SWEDISH POP EXPORTS - SWEDEN – ONE OF THE LEADING POP-MUSIC NATIONS TODAY contacts outside the country. It is therefore A third explanation is the support of natural that everyone speaks at least one Swedish study organisations. Young THE USA: 318 MILLION PEOPLE. other language. Swedes who want to develop their musical Just about all Swedes speak English. talent can get assistance with renting re- THE U.K: 60 MILLION. In contrast to other European countries hearsal spaces and purchasing instruments. such as Italy, Spain and Germany, Sweden Songwriter and producer Shellback does not dub English-language television – with eight Billboard No.1 hits – has SWEDEN: 10 MILLION. series and films: as a result, Swedes expressed his thanks to ABF, a union- hear English spoken every day. Younger supported education fund, for the THE WORLD’S THREE LEADING Swedes who grew up with the internet, opportunity to pursue his music. computers, computer games and music – A fourth reason, and possibly the most where English predominates – can be said important, is mentorship. Swedish songwrit- POP-MUSIC NATIONS TODAY. to be bilingual. ers and producers work in a non-hierarchi- Swedes are also among the most- cal, collaborative way, supporting each other. travelled people in the world. A great many Everything started with Denniz PoP Swedish songwriters and producers are ron Studios at Stockholm’s Fridhemsplan. Swedish school students travel on lan- (1963-1998). He mentored Max Martin, the powering the biggest performers in the PoP, who’s first No.1, was with Ace of guage trips, through companies such as EF. most successful songwriter in the world world. During 2014, 25 per cent of the Base, created a non-hierarchical way of Another reason for Sweden’s inter- over the past 20 years. Martin in his turn No.1 hits on the American Billboard pop working, songwriting as teamwork, which national success is the advanced standard has mentored Shellback. chart were written by Swedes. influenced the way modern international and high level of uptake of modern tech- In recent years, Shellback and Martin When Katy Perry performed at the pop music is created and sounds today. nology in the country. have been mentors for the Wolf Cousins, Super Bowl in January 2015, the first five Many of the world’s biggest stars today When the internet took off, Sweden nine young producers behind tracks such songs she performed were written by – Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, was number 2 in the world, after the US. as Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do Sweden’s Max Martin. (The sixth and final Britney Spears, Maroon 5, Pink, Madon- Since the birth of mobile telephony, (theme song for the film Fifty Shades of song was Norwegian.) na, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Adam Sweden has had the second-highest Grey), Ariana Grande’s Problem and Tove Lambert, One Direction – perform songs mobile phone density in the world, after Lo’s Stay High. HOW IS THAT created by Swedes. Finland. The ability to adapt quickly to new On several occasions during the technology has proven vital in the increas- Shellback POSSIBLE? 2010s, half the songs on the US Top- ingly digital music industry. The fact that a peripheral, out-of-the-way 10 list have been written by Swedes. All modern recordings are digitalised country like Sweden – with an obscure lan- Swedish pop in the 2010s is domi- in some way. Mixing and editing is done guage understood by nobody outside the nated by women: Tove Lo, Robyn, Lykke using computers. And when it comes to Nordic region – could take such a position Li, Seinabo Sey, First Aid Kit, Say Lou forms of music such as techno, house, hip in the English-speaking music world is as Lou… the list could be three times as long. hop, modern R&B and synth pop, all the unlikely as Albania or Uruguay doing it. When it comes to songwriters and music is performed using computers. The story of Swedish pop exports producers, men are in the majority, but There is surprisingly little difference starts with ABBA. The super group was a women are making inroads there too. between a modern recording studio and phenomenon, demonstrating for coming There are numerous Swedish songwriters an IT company. The entrepreneurial spirit generations of Swedish musicians that it among the best in the world today. behind them, the ‘idea factory,’ and the was possible to come from Sweden and interior design are all similar. Stockholm, achieve international success. which during the IT hysteria at the end of Groups such as Roxette, Europe and CAUSES the 1990s was seen as the leading IT city The Cardigans followed, but the founda- How could little Sweden have such a huge in Europe, also has the highest number of tions for today’s Swedish pop exports influence on contemporary popular culture? recording