Agnes Carlsson
Encyclopedia
Agnes Emilia Carlsson, also known mononymously as Agnes (born on March 6, 1988, in Vänersborg, Sweden), is a Swedish recording artist. She rose to fame as the winner of Idol 2005
, the second season of the Swedish Idol series
. She was then signed to Sony Music
, through which she released her self titled debut album Agnes
and follow-up Stronger
, both of which topped the Swedish Top 60 Albums Chart
. In early 2008, it was announced that Agnes had parted ways with her record label, and was now signed to small independent label Roxy Recordings
. Released on October 28, 2008, her third album, Dance Love Pop
, reached number five in Sweden
, seventy in Austria
, thirty-eight in France
, forty-five in Switzerland
and 13 in the United Kingdom
. Its first two singles, "On and On" and "Release Me
" became international hits, reaching the top-ten in charts worldwide. "Release Me" topped the Billboard
Hot Dance Club Songs and peaked at three in the United Kingdom, selling over 900,000 copies worldwide.
Agnes has cited the soul-singer Stevie Wonder
as her inspiration and has often mentioned Whitney Houston
and Janet Jackson
as her inspiration in music.
, Sweden
on March 6, 1988 as the youngest of four siblings. Her father was an environmental engineer, her mother a nurse and social worker. Agnes started taking violin lessons and joined a choir at a young age, later saying even though “I hated singing in the choir because my voice didn’t fit; you have to listen to the others and not stick out too much”. She sang solo in front of a live audience for the first time whilst still at school. However, it wasn’t until she was 16 that she first had one-on-one singing lessons. Agnes also sang in the Vänersborg choir named 'Voice', citing legendary American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder
as her inspiration.
of popular Swedish singing competition Idol
in Gothenburg
, singing "Varje Gång Jag Ser Dig" by Lisa Nilsson
. The four judges were all hugely impressed by the strong power of her voice and she successfully passed through to the theatre rounds of the contest. Her vocals continued to impress the judges, and she made it to the semi-finals. To the dismay of the judges however, Agnes did not get a place in the final eleven contestants through public voting, and when she again failed to grab a place through the special 'wildcard' round, they decided to pass her through to the finals as the judges' choice contestant.
Despite the lack of public support earlier in the competition, Agnes went on to amaze both the judges and the public during every week of the finals, with a result of making it into the grand finale without ever falling into the bottom two or three contestants. With 57% of the one million public votes cast during the finale, she defeated Sebastian Karlsson
and was crowned as the second Swedish Idol, and the first female to win the competition.
Immediately after winning Idol
, Agnes signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and her debut single, "Right Here Right Now (My Heart Belongs to You)
" was released. A week later, the song debuted at number one on the Swedish singles chart, a position it held for six weeks. The song was quickly certified double platinum for the sale of over 40,000 copies in Sweden. Just one week later, on December 19, 2005, her highly anticipated debut album Agnes
was released to positive critical reviews that praised the power of Agnes's voice, who was still only eighteen years old. The album debuted at number one on the Swedish albums chart and was certified platinum in its first week of release, selling almost 40,000 copies.
In March 2006, whilst touring in support of her debut album, she released her second single, "Stranded
". Although it received positive critical reviews, the single did not gain commercial success and stalled in the singles chart at number twenty-seven. Despite this however, her first album continued to enjoy high sales success, selling over 90,000 copies in Sweden by the time it left the Top 60 Albums chart.
On August 22, 2006, only eight months after her Idol win, Agnes's third single "Kick Back Relax
" premiered on the TV-show "Sommarkrysset". The song, which would serve as the lead single from her second studio album, was released on September 7 and narrowly missed the top spot on the Swedish singles chart, peaking at number two. Her second album, Stronger
was released on October 11, less than a year after the release of her debut album. Like its predecessor, Stronger debuted at number one on the albums chart, and went on to sell over 50,000 copies in Sweden, with it later being certified platinum. One of the album's tracks, "Love Is All Around
" has since been covered by numerous singers on three continents, the most notable being by Australian Idol
alumni Ricki Lee Coulter, which peaked at number five in Australia and became one of that country's biggest hits in 2007.
