– The thing with Spektrum came a little out of the blue. I remember being shocked myself. Because I never had that as a goal. It is too difficult, says Chris Holsten. A few years ago, playing in Oslo Spektrum would have been unthinkable for the artist. In January, he will have a concert there for the second time in just over a year. Holsten is part of an ever-growing group of Norwegian artists who have a concert in Oslo’s Great Hall. READY FOR SPEKTRUM: Chris Holsten will have his second Spektrum concert in January. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news Marked increase in the number of concerts DJ duo Broiler sold out Oslo Spektrum in three minutes. Underground filled the stage two nights in a row in November this year. The day after they finished, Dagny just as well took over the baton with a sold-out show of her own. In recent years, the number of Norwegian artists who have concerts in Spektrum has multiplied. Before, it was common for approximately two Norwegians to fill Oslo’s main hall a year. But at the time it was mostly about the most established artists. Sissel Kyrkjebø has had several concerts in Oslo Spektrum. Here she is photographed in Oslo’s great hall in 2002. Photo: NTB Sissel Kyrkjebø, Madrugada and A-ha were among those who had their own concerts there at the start of the 2000s. Now things are different. Not only are there far more Norwegian artists who have concerts in Spektrum. There is also much greater breadth in both genre and age among those on stage. What has happened? news has spoken to people in the music industry about what they think is the reason why more Norwegian artists fill the country’s big concert stages than before. The music has improved – I think that Norwegian music has improved so much. It’s not like: “It was good to be Norwegian”, as we often said before. Now it’s just good, says Christine Dancke. The former P3 presenter has followed Norwegian music for a number of years. – I can catch an Arif verse in the mirror and feel as cool as if I had caught a Travis Scott verse. NORWEGIAN MUSIC BETTER NOW: Christine Dancke believes that Norwegian music is now in a golden age. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news Figures from Spotify show that Norwegians stream more Norwegian music than before. We listened to 16 percent more music from Norwegian artists in 2022 than the year before. From 2022 to 2023, the figure has increased by a further 5 per cent. The pandemic may have played a role – After the pandemic, there has been quite a big change in listening habits. – It was the national artists who were here, and who got a place in the media and on the concert stages, says Claes Olsen, booking manager for Øya Festival. ØYA CEO: Claes Olsen has booked artists for the Øya Festival since its inception. He believes Norwegian artists became more popular during the pandemic. Photo: Ellen Lorenzen Despite the fact that there were few concerts during the pandemic in general, the international artists were absent to an even greater extent as a result of the restrictions. – The local artists became more popular in many countries, explains Olsen. A new marketing channel It is impossible to ignore TikTok when you look at the success of Norwegian musicians in recent years, says Julie Rogstad Sandberg, who works at the record company Sony Music. According to Sandberg, the way people use TikTok differs from the way they use other social media. TIKTOK: Julie Rogstad Sandberg in Sony Music believes that TikTok has opened new doors for artists. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news – On Instagram and Facebook, people scroll mostly without sound. It is quite challenging for the marketing of music. – But TikTok is an app people use with sound. It gave the artists a golden opportunity to reach the fans directly. Several have started singing in Norwegian In recent years, several artists have switched from English to singing in Norwegian. It hasn’t always been as cool with Norwegian-language music, says Christine Dancke. – We must not forget that just a few years ago, I hardly think people saw it as an opportunity to make popular music in Norwegian because they thought it sounded small, she says and continues: – But then there have been people who has made it fat. Role models Speaking of people who have made it big. Artists who have gone ahead and shown that it is possible to sell out large stages have been important for those who come after. In particular, this applies to the rap duo who in August 2022 had ten concerts in Oslo Spektrum. ROLE MODELS: Magdi and Chirag in Karpe during one of their Spektrum concerts. They are important role models, says Chris Holsten. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB – I think Karpe has been extremely good at paving the way and being good role models for us other artists, says Holsten. – Now I can’t fill ten evenings in Spektrum, so all credit to them and the position they have. But that makes the rest of us also think that it is possible.
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Before there was a lack of Norwegian headliners – Now Norwegian artists fill the spectrum like never before – news Culture and entertainment
