From the peppy disco beats of ABBA to the catchy, powerful choruses of Robyn, it's no secret that Sweden reigns supreme in churning out the type of uplifting pop songs that are successful the world over. But while the Iranian-born Swedish musician Laleh has her sights set on international success, something deeper permeates her sound, which juxtaposes anthemic choruses and playful production with sobering lyrics.
For Laleh, it's simply not enough to write a catchy pop song that can be listened to and then forgotten. Her breakthrough hit, the 2012 single "Some Die Young," went double platinum in Sweden and became a healing anthem in the wake of the 2011 terror attacks in Norway.
"For me, the most important thing when I write songs is to remember my core — that voice inside," Laleh told The Week. "When you listen to my music, I hope you are reminded of yourself and your own core, because I do believe we are all kind of the same deep inside."
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The Week spoke to Laleh about music videos, childhood memories, and talking to God. Below, six songs that inspire her:
1. Madonna, "Like A Prayer"
"Madonna was my first pop crush and my first interaction with Western society. I was about 8 or 9 and we had just moved to Sweden [from Belarus] — I had never seen a music video or been in contact with that culture — so that was a huge shock when I saw this video. I just remember being shocked and just staring at the screen like, 'What is this I'm looking at?' It was very inspiring."
2. Kate Bush, "Running Up that Hill"
"Kate Bush is a huge role model for me. I just think she's a legend and she's so cool. This song is so freedom-seeking. I love that she's saying she wishes she could make a deal with God. I like that, having discussions with God. I identify with her."
3. ABBA, "Dancing Queen"
"My mother was a huge fan of ABBA so we listened to them a lot, and when I got my first keyboard I started to play ABBA songs. I would change the lyrics and that's how I started writing songs. As a kid, I remember I thought I was the dancing queen. I used to take down the curtains in the living room and make a stage."
4. Cat Stevens, "Sitting"
"Lyrics are so important for me...if someone was just reading my lyrics I want them to be great even without the music. Cat Stevens, especially in this song, has amazing lyrics. I try to not be satisfied with my lyrics until they are really, really good, so he's very inspiring to me. When I listen to him it's like a compass in a sense. I find direction."
5. Imogen Heap, "Hide and Seek"
"I identify a lot with Imogen Heap because we're both producers, engineers, and songwriters. We have control over what we do; we are both a one-woman show. She's affected a lot of producers out there and she doesn't get much credit for it."
6. David Bowie, "Life On Mars"
"For me, this song represents true songwriting. It really takes a talented person to write a song like 'Life on Mars.' You really need to know your s--t. When I listened to 'Life On Mars' and I saw the video for the first time — my friend showed it to me — I just ran home and wrote my song 'Dark Shadow.'"
(This interview was condensed and edited by Samantha Rollins.)
Listen to "Boom" by Laleh below:
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