Every Friday we select the best new tracks and videos from all around Scandinavia and present our editorial picks in the New Music Weekly series. Some artists used the Valentine’s day as an opportunity to write songs about love - in such different ways. Check out these new releases coming from Hey Elbow, Luxe For Fun, Ängie, Hymner feat. Alessandra, Band of Gold, Chez Ali, Alex Vargas, Bishat, & XOV.

Hey Elbow - Back To Reality

‘Back To Reality’ is the third and last single release of Swedish indie pop trio Hey Elbow before they’ll release their new album ‘COCOCO’ (or spoken: “Sea Oh Sea Oh Sea Oh”) on March 16. They say that this song was born on stage and you can definitely hear the drive of a live performance have a bearing on the arrangement.

Luxe For Fun - Patience

Luxe For Fun‘s Zara Tobias and Alex Tyrrell have been recording new music in the DeltaLab Studio in Copenhagen. One month ago, they shared their debut single ‘Motions’. And with ‘Patience’ we get the next one already. It’s about -guess what- patience. And hope. Clear vocals find their place in a dark, etheral soundscape.

Ängie - Dope

Swedish trap pop queen Ängie shares a new video for her song ‘Dope’, the lead single to be taken from her debut album ‘Suicidal Since 1995’ out in April. With a lot a bare skin, drugs, eroticism not only the video but also the music seem a little darker than what we know from Ängie. The lyrics are as explicit as ever.

Hymner feat. Alessandra - Bycicle

The next one is an inter-Scandinavian cooperation: Finnish producers Hymner have teamed up with Swedish singer Alessandra for the new song ‘Bycicle’. This song has such warm vibes and happiness, is it too soon to appoint this one as a summer hit? Either way it is a nice foreshadowing for warmer days to come.

Band of Gold - Well Who Am I

A distorted and fuzzy guitar, energizing drums and percussions, a smooth offbeat bass. Those are the foundations Nina Mortvedt places her relaxed and yet determined vocals on. Oslo-based Band of Gold share their new song ‘Well Who Am I’ - and it’s nothing but cool.

Chez Ali - Blue Cheese

Chez Ali‘s new song is about “the insecurities and paranoia that can arise when you suspect a relationship is nearing its end.” Those jazz-tinged chord progressions in combination with confident vocal tones might remind one or two of you of King Krule. But it is Stockholm-based Chez Ali aka Elias Mahfoud they’re coming from.

Alex Vargas - Slowly

Danish singer/songwriter and producer Alex Vargas pleases his fans with this new video for ‘Slowly’. Standing in a large hall and equipped with nothing more than a guitar and his voice, he pours his heart out. Singing an intense love song of course. And also worth being mentioned: The camera operator is doing a great job with this one take.

Bishat & XOV - Unholy Romance

Swedish teamwork! Bishat and XOV, both artists that have found their very own pop sound, have written a song together. Today they release this piece that is - as Bishat puts it on social media - “about that intense, reckless, can’t eat, can’t sleep kinda twisted love.” Well, that’s a song to put out on Valentine’s day.