studios per capita in the world. were really laid in the 1990s with the One reason is the country’s diminutive Sweden is also a leader in music songwriters and producers congregating size. The domestic market is so small that distribution, with companies such as around Denniz PoP (1963–1998) and Chei- for most professions, it is essential to have Spotify and Soundcloud. SWEDISH POP EXPORTS. TEXT BY JAN GRADVALL #1 ‘I started playing drums at 13 after hearing my all-time favourite drummer MUNICIPAL Cozy Powell playing a drum solo. I was 8 REASONS WHY MUSIC SCHOOLS totally overcome by the sheer power of drums and felt right away that “this was If you’re wondering why Sweden produc- it”,’ says Europe drummer Ian Haugland, es such great artists with staying power, who did two years at kommunala musik- SWEDEN ROCKS it’s worth taking a closer look at how skolan. ‘Apart from the drums I can also Swedish children are raised especially play a little guitar and keyboards, but not – within the realm of music. enough to scare the rats out of the cellar!’ Anders Nunstedt, a music reporter and editor for daily newspaper Expressen, Did you know that Sweden is the world’s most says the most obvious reason is municipal #2 music schools (kommunala musikskolan) SINGING IN CHOIRS successful exporter of chart music, in relation that – while not mandatory – were hugely popular in Sweden during the 70s and For those who can carry a tune, many to GDP?* From ABBA to Swedish House Mafia, 80s and still are. ‘During these decades start out in choirs. According to Sveriges success from artists like ABBA gave young Körförbund (the Swedish choir union), Robyn, Tove Lo and First Aid Kit, via Roxette Swedish musicians confidence that, even roughly 600,000 Swedes sing in choirs, though Sweden is a small country, we can and the union represents about 500 choirs. and The Cardigans, there always seems to be at still make a big impact on the international While these numbers may not seem stag- music scene,’ notes Nunstedt. gering at first glance, they actually make least one Swedish act at the top. Here are eight Access to instruments and classes Sweden the country with the highest num- are provided through music schools run ber of choirs per capita in the entire world. reasons why Sweden, with 10 million inhabit- by various local municipalities so many Sweden’s strong choral tradition comes children try their hands at different types from a deep-seated culture of singing folk ants, rocks the music scene globally. of instruments to finally find which ones songs, especially around Midsummer and they’re naturally good at. major festivities like Christmas. * According to a paper by American researchers Joel Waldfogel and Fernando Ferreira of the University of Larsson Zara Kit Aid First Pennsylvania Wharton School, Sweden is the number one ex- porter of chart music relative to GDP in the world, followed by Canada, Finland, the UK, New Zealand and the US (based on data from 1960 to 2007). 8 REASONS WHY SWEDEN ROCKS. TEXT BY LOLA AKINMADE ÅKERSTRÖM Internationally acclaimed Swedish DJ #3 #4 #5 Tim Bergling, more widely known as THE SWEDISH SWEDES INDEPENDENCE Avicii, organised the X You project which GOVERNMENT LOVES BEHIND IS was touted as the world’s largest music collaboration – bringing together 4,199 ROCK MUSIC TOO THE SCENES VALUED people from 140 countries who contributed 12,951 melodies, basslines, beats, rhythms, Since 1997, the Swedish government has You might be surprised to find that Swedish Many Swedish artists take full control of breaks and effects – all made possible by awarded its Music Export Prize in recogni- songwriters lie behind many chart-topping their creative process – from songwriting technology. tion of international musical achievements pop songs today. There’s songwriter and to owning their own labels and marketing Sweden-based Spotify is the modern by Swedes. Past honourees have included producer Max Martin, who has penned themselves independently – and pop rock day digital equivalent of ‘word of mouth’ Swedish House Mafia, Robyn, members catchy pop tunes for Britney Spears, Taylor sensation Robyn is just one example. She music recommendations. Started in 2006 of ABBA, The Hives, The Cardigans, Max Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Usher, Backstreet founded Konichiwa Records in 2005 to by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, Spotify Martin, and Roxette. Boys, and ‘N Sync. There’s producer Shell- cover all aspects of her music career such allows users to freely listen to, stream, and ‘Our well-developed social system back, who topped Billboard’s 2012 chart as as media management, recording con- share millions of music tracks to their com- makes it possible for people to create the #1 producer and has written for Maroon tracts, and her creative process.