
Sweden has always had great success showcasing its musical talent globally, especially in the dance and pop spheres. But 2025 is shaping up to be a special year for Swedish music at large, especially when it comes to the artists who are experimenting with genre-defying sounds.
At the start of the year, we put a spotlight on this scene with our list of Swedish Artists To Watch in 2025 featuring some of the country's most promising indie acts, as well as hip-hop stars who are pushing their styles into new melodic territories. The list exemplifies the global appeal of Sweden's music scene.
Next month, the 42nd edition of Sweden's Grammis awards show returns to recognize the nation's best and brightest musical talents. As a proud sponsor of this annual celebration, Spotify recently had the honor of announcing the nominees for the Best New Artist category, which include: Becky and the Birds, Hannes Aitman, ORKID, Sunnan, and Y4ska.
NEXT
To get the inside scoop on Sweden's thriving music scene, as well as the genres and artists breaking through, For the Record sat down with Emma Vikstr m, Spotify Music Editorial Lead in the Nordics.
What makes the Swedish music scene so unique? Despite being a small country, Sweden exports the most music per capita. Our artists have had a major impact globally, and Spotify data shows that Swedish artists are streamed more outside of our country than within.
There are legendary groups like ABBA that helped shape the sound of pop music, trendsetters like Robyn that have had an outsized influence on the artistry of stars like Tove Lo, and ubiquitous icons like Avicii that left an indelible mark on dance music.
Songwriters and producers have been just as important to our music culture as well, if not more! You know your favorite global hit? There's a good chance a Swedish songwriter or producer was involved. Max Martin defined an entire generation of pop music and is still making his presence felt through artists like Ariana Grande. And there are so many more examples. Ludwig G ransson has worked with Rihanna, Patrik Berger has worked with Taylor Swift, and Carl Falk has worked with One Direction, to name a few.
Was this still the case in 2024? New releases from Swedish artists are definitely finding fans abroad.
Looking back at 2024, we saw notable releases from hitmakers like Galantis, Zara Larsson, and Robyn, and they all resonated with a global audience. And interestingly, artists who may not be familiar names globally-like Elliphant, Benjamin Ingrosso, and Mapei-have also found new fans abroad. Swedish songwriters Noonie Bao and Linus Wiklund also influenced a whole world with Charli Xcx's Apple, one of the biggest songs from Brat Summer.
And we can't forget that last year's Wrapped also revealed Bladee as the most-streamed artist among other artists.
How do you explain the massive global appeal of Swedish music? From a creative perspective, Sweden has a well-developed music education system, with many young people learning to sing, play instruments, and write songs from an early age. There's a collective affinity for melodic pop sounds here thanks to popular music competitions like Melodifestivalen and generational melodic wealth of ABBA's catalogue. And because many Swedish artists sing in English, their songs have a larger global appeal that has increased with the help of Spotify.
From an industry perspective, this global appeal has definitely been aided by Spotify and the overall growth of digital audio and streaming.
And looking at this in the opposite direction, music fans in Sweden are also early adopters who are tapped into global sounds. The first region where Shaboozey's A Bar Song (Tipsy) landed a number-one hit was in Sweden and Nordics.
How do Spotify's editorial playlists shape music trends in Sweden and the rest of the world? Our playlists highlight the best and most culturally relevant music for users, but in contextual ways. Some playlists will cater to different tastes, moods, and times of day. Other playlists, like New Music Friday Sweden and pov, highlight the new or trending hits. Fresh Finds Nordics surfaces unsigned artists for the listeners who love being the first to know about an artist. And Hot Hits is all about the biggest hits on the planet right now, plain and simple.
It's also been exciting to watch Teddy Swims, Benson Boone, and GAYLE make waves in the music world at large, as well as our global playlist ecosystem. They all had their first hits playlist adds in Nordics or Sweden and reached the top of the charts here before anywhere. Nordic users love discovering new music and being first with trends, which makes our curation strategy even more bold. We bet on songs in our playlist ecosystems that then eventually turn into global hits and keep our users satisfied.
Music sharing and discovery continue to evolve. How does this benefit artists and consumers? Artists from almost anywhere in the world have a chance to be discovered. A Swedish artist could have a bigger fan base and audience in other countries, and artists from other countries could have bigger fan bases in Sweden. That's the beauty of Spotify being global by design.
For listeners, it has never been easier to find their new favorite artists. With more than 100 million songs on Spotify today, there's something for everyone to discover. And sometimes, those discoveries happen through the songs and artists and genres recommended by our editors.
We're aware of the responsibility that our platform has to spotlight promising artists who may be in the early stages of their careers or are just breaking through to stardom and take active strides to ensure we support these by leaning into the Best New Artist category at Grammis or developing our Fresh Finds Nordics flagship
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
03/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/09/2026
The EZDRM approach to Revenue Security on streaming video can be visualized as a multi-dimensional set of solutions. A growing dimension of that approach is the...
03/09/2026
From field capture to management, control and production, Kiloview will demonstrate one connected Hybrid AV-over-IP workflow including a complete 4RU producti...
03/09/2026
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced Mediagenix Curation, a new...
03/09/2026
LucidLink, the Emmy-winning cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced the next step in its vision to make ...
03/09/2026
Fraudulent communications purportedly from Screen Australia 3 September 2026
Screen Australia is aware of scam attempts involving fake emails and promotional m...
03/09/2026
AJA Introduces FS8, Next-Gen 12G-SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 Media Processor
Brie Clayton September 2, 2026
0 Comments
AJA Video Systems unveiled FS8, a video a...
03/09/2026
Shooting Deadheading with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton September 2, 2026
0 Comments
Bringing a small story to the big screen with dark com...
03/09/2026
OOONA Launches OOONA Go: Professional Localization Management for Small Companie...
03/09/2026
DURHAM, N.C. - East of Texas Durham has officially opened its doors at American ...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...
02/09/2026
Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...
02/09/2026
New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...
02/09/2026
Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit
The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...
02/09/2026
Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced
Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...
02/09/2026
Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed
AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...
02/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...
02/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
02/09/2026
Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority
When AI can generate a functional interface ...
02/09/2026
Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...
02/09/2026
Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...
02/09/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...
02/09/2026
Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...
02/09/2026
With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...
02/09/2026
IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...
02/09/2026
PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...
02/09/2026
OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...
02/09/2026
EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...
02/09/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...
02/09/2026
On-device AI platform gives broadcasters and content creators purpose-built tools for real-time vertical video production and AI-enhanced sports coverage...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations
At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...