Danish pop-soul band Lukas Graham is unstoppable. TheyΒ gained international acclaimΒ this year with the release of second LP Lukas Graham (Blue Album)Β that debuted at the top ofΒ Billboard 200 chart. Their radioΒ smashΒ β7 Yearsβ became the best-selling song in the US, while also ranking no. 1 in Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Ireland and the UK. As an official shout out to the band, here are seven veryΒ importantΒ reasons why Lukas GrahamΒ kick so much ass.
1. The group’s lead singer Lukas Graham Forchhammer doesnβt need bedazzled jackets or gentlemen’s refinement Γ la GQ spread to make himself stand out.
The 27-year-old couldn’t care less what other people think. He insists on keeping his own clothes, sticking to his plain white Tβs, even in photoshoots.
“If I am going to have my picture taken, then I’m going to wear my own f–ing clothes, not a biker leather jacket with a bunch of Michael Jackson zips. Too many people don’t have big enough balls or ovaries to be themselves. I do,” says the frontman in an interview with Billboard.
2. Their highly emotive songs reflect personal issues that donβt involve cheating or melodramatic heartbreaks.
The song β7 Yearsβ recountsΒ the lead singerβs memories and childhood experiencesβfrom smoking weed at the age of 7, the formation of his dreams at age 11, and how his dreams battled reality as he got older. “I couldn’t go any further than 60 because my father died at 61,” said Forchhammer.
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Similarly, “Youβre Not There” is about the suffering of losing his father, an experience that heavily influenced the Blue Album: βYou’re not there / To celebrate the man that you made / You’re not there / To share in my success and mistakes / Is it fair?β
3. Their live sessions are legit.
Their effortless sessions are proof of that. Prepare to be blown away.
4. Their β7 Yearsβ lyric video is a work of art.
The video is a continuous montage, reflecting Forchhammerβs persona’s life from the age of 7 to 60, highlighting key events through the singer’s personal photos. Watch the video down below.
5. The song also sheds light to the rarely-spoken-about gangland culture in Denmark.
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β7 Yearsβ was written based on personal experiences of Forchhammerβs friend. The Danish singer has opened up about his peers: “They grew up selling drugs, carrying guns, having bulletproof vests but they are quite endearing, really.” The subculture is representedΒ in the music video.
6. Even in their music, the band maintains their Danish-Scandinavian roots.
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The song βFuneralβ explores the singerβs cross-national heritage, with lyrics depicting several elements of a Norse (Scandinavian) funeral, from drinking to the deceased to reminiscing old memories:
βEveryone, welcome to my funeral / Everyone I know better be wasted / You know I would pour one up / βCause the way I live, it was amazing / All of my friends are in the room / Party for me β Iβd party too.β
7. Their music has become a national pride.
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The song βHappy Homeβ by Danish DJ HedegarrdΒ which our frontman Lukas Forchhammer provided the vocals for received so much airplay in Scandinavia and other countries of Europe that the band decide to put theΒ track in their second album. And with this album did Lukas Graham managed to debut at no. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, the highest spot a Danish act has ever secured on such a major chart. Predecessors like Aqua (“Barbie Girl”, “Doctor Jones”) or heavy metal band Volbeat couldn’t make it to the Top 5.
Do they have your attention now?
