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An Analysis of Swedish Pop Music

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Songs from Sweden

Part of the book series: Geographies of Media ((GOM))

Abstract

This chapter explores the styles of Swedish pop music. Through hybridity and circulation, Swedish pop is part of a globalized culture, while also retaining elements that are uniquely Swedish. First, the Cheiron studio developed a production style that can, broadly speaking, be considered a Swedish sound. Since then, Swedish elements to songwriting include an analytical or “mathematical” approach, as well as a stripped-down, simplified sound. Swedish pop is influenced by genres traditionally popular in Sweden, although genre crossing is also common. While global popular music trends evolve in unpredictable ways, Swedish writer–producers have had a discernable impact on those trajectories, in terms of circulation across space and time.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The 2019 event was viewed by 26% of the Swedish population. That can be compared to the main European markets: Germany 10%, United Kingdom 10%, France 7%, Spain 15%, and Italy 4% (author’s calculation based on Eurovision World 2019).

  2. 2.

    Grieg is a Norwegin classical composer who used elements of folk music. The fact that In the Hall of the Mountain King is in the classical canon is perhaps the reason why Seabrook selected it for comparison rather than using a Swedish song.

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Correspondence to Ola Johansson .

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Johansson, O. (2020). An Analysis of Swedish Pop Music. In: Songs from Sweden. Geographies of Media. Palgrave Pivot, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2736-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2736-4_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-15-2735-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-15-2736-4

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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