Whether you liked it or not, 2017’s mainstream music scene was undeniably one of great anticipation and variety; it saw Lorde waiting for the green light, Kendrick Lamar being humble, Dua Lipa making new rules and the perhaps all too notorious Big Shaq never taking his jacket off. But behind the front lines of the always hectic industry, a few of Norway’s hidden gems have slowly but surely been starting to spread outside of Scandinavia; some of its female artists are shining in particular, introducing a refreshing take on pop music and producing tracks that most certainly deserve more attention. With a new year in music quickly approaching, perhaps it’s finally time for the mainstream scene to make space for some of them to shake up the charts.
Here are three female Norwegian pop artists who deserve to thrive in 2018:
1) Sigrid
Having already amassed 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Sigrid is most certainly starting to make something of a name for herself in the music scene. The versatility from upbeat tracks to slower piano ballads on her debut EP Don’t Kill My Vibe — released earlier this year — has gained her attention from the likes of Apple Music, who made her the Next Up Artist in May, as well as the BBC, who put her on the Sound of 2018 longlist. With all of this focus on her already and an album being hinted at for release, 2018 is already holding great promise for Sigrid.
“I’m young. I don’t care. I won’t quit.”
A song about being sick and tired of being looked down on, Sigrid’s debut single Don’t Kill My Vibe is a true empowerment anthem. She’s basically giving the finger to the people who walked all over her during a writing session, underestimating her and thinking that her ideas were useless. She tells them everything that she had refrained from saying before — that they’re not as important to her as they thought they were, that she’s not going to quit, that she can be successful without them. Through an impressive vocal range, an almost too catchy chorus and some rather contagious yelling, Sigrid makes you want to follow her lead and scream at anyone who has ever belittled you as well. Don’t Kill My Vibe is definitely a feel-good song for shouting at the top of your lungs with your friends.
Watch the music video for Don’t Kill My Vibe below:
2) Dagny
Dagny first drew people in with her debut single Backbeat and her EP Ultraviolet, released back in 2016. Since then, she has come out with nothing short of pop masterpieces that have all been enthusiastically received; her songs are ones that give you a three-minute taste of freedom and carelessness, and they make you want to let go and dance harder than ever before. With just over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Dagny has already proven herself to be someone worth watching, and if she continues to produce songs of a high calibre, 2018 could most definitely be her year to make it big.
“You know how they say you got the real thing when nothing else matters. I love you like that.”
Dagny’s latest single Love You Like That undeniably adds to her ever-growing list of pop anthems. Dubbed by the singer herself as her “first real love song,” the synth-heavy track is electrifying, beginning with her voice floating almost timidly above a scarce backing before she lets go completely with intense vocals above a hooking beat, unashamedly declaring her love for someone who is clearly important to her. A song about breaking down your walls and opening up to someone with lyrics to make your heart swell, an addictive chorus and more “I Love Yous” than you can count, Love You Like That is the not so cliché love song that your playlist is missing.
Listen to Love You Like That below:
3) Astrid S
Having worked with the likes of Shawn Mendes, Avicii and Katy Perry, Astrid S has already begun to make her way onto the worldwide stage, accumulating almost 7 million monthly Spotify listeners before even releasing a full-length album. Her EPs Astrid S and Party’s Over have gained her a sizable audience, with songs ranging from lively ones with catchy beats such as Such A Boy, to much more raw and honest ones such as I Don’t Wanna Know. With her debut album almost certainly set for release during 2018, this hidden secret of pop is sure to soon come out of hiding.
“I took all that we built, and I broke it.”
The simplicity in the production of Astrid’s latest single Think Before I Talk leaves more room for the depth and honestly of the lyrics to take precedence. It’s a song about regret — about the all too relatable moment when you’re blinded by rage and come out with things that you don’t mean. Like most of Astrid’s songs, the track still features a synth-orientated beat, but it is lighter here than usual, instead paired with a guitar loop, giving the song a more vulnerable feel that allows Astrid’s voice to really shine through — the delicacy of her vocals conveying the sadness and anger that she’s feeling in the most bittersweet way. Despite its simplicity, Think Before I Talk is most certainly a song to make you think, a song to make you feel.
Watch the music video for Think Before I Talk below:
