, and has since MADONNA gone on to collaborate with American megastars like Selena Gomez and John Legend. Though Kygo’s focus TOP LEFT: CHRIS WALTER / GETTY/ IMAGES LEFT:WALTER CHRIS TOP SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTOS ALL 24 VIKING MARCH 2020 sonsofnorway.com sonsofnorway.com VIKING MARCH 2020 25 is electronic dance music, he has been Not all Scandinavian pop musicians leader for Noroff School of Technology most simply: “Pop is in the water and credited with inventing the “tropical enjoy the spotlight, however, and some and Digital Media, explaining comes out in great songs.” house” genre, an EDM-pop hybrid that of the region’s biggest hits come from what makes Scandipop stand out. The internet has also played a sounds exactly like its moniker: laid back people who—unlike the megastars “Many producers comment on this role in the more recent explosion of and beachy. Ellie Goulding’s “First Time” who sing their songs—are basically focus on melody as a Norwegian or Scandipop. “Norway, and the Nordics, is a good example of this, as is Selena anonymous outside of the music Scandinavian ‘trait’ or ‘sound.’ Perhaps were early adopters of Spotify [a Gomez’s “It Ain’t Me,” both of which industry. Max Martin and Stargate, the it's because we grow up liking songs Swedish company], and when the feature Kygo as a co-producer. duo made up of Tor Erik Hermansen based on melody and not lyrics, because rest of the world started streaming “Kygo is kind of the only one who has and Mikkel Eriksen, are perhaps the best we don't understand English as a child. music, our songs were already really developed a very distinct sound examples of this. Although relatively I’ve noticed that although my students there. This created an international after ABBA, in my opinion,” Winther unknown as individuals, they’ve are good at writing and speaking attention we have not had before,” says. “He’s been a game-changer.” collectively produced songs for a Who’s English, the melody is often a higher says Kathrine Synnes Finnskog, the Other Scandipop artists currently riding Who of American pop music, including priority than the lyrics.” managing director of Music Norway, a wave of mainstream success on stage Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, In The Atlantic article titled “Why an organization whose mission include Ålesund, Norway–born Sigrid, the Jennifer Hudson and Backstreet Boys, to Is Sweden So Good at Pop Music?,” is to “facilitate growth in interest songstress behind “Don’t Kill My Vibe,” name a few (see the infographic on page Swedish academic Ola Johansson and use of Norwegian music of all and Stockholm’s Icona Pop, whose “I 25 for more). argues that Scandinavians’ penchant genres” through grants, networking Love It” collaboration with Charli XCX for pop comes from factors like their opportunities and counseling. peaked at number seven on the Billboard THE “X” FACTOR ability to speak English well and keep But according to Winther, who Hot 100. Taking a page from the boy This Nordic tune takeover has up with the latest trends, as well as the is releasing a double album titled bands that came before them, 15-year- prompted countless writers and popularity of MTV when the channel “Birds of Paradise” under her artist old twins Marcus & Martinus play up educators to ponder the question: debuted in Sweden in 1987. The Globe name Shekinah this year, there is the heartthrob vibe with teenage love Why are Scandinavians so good at and Mail calls Sweden the “Nashville another “X” factor that helps make songs in both English and Norwegian, pop music? of the Nordics” for being one of the Scandinavians so successful—and it and Aurora, the singer-songwriter from “I think that Scandinavians are world’s biggest exporters of music has nothing to do with the music. Stavanger, Norway, most recently hit the perhaps more focused on melodies than relative to the size of its economy, “Scandinavians are so down-to- big screen with her “Into the Unknown” lyrics,” says Nils-Egil Langeland, the while an Independent article quoting earth,” says Winther, pointing to a duet with Idina Menzel in “Frozen 2.” Sound and Music Production program Norwegian singer Dagny explained it way of living ruled by what’s known as janteloven, or The Law of Jante. Put simply, it’s a Nordic code of conduct A-ha Kygo that encourages people to live free from boastfulness and jealousy. “The few who manage to ignore this are strong personalities, but also very Stargate grounded, hardworking and focused.” While humility is an admirable trait, Winther argues that this can also be a downfall, and she would like to see less emphasis placed on janteloven.