In 2021, Nørrebro, a trendy area in the northern part of Copenhagen, was named the “Coolest Neighbourhood of 2021” by TimeOut. This was followed by another nomination the year after: Værnedamsvej, a street located in Vesterbro, was crowned one of the “coolest streets of the year”. Perhaps even Miss Emily in Paris herself is on to something, the actress settling down just last year in the glorious city of… well, mermaids and hot people, I guess. It seems in recent years, Denmark, and Copenhagen especially, has garnered a lot of attention internationally – and for good reason. Not only has this humble nation consistently ranked amongst the happiest in the world, it also has an incredibly vibrant music scene with a tight knit community of artists working together in various constellations. With the prospect of summer and freedom on the horizon, perhaps it is time to look to this Scandinavian country for the solution to all your problems. In my totally unbiased opinion, I predict Denmark to be the ‘it’ destination this summer. So why not prepare yourself to be insufferably superior, indeed “one of the locals”, by listening to ten of my favourite Danish artists at the moment.
Statisk
Mathias Ranch Skov (Singer & Songwriter) and August Kulmann (Producer, Synths, etc.) write punchy electro-pop/rock that makes you want to pull a Troye Sivan and run around aimlessly through the night in your cuntiest sequined ensemble. Through Mathias’ raw and powerful voice and the carefully constructed chaos of August’s soundscape, the duo manages to capture the anger and anxiety that comes with being young in a postmodern society. Having experienced the ultimate lows of life at an early age, these guys have mastered the art of writing angsty indie-pop/rock in a way that doesn’t feel overly romanticised or disingenuous. Their debut album ‘Trampoliner’, besides having one of the most disgustingly aesthetic album covers I’ve ever seen (in a good way), is in my humble opinion a 10/10.
Stand-outs: The entirety of ‘Trampoliner’ (particularly ‘Kender du Følelsen’ and ‘Lige Linje Til Solen’), ‘Højhus’, ‘Motorvej’.
Hun_Sagde
Emma Lillelund Saaugaard, otherwise known as Hun_Sagde, writes of anxiety, abuse of power, existentialism and religion – you know, all the good stuff that you’re thinking about on the Luas – in a relatable and honest way. With songs like ‘Ring til Gud, Sig han er Død’ (‘Call God, Tell him He is Dead’), and ‘Ingenting’ (‘Nothing’) she manages to transform big and scary topics into beautifully raw and emotional hip hop with R&B and art-pop elements. Although she has only released an EP, each song is so well constructed and the lyrics so stunning that she is definitely still worth checking out. Of course, I realise that most of you aren’t able to understand Danish, but Google Translate will be your friend. If not, I will translate it for you!
Stand-outs: ‘Ingenting’, ‘Fanget i en Drøm’, ‘Ring til Gud, Sig Han er Død’, ‘Ik Sig Det Til Nogen’, ‘Hende’.
Gorgeous
No word better describes the ethereal, guitar heavy tunes of Marie Louise Persson Bjarnarson and Andreas Enrique Murga than the name of the duo itself. The indiepop/country sound coupled with Marie’s unique voice is indeed nothing short of gorgeous. With picturesque and dreamy lyrics that feel as though they are painting a movie scene in front of you, you’d be cheating yourself if you didn’t give them a listen. And get this: their songs are actually in English! The pair have only released a few singles, but they potentially have an album/EP coming soon, so this is your chance to have a ‘I knew them before they were on TikTok’ moment.
Stand-outs: ‘Divine’, ‘Nothing Was Perfect’, ‘Subconscious’, and ‘Coyote’.
FRAADS
Sexy, energetic and just a little bit weird. I scarcely have a better way to describe these guys, but that is also why I love them. FRAADS consists of childhood besties David Engelbrecht and Frederik Espersen, who’ve been creating sassy pop/hip hop/R&B medleys since their debut in 2016. FRAADS performs high energy, absolutely insane gigs, with the lead singer, Frederik, throwing himself around the stage and into the crowd as though he was a tennis ball on a motorway. Frederik also has a solo career under the name ‘Papa E’, which, considering his last name, one might be inclined to think stands for ‘Espersen’, but no. This man has christened himself ‘Papa Erotic’, and I can do nothing but admire that deeply.
Stand-outs: ‘Forsigtig’, ‘I ved ikke noget om mig’, ‘Mama’, ‘Blind Lyst’, ‘00kay’, ‘Dragekvinden’, ‘Akira’, ‘Papa du så flot’, ‘Blinker’, ‘Farlig Danser’.
Phlake
Many may know of Phlake, a Danish R&B duo consisting of Mads Bo and Jonathan Elkær, from their 2016 album ‘Slush Hours’, which topped Danish charts with hits such as ‘Angel Zoo’ and ‘Pregnant’. However, their 2020 album ‘The Illegal Download Of Your Soul’ is my Roman Empire. If I wasn’t constrained by a word count, I’d yap on about all the ways in which it blows my mind. Not only does this album have the smoothest, robotic R&B I’ve ever heard, it also features the mysterious co-artist ‘Mercedes the Virus’, WHO ISN’T ACTUALLY AN ARTIST, BUT A MANIPULATED RENDERING OF THE LEAD SINGER’S VOICE. I don’t know why this is so crazy to me, but listen to the album with this in mind and tell me it isn’t the coolest thing ever.
Stand-Outs: ‘Waited All Summer’, ‘URL’swhere’, ‘Baby Steps’, ‘Slip Away’, ‘T.I.D.O.Y.S.’, ‘Angel Zoo’, ‘The Rascal’.
Dusin
Dusin consists of Singer/writer Jesper Nohrstedt Boesgaard and producer Mads Vadsager, who debuted with their first album ‘Halvtolv’ in 2018. One of their best (and saddest) songs ‘Forbigået’ – which roughly translates to ‘Passed By’ – tells the story of a friend of the band who one day, unexpectedly upped and left to go live in the middle of nowhere, Into the Wild style. The song perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Dusin: a nostalgic pop sound set to Jesper’s soulful voice contemplating love, friendship and mental health. Dusin’s groovy and romantic beats remind me of dallying around Copenhagen with my friends – and I hope they’ll come to have the same sentimental value for you.
Stand-outs: ‘Først Nu’, ‘Frisk Igen’, ‘Forbigået’, ‘Dør Når Jeg Ler’, ‘Tidevandet Vender’, ‘USB’, ‘Ilden Leger Med Os’.
Pil
Pil writes soft dream pop ballads that some might call Eurovision-coded – in the best way possible. Her music combines the delicateness of her airy voice with synthwave-esque dance beats, all culminating in songs that sound like they could either be playing in a pink-lit, vinyl embellished teen bedroom or on the floor of an insufferably crowded club. The angsty lyrics dealing with issues such as unrequited love, loneliness – just life in general, really – are heavily juxtaposed with the white girl dancing induced by her funky tunes. But in the end: is there really anything better than crying on the dance floor? Yes? Well, agree to disagree, then…
Stand-outs: ‘Drømmer’, ‘Hvad Er Der Med Dig’, ‘Dronning af Månen’, ‘Solen Brænder Ud’, ‘Gangen’, ‘Omvendt’.
Komorebi Garden
The icons behind Komorebi Garden, Ronja Andersson and Eigil Hein Jespersen, make ethereal soul/R&B/artpop inspired by legends such as Massive Attack and Björk. I first discovered the band in 2022 when they played as the supporting act for Blæst. Back then, the pair had only released a couple of singles, but that certainly didn’t hinder them from taking the crowd by storm. In Dune-reminiscent costuming, they immediately entranced the audience when Ronja started recording backing vocals and synths, bit by bit crafting their Sci-Fi-esque musical universe live on stage. Needless to say, I have had their recently released album, ‘Weave’, on repeat.
Stand-outs: ‘The Escape’, ‘Mother of a Child’, ‘Moonlight Madness’, ‘The Ceiling’, ‘First Aid’, ‘Same Kind’
Blæst
A band in every sense of the word, Fernanda Rosa, Lauge Kjærulf, Valentin Buchwald, and Anders Bondo, are a charismatic bunch who, through their charming personalities and groovy tunes, have managed to infiltrate every Soundboks in the nation. Currently one of the most beloved artists in Denmark, last year Blæst had the honour of opening the revered Orange Stage at Roskilde Festival. If you’re planning to visit Denmark or are going on Erasmus there next year, then I’d suggest that you familiarise yourself with the group. A good place to start would be with their break-through single, ‘Juice’, a fun and upbeat song that is sure to blow you away. See what I did there? Cause, you know… Blæst means blown…
Stand-outs: ‘Videre’, ‘All In’ , ‘Juice’, ‘Androkles’, ‘Ukendt Land’, ‘Ego’, and ‘Kig Op Fra Gulvet’.
Hans Philip
Hans Philip is probably best known for his hip hop project, Ukendt Kunstner (‘Unknown Artist’), featuring himself and producer Jens Ole Wowk McCoy. Founded in 2012, they have established themselves as peak Danish canon, causing shockwaves when they released a surprise album ‘Dansktop’ last year after having been on a hiatus since 2016. In the meantime though, Hans Philip had established his solo career, debuting his solo album, ‘Forevigt’ (‘Forever’) in 2019. Differing from the up-beat party tunes of Ukendt Kunstner, Hans Philip’s solo projects are slower and more atmospheric. You’re probably sick of me strenuously describing each artist with a superfluous amount of adjectives and labels, so let me say this instead: Hans Philip sounds like sitting on a warm summer night, cold Tuborg in hand, watching the sun crescent the horizon as the sound of the speaker fades into the crashing of waves. And this is exactly the setting in which his music ought to be heard.
Stand-outs: ‘Tæt På’, ‘Tiden Læger alle SÅr’, ‘Rose’, ‘Hjertebrand’, ‘Årstider’.
Ukendt kunstner: ‘Uden dig’, ‘Dansktop, ‘Hele Dagen’, ‘Gran Turismo’, ‘Gennem Byen’.