On November 15, 2006, Agnes released "Champion
", the second single from Stronger, which peaked at number nineteen. In early 2007, she embarked on her second national. In December, she and her fellow Idol contestant Måns Zelmerlöw
joined together for a huge Christmas campaign for clothing store MQ. In order to promote the company, they duetted on a cover of the Mariah Carey
song "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which peaked at number three on the Swedish singles chart and was certified gold for the sale of 10,000 copies.
and on August 11, "On and On", the first single from her upcoming third studio, was released. The song marked a change in Agnes' music style, going towards a more dance and club style, while moving away from her original pop and R&B. Agnes first performed the song live on August 16, 2008 during the Swedish TV-show "Sommarkrysset". The single spent four consecutive weeks at its peak of number 8 on the Swedish singles chart and hit the top spot on the club chart, gaining a gold certification. The same club style would be reflected on Agnes's third studio album, Dance Love Pop
, which she had written together with Swedish producer and song-writer Anders Hansson. The album was released on October 28, 2009 and debuted on the Swedish albums chart at number five with first week sales of 10,000 copies. On November 24, "Release Me
" was released as the second single from the album, peaking at number nine on the Swedish chart and being certified gold. Despite the song's success, it failed to match that of the album's first single.
In October 2008 it was rumored that Agnes would compete in Melodifestivalen 2009
, the competition that would decide Sweden's entrant to the Eurovision song contest. Agnes later confirmed this in an interview in the Swedish newspaper Göteborgsposten, and it was further confirmed on December 2, 2008, by SVT
. The song "Love Love Love
" was chosen as her official entry song. The song was written by Anders Hansson, who had previously worked with Agnes on her third studio album, co-writing almost all of the record's tracks, including the first two singles, On and On
and "Release Me". Originally, it was said that Agnes was to perform "Love Love Love" as a duet with fellow Swedish singer and former A-teens member Marie Serneholt
, but when it was later decided that Serneholt would be competing on her own, Agnes performed "Love Love Love" as a solo performance. On February 28, 2009, Agnes advanced to the final round of Melodifestivalen 2009
and eventually achieved 8th place with 40 points. On February 28, she officially released "Love Love Love
" as the third single from Dance Love Pop, peaking at number four on the Swedish charts. The song was included on the two-disc re-release of her third studio album, released on April 1, 2009. Following the re-release, Dance Love Pop returned to the Swedish albums chart, peaking at number 12.
During Agnes' attempts to promote Melodifestivalen in the spring of 2009, "Release Me" began to receive attention from abroad, with Roxy Recordings later stating that the song would receive an international release. The move marked the first time that Agnes' music would be distributed outside Sweden. The single made its first international appearance in Denmark, where it peaked at number six selling over 25,000 copies, but most of all, "Release Me" gained massive remarks in the UK and Agnes was signed to the small independent record company 3Beat, where the song received its official UK release on May 31, 2009, proving to be a big hit, being picked up by most music channels, also with Agnes performing the song and a few others at G-A-Y
, the UK's biggest gay nightclub venue and also a live performance on GMTV, one of the UK's biggest breakfast shows. Release Me hit the top of Radio 1's A-list playlist, and eventually debuted at number three in the UK Singles Chart
, and continued to ride high in the top ten for many weeks. After eight weeks it managed to get a Silver certification with over 300,000 copies sold. In Ireland the song debuted at thirty-eight and later peaked at ten. "Release Me" continued to reign European charts during the summer and autumn, being released in most European countries, becoming a success in France
, Belgium
, Italy
and Germany
. Agnes made her first appearance outside of Europe in late July after being signed by Warner Music in Australia with "Release Me" as her first Australian entering the Australian chart at number eleven in its first week of release.
Agnes' second international single was "On and On" which was first released in the Netherlands where it peaked at number fourteen. Later that year, "On and On" started to climb the charts in the francophone areas of Europe due to digital downloads from Dance Love Pop. It debuted at number twenty-seven in the Belgian-Wallonia Singles Chart
and after its release, peaked at seventeen. In the Belgian-Flandern Singles Chart
it peaked at eight, making it the second top-ten hit in Belgium for Agnes. A new version had been recorded for the French release, called "On Se Donne", but even before it was released as a single, it peaked at number fourteen on the French Download Chart and thirthy-seven in the Swiss Singles Chart. "On and On" was released as the second single in Germany
, Austria
, Switzerland
and Hungary
in May 2010, and as the third single for the UK in June.
In the UK the second single was "I Need You Now
", which was rerecorded from the previous version on Dance Love Pop. "I Need You Now" was officially released in the UK on November 16, 2009 and peaked at forty in the UK Singles Chart
. But fared better in the dance chart at 5. "I Need You Now" was then released in Sweden on November 23, 2009 as an iTunes exclusive single. Later the same week it was released to other digital markets and despite no promotion and little airplay, it entered the Swedish Singles Chart
at number ten and later peaked at number eight, making it Agnes' seventh top-ten hit in Sweden. The song was also released in a few other countries such as Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and Australia but failed to enter any charts.
In July 2009 the major American record company Geffen Records
had announced that they had signed Agnes and would release "Release Me
" in the U.S. on August 18, 2009. She also received a signing bonus of 1 million dollars ($1,000,000). This made Agnes the first and to date only Swedish Idol
contestant to be launched in America. Before landing on Interscope/Geffen's table, three of America's biggest record companies fought over Agnes and her hit potential. In early 2010 a team consisting of 35 people that, in 2009, was assigned to make Lady Gaga
the next star, started to plan Agnes' U.S. launch.
Agnes made her first appearance in the U.S. on August 27, 2009 at a release party for her single "Release Me". Among the guests where the CEO of Interscope Records, Ron Fair, and he made a comment about their new signing "She has it all. She is an amazing singer, looks good, is fearless and humble. She is a mix of Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera" The launch of Agnes in the U.S and Canada continued during the spring 2010 and in the summer of 2010 "Release Me" was added to mainstream radio.
On June 19, 2010 Agnes and Björn Skifs
performed at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling
The song When You Tell the World You're Mine
is the official wedding song, written especially for this occasion. The lyrics were written by Jörgen Elofsson
, who has worked with Agnes before, and the music was written by Jörgen Elofsson
& John Lundvik as the official wedding song. As a tribute to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland engaged Elofsson to compose a song that express what we feel when we fall in love with someone. The song entered the Sweden Top 60 Singles
at fourteen and peaked at one the week after, it did also manage to peak at nineteen in Finland
. The song was released Worldwide in June, but will also be released as a CD Single and as Agnes' third single in Germany on August 25.
According to the Swedish tabloid Expressen
, Agnes fourth album will be released within the first six months of 2011, and the first single is expected during the summer of 2011. First official single is "Don't Go Breaking My Heart
" was premiered on August 5 at Mr. Gay Sweden Show The song is written by Agnes, Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll, The Nervo Twins and produced by Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll. A music video for the single release was shoot on September 12, 2011 and directed by Mikeadelica.
, I'm So Excited
, Young Hearts Run Free
and Can't Take My Eyes Off You
. Already in this early stage of her career she cited legendary soul-singer Stevie Wonder
as her inspiration. Both her self-titled debut album and her second album consisted strongly of R&B, soul, and pop songs, continuing the path she began during her time in "Idol".
But after leaving Sony Music and signing on to Roxy, she geared towards the dance and club genre, she was introduced to the songwriter and producer Anders Hansson. Agnes recalls when his name first came up for the album “They said maybe you should just meet first and see if you like each other, as opposed to just working together.” They got on – so well that Hansson ended up producing an album that helped Agnes realise her vision, Dance Love and Pop together in one album “A lot of things changed for me when I started to work with this album. I really liked it, because I knew that I wanted to do something totally different to the two others. I wanted to do uptempo, disco-orientated songs and I really wanted to work with Anders because he felt the same way." When released the first single "On and On" from her third album, it immediately showed a clear change of artistic direction for her music. This was clearly observed by the critics who all homaged her new musical style. Other remarks are "The album fits the dance floor at any club. A mood trigger with bubbling enjoyment." and "Agnes Carlsson once and for all gets rid of the "Idol"-dust."
Agnes has often cited strong female soul singers like Beyoncé
, Whitney Houston
and Janet Jackson
as her inspiration in music. In an interview she said that whenever she was home alone she would play Whitney Houston and Beyoncé's songs “at the highest volume” and sing along. “Whitney’s voice is so emotional, and if there’s one thing I learnt from listening to her, it’s that it’s important to put emotion in.”
Idol 2005
The second season of Swedish Idol premiered in August 2005 and continued until its grand finale on 2 December, when 17-year-old Agnes Carlsson from Vänersborg was crowned winner. The series was the first to crown a female Idol and is to date the sole season to be won by either a public or judges'...
, the second season of the Swedish Idol series
Idol (Sweden)
Idol is a Swedish reality-competition talent show airing on TV4. It debuted in August 2004, and it has since become one of the most popular shows on Swedish television...
. She was then signed to Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, through which she released her self titled debut album Agnes
Agnes (album)
Agnes is the debut album composed of the songs performed by the Idol 2005 winner Agnes Carlsson. The album debuted at #1 in Sweden and stayed there for 2 weeks. The lead single, "Right Here, Right Now ", written and produced by Jörgen Elofsson, topped the Swedish Top 60 Singles chart for six weeks...
and follow-up Stronger
Stronger (Agnes album)
-Release history:-Charts and certifications:...
, both of which topped the Swedish Top 60 Albums Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
. In early 2008, it was announced that Agnes had parted ways with her record label, and was now signed to small independent label Roxy Recordings
Roxy Recordings
King Island Roxystars Recordings AB, more known as Roxy Recordings, or Roxy was an independent record label based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was bought by Universal Music Group in August 2011. The label was formed in 2007 and is owned by Egmont through Nordisk Film and MBO...
. Released on October 28, 2008, her third album, Dance Love Pop
Dance Love Pop
Dance Love Pop is the third studio album by Swedish recording artist Agnes, released originally on October 29, 2008 in Sweden. This was Agnes' first studio album since 2006 and her comeback to the music stage. The album is written and produced by Swedish song-writer Anders Hansson and geared...
, reached number five in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, seventy in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, thirty-eight in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, forty-five in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and 13 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Its first two singles, "On and On" and "Release Me
Release Me (Agnes song)
"Release Me" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes taken from her third album Dance Love Pop. The track was written by Agnes Carlsson, Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn. It was released as the album's second single in Sweden, and as Agnes' debut single internationally.The song has been...
" became international hits, reaching the top-ten in charts worldwide. "Release Me" topped the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Dance Club Songs and peaked at three in the United Kingdom, selling over 900,000 copies worldwide.
Agnes has cited the soul-singer Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
as her inspiration and has often mentioned Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
as her inspiration in music.
Early life
Agnes Carlsson was born in VänersborgVänersborg
Vänersborg is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 21,672 inhabitants in 2005. Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Since 1999 Vänersborg is the seat of the regional parliament of Västra Götaland County...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
on March 6, 1988 as the youngest of four siblings. Her father was an environmental engineer, her mother a nurse and social worker. Agnes started taking violin lessons and joined a choir at a young age, later saying even though “I hated singing in the choir because my voice didn’t fit; you have to listen to the others and not stick out too much”. She sang solo in front of a live audience for the first time whilst still at school. However, it wasn’t until she was 16 that she first had one-on-one singing lessons. Agnes also sang in the Vänersborg choir named 'Voice', citing legendary American singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
as her inspiration.
2005-2007: "Idol" and commercial success
In the spring of 2005, a 17-year-old Agnes auditioned for the second seasonIdol 2005
The second season of Swedish Idol premiered in August 2005 and continued until its grand finale on 2 December, when 17-year-old Agnes Carlsson from Vänersborg was crowned winner. The series was the first to crown a female Idol and is to date the sole season to be won by either a public or judges'...
of popular Swedish singing competition Idol
Idol (Sweden)
Idol is a Swedish reality-competition talent show airing on TV4. It debuted in August 2004, and it has since become one of the most popular shows on Swedish television...
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, singing "Varje Gång Jag Ser Dig" by Lisa Nilsson
Lisa Nilsson
Lisa Nilsson is a Swedish singer. She was discovered by the legendary producer William Butt and she is perhaps best known in Sweden for her 1992 hit, Himlen runt hörnet, witten by Mauro Scocco and Johan Ekelund. It was released in English in 1995, titled Ticket to Heaven...
. The four judges were all hugely impressed by the strong power of her voice and she successfully passed through to the theatre rounds of the contest. Her vocals continued to impress the judges, and she made it to the semi-finals. To the dismay of the judges however, Agnes did not get a place in the final eleven contestants through public voting, and when she again failed to grab a place through the special 'wildcard' round, they decided to pass her through to the finals as the judges' choice contestant.
Despite the lack of public support earlier in the competition, Agnes went on to amaze both the judges and the public during every week of the finals, with a result of making it into the grand finale without ever falling into the bottom two or three contestants. With 57% of the one million public votes cast during the finale, she defeated Sebastian Karlsson
Sebastian Karlsson (singer)
Sebastian Karlsson, or Sebastian , is a Swedish singer and performer, best known for his participation in Idol 2005, where he came in second place after Agnes Carlsson...
and was crowned as the second Swedish Idol, and the first female to win the competition.
Immediately after winning Idol
Idol (Sweden)
Idol is a Swedish reality-competition talent show airing on TV4. It debuted in August 2004, and it has since become one of the most popular shows on Swedish television...
, Agnes signed a recording contract with Sony BMG and her debut single, "Right Here Right Now (My Heart Belongs to You)
Right Here, Right Now (My Heart Belongs to You)
-Track listing:CD single/Digital download#"Right Here Right Now " – 3:36#"Right Here Right Now " [Instrumental] – 3:37-Music video:...
" was released. A week later, the song debuted at number one on the Swedish singles chart, a position it held for six weeks. The song was quickly certified double platinum for the sale of over 40,000 copies in Sweden. Just one week later, on December 19, 2005, her highly anticipated debut album Agnes
Agnes (album)
Agnes is the debut album composed of the songs performed by the Idol 2005 winner Agnes Carlsson. The album debuted at #1 in Sweden and stayed there for 2 weeks. The lead single, "Right Here, Right Now ", written and produced by Jörgen Elofsson, topped the Swedish Top 60 Singles chart for six weeks...
was released to positive critical reviews that praised the power of Agnes's voice, who was still only eighteen years old. The album debuted at number one on the Swedish albums chart and was certified platinum in its first week of release, selling almost 40,000 copies.
Stranded (Agnes Carlsson song)
"Stranded" is a single by the Swedish Idol winner 2005, Agnes Carlsson. The single is from her debut album Agnes.-Chart performance:...
". Although it received positive critical reviews, the single did not gain commercial success and stalled in the singles chart at number twenty-seven. Despite this however, her first album continued to enjoy high sales success, selling over 90,000 copies in Sweden by the time it left the Top 60 Albums chart.
On August 22, 2006, only eight months after her Idol win, Agnes's third single "Kick Back Relax
Kick Back Relax
"Kick Back Relax" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer and Idol winner Agnes taken from her second album Stronger. The track was written by Jörgen Elofsson who also wrote her debut single "Right Here Right Now". It was released as the albums first single in September 2006.The song first entered...
" premiered on the TV-show "Sommarkrysset". The song, which would serve as the lead single from her second studio album, was released on September 7 and narrowly missed the top spot on the Swedish singles chart, peaking at number two. Her second album, Stronger
Stronger (Agnes album)
-Release history:-Charts and certifications:...
was released on October 11, less than a year after the release of her debut album. Like its predecessor, Stronger debuted at number one on the albums chart, and went on to sell over 50,000 copies in Sweden, with it later being certified platinum. One of the album's tracks, "Love Is All Around
Love Is All Around (Agnes Carlsson song)
"Love Is All Around" is a song by Agnes Carlsson, who was the winner of Swedish Idol 2005. The song was composed by Fredrik Thomander and Anders Wikstrom. It has been covered in at least 3 other continents.- Ricki-Lee version :...
" has since been covered by numerous singers on three continents, the most notable being by Australian Idol
Australian Idol
Australian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
alumni Ricki Lee Coulter, which peaked at number five in Australia and became one of that country's biggest hits in 2007.
On November 15, 2006, Agnes released "Champion
Champion (Agnes song)
"Champion" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes taken from her second album Stronger. The track was written by Agnes Carlsson, Curtis A. Richardson, and Emanuel Olsson and produced by Emanuel Olsson for Cosmos Productions. It was released as the album's second single in Sweden.-Music...
", the second single from Stronger, which peaked at number nineteen. In early 2007, she embarked on her second national. In December, she and her fellow Idol contestant Måns Zelmerlöw
Måns Zelmerlöw
Måns Petter Albert Sahlén Zelmerlöw is a Swedish pop singer. He is probably best known for his 2007 song "Cara Mia," which was his entry in that year's Melodifestivalen...
joined together for a huge Christmas campaign for clothing store MQ. In order to promote the company, they duetted on a cover of the Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
song "All I Want for Christmas Is You", which peaked at number three on the Swedish singles chart and was certified gold for the sale of 10,000 copies.
2008-2009: Dance Love Pop, departure from Sony BMG & international launch
In early 2008, it was announced that Agnes had parted ways with her record label Sony BMG, with Agnes citing "creative differences" behind the split. She then signed to independent label Roxy RecordingsRoxy Recordings
King Island Roxystars Recordings AB, more known as Roxy Recordings, or Roxy was an independent record label based in Stockholm, Sweden. It was bought by Universal Music Group in August 2011. The label was formed in 2007 and is owned by Egmont through Nordisk Film and MBO...
and on August 11, "On and On", the first single from her upcoming third studio, was released. The song marked a change in Agnes' music style, going towards a more dance and club style, while moving away from her original pop and R&B. Agnes first performed the song live on August 16, 2008 during the Swedish TV-show "Sommarkrysset". The single spent four consecutive weeks at its peak of number 8 on the Swedish singles chart and hit the top spot on the club chart, gaining a gold certification. The same club style would be reflected on Agnes's third studio album, Dance Love Pop
Dance Love Pop
Dance Love Pop is the third studio album by Swedish recording artist Agnes, released originally on October 29, 2008 in Sweden. This was Agnes' first studio album since 2006 and her comeback to the music stage. The album is written and produced by Swedish song-writer Anders Hansson and geared...
, which she had written together with Swedish producer and song-writer Anders Hansson. The album was released on October 28, 2009 and debuted on the Swedish albums chart at number five with first week sales of 10,000 copies. On November 24, "Release Me
Release Me (Agnes song)
"Release Me" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes taken from her third album Dance Love Pop. The track was written by Agnes Carlsson, Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn. It was released as the album's second single in Sweden, and as Agnes' debut single internationally.The song has been...
" was released as the second single from the album, peaking at number nine on the Swedish chart and being certified gold. Despite the song's success, it failed to match that of the album's first single.
Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2009. It was the selection for the 49th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 48th edition of Melodifestivalen...
, the competition that would decide Sweden's entrant to the Eurovision song contest. Agnes later confirmed this in an interview in the Swedish newspaper Göteborgsposten, and it was further confirmed on December 2, 2008, by SVT
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
. The song "Love Love Love
Love Love Love (Agnes song)
"Love Love Love" is a song by Swedish singer Agnes and was her entrant in Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest selection process Melodifestivalen. After proceeding to the final from the fourth semi-final, the song placed eighth out of the eleven entries...
" was chosen as her official entry song. The song was written by Anders Hansson, who had previously worked with Agnes on her third studio album, co-writing almost all of the record's tracks, including the first two singles, On and On
On and On
On and On is the second studio album by Jack Johnson, who provided the vocals and guitars. It was released in 2003 on Universal Records. Adam Topol played drums and percussion while Merlo Podlewski played bass. The album was recorded at The Mango Tree studios in Hawaii.A different version of the...
and "Release Me". Originally, it was said that Agnes was to perform "Love Love Love" as a duet with fellow Swedish singer and former A-teens member Marie Serneholt
Marie Serneholt
Marie Eleonor Serneholt is a Swedish singer and former member of the Swedish pop band A*Teens. She was born in Stockholm, daughter of musician Ronnie Serneholt.-A*Teens :...
, but when it was later decided that Serneholt would be competing on her own, Agnes performed "Love Love Love" as a solo performance. On February 28, 2009, Agnes advanced to the final round of Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009
Melodifestivalen 2009 was a Swedish song contest held between February and March 2009. It was the selection for the 49th song to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, and was the 48th edition of Melodifestivalen...
and eventually achieved 8th place with 40 points. On February 28, she officially released "Love Love Love
Love Love Love (Agnes song)
"Love Love Love" is a song by Swedish singer Agnes and was her entrant in Sweden's Eurovision Song Contest selection process Melodifestivalen. After proceeding to the final from the fourth semi-final, the song placed eighth out of the eleven entries...
" as the third single from Dance Love Pop, peaking at number four on the Swedish charts. The song was included on the two-disc re-release of her third studio album, released on April 1, 2009. Following the re-release, Dance Love Pop returned to the Swedish albums chart, peaking at number 12.
During Agnes' attempts to promote Melodifestivalen in the spring of 2009, "Release Me" began to receive attention from abroad, with Roxy Recordings later stating that the song would receive an international release. The move marked the first time that Agnes' music would be distributed outside Sweden. The single made its first international appearance in Denmark, where it peaked at number six selling over 25,000 copies, but most of all, "Release Me" gained massive remarks in the UK and Agnes was signed to the small independent record company 3Beat, where the song received its official UK release on May 31, 2009, proving to be a big hit, being picked