SOULWAVE.
A collection of soulful releases; singles, EPs, albums and videos which all dropped in the same week and all unmissable!
It should come as little surprise that the more time artists spend in the studio – the more music they produce. Even without the pandemic, the prolifically of artists across Scandinavia continues to impress. And thankfully keep us busy!
This week presented a smorgasbord of new releases, so we decided to collect a majority in our SOULWAVE list below.
Discover more. Listen more. And share the soul.
SOULWAVE 2020 VIDEO
Zikai / Champagne For Breakfast (Official Video)
Zikai needs to kiss some frogs to find her Prince.
And the lucky guy gets to be with one of R&B’s most exciting rising stars.
Catchy R&B at its finest, the single Champagne For Breakfast is released with a stylish shot video. In a Coronavirus free world, this would be heard all summer in every bar, on beaches and in parks.
Champagne For Breakfast is taken from her recently released her debut EP Make You Mine.
Becky & The Birds / Paris
The voice of an angel.
Sometimes you don’t have to say anything. No 300-word essay or detailed description of how outstanding a track is required. Listening to Becky & the Birds, whilst absorbing her words on the lyric video is enough. A genre-free single, Paris is astounding.
Diza Guava / Existensen
Move like Diza
In her new video, Diza Guava, filmed with Sanfrid Bergman, breaks free from isolation, gets on the roof and lets the music take her.
Kate Bush, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson all had trademark moves. Diza Guava has dance moves unique to her, and it’s yet another reason to why we applaud her so strongly.
The bass on this Swedish sung track Existensen is spongy and the groove infectious. Musically, Diza is bending the genres to her will.
Diza is everything music should be. Freedom of expression.
With some soul of course!
EPS / ALBUM
Shaqdi / Daydreaming
The Swedish goddess of chilled R&B has been teasing her new EP on Instagram and officially released the EP Daydreaming today. Full review coming soon.
Lindsjorn / Flying High
Norwegian newcomer drops her debut album Flying High soaked in neo-soul goodness.
We recently spoke to Lindsjorn about the album’s creation process and our full album review will follow shortly.
VIDEOS
Marie Dahlstrom / I Don’t Wanna Wake Up (feat. James Vickery)
Ahead of her debut album release Like Sand (out today), Marie Dahlstrom collaborated with UK soul singer James Vickery on a new single – I Don’t Wanna Wake up. Just keeping up with Marie’s releases is a full-time job! Her recent work with Her Songs is still being freshly praised.
Speaking on her latest collaboration, Marie said: “I’ve been a fan of James’ voice for a while. James and I had a session at mine, and this song just came about so naturally, we just started humming melodies over the chord progression and not long into the session we had the line ‘I don’t wanna wake up’. I produced this song myself, and I remember leaving the production for a while before actually committing to finishing it and that’s when I got my friend Liam Joseph to jump on some bass and Qmillion to get involved for the mixing.”
James went on to add: “I wrote this song on the first day of meeting and working with Marie. I’ve been a fan of her vocal for a while now, and we wanted to write a song that allowed us to showcase vocal runs and freedom. I rarely get to experiment so much with another artist on that level, so it is truly a blessing. The song is about not wanting to wake up at all if you’re not gonna be there to experience it with me. Infatuation at it’s finest”.
OUT NOW – MARIE DALHSTROM DEBUT ALBUM / LIKE SAND

Nanna.B & Fred Simon / Forward
LA-based Danish creator Nanna.B dropped her new single Forward this week. Behind the production is an Italian producer and beatmaker Fred Simon. He supplies a head-nodding groove ideally married to Nanna’s trademark lush harmonies.
Jaim / Bad Drug
Copenhagen-based singer and producer Jaim looks to shake the moniker ‘Princess of Nordic Noir‘, to deliver an alternative perspective. Perhaps ‘Princess of Noir soul‘ would be more appropriate from now on.
Bad Drug sees Jaim collaborate with Danish producer Mads Klynder (Moody, i.a.) and the darker, sultry edge in Jaim’s earlier releases now resonate a fuller soulful vibe. The rhythmic melody and harmonious layered vocal create a deliciously warm groove. The undulating layers heighten the listening depth, revealed on repeated plays.
2020 will see Jaim working with a range of producers, and continue her soulful journey.
Bad Drug is a sublime track. With gorgeous cover artwork too.
Instagram / Facebook / Spotify
Jasmine Kara / Life Sucks
Released on May 11 this one somehow slipped under our radar. However, this dancefloor inspiring gem had to be discovered. The effervescent Swedish artist released a summer party groove to ignite any event. Produced in collaboration with ESCCQ it is one of her best tracks to date. This uplifting track ensures life doesn’t suck!
The Endorphins / Parachute
Slowing down is the essence of the new single by The Endorphins. The brother and sister duo continue to make sparkling synth-based magic weaved with an angelic R&B vocal.
Their latest release, Parachute, effortlessly draws you in with a relatable theme of needing to pause when love/romance feels like it’s moving too quickly.
/ I’m falling to fast for you / I need a parachute /
Inspired by ’90’s R&B, the quality of this single cannot be understated or ignored. When will Swedish radio wake up to the gold mine of music around them?
INTRODUCING River / One

A debut of alternative R&B/POP
This striking new artist is River and her debut single ONE dropped today. The frustration of desiring someone pours into an attractive fusion of R&B and pop. Where this RIVER flows from here we don’t know, but already suggest following her.
FOLLOW
Facebook / Instagram
Amalie Bryde / Colours (demo)
BEAUTIFUL.
‘Beautiful’ may be an overly-used word however, it feels specifically created with Amalie Bryde’s new single Colours (demo) in mind.
Jazz-tinged with an ambient stripped back production the Danish, London based artist creates a timeless atmosphere, of wondrous luxury. Her vocals are feather-light and achieve the aim of painting multi-coloured images in the mind. If discovering new music feels like fighting your way along a never-ending treadmill, then this is your ideal moment to pause and ease away the stress in mellow joy. Or fall in love.
NOTE: And despite the title, this isn’t a demo.
KEEP UP WITH SOUL IN SCANDINAVIA
Each month we add a new track to a playlist of soulful discoveries on Spotify. See the right side of our homepage or follow this months playlist MAY 2020 HERE.