Danish pop-soul band Lukas Graham is unstoppable. Theyย gained international acclaimย this year with the release of second LP Lukas Graham (Blue Album)ย that debuted at the top ofย Billboard 200 chart. Their radioย smashย โ7 Yearsโ 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 veryย importantย reasons why Lukas Grahamย kick so much ass.
1. The group’s lead singer Lukas Graham Forchhammer doesnโt need bedazzled jackets or gentlemen’s refinement ร 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 Tโs, 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 donโt involve cheating or melodramatic heartbreaks.
The song โ7 Yearsโ recountsย the lead singerโs memories and childhood experiencesโfrom 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, “Youโre Not There” is about the suffering of losing his father, an experience that heavily influenced the Blue Album: โYou’re not there / To celebrate the man that you made / You’re not there / To share in my success and mistakes / Is it fair?โ
3. Their live sessions are legit.
Their effortless sessions are proof of that. Prepare to be blown away.
4. Their โ7 Yearsโ lyric video is a work of art.
The video is a continuous montage, reflecting Forchhammerโs 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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โ7 Yearsโ was written based on personal experiences of Forchhammerโs 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 representedย in the music video.
6. Even in their music, the band maintains their Danish-Scandinavian roots.
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The song โFuneralโ explores the singerโs cross-national heritage, with lyrics depicting several elements of a Norse (Scandinavian) funeral, from drinking to the deceased to reminiscing old memories:
โEveryone, welcome to my funeral / Everyone I know better be wasted / You know I would pour one up / โCause the way I live, it was amazing / All of my friends are in the room / Party for me โ Iโd party too.โ
7. Their music has become a national pride.
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The song โHappy Homeโ by Danish DJ Hedegarrdย 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 theย 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?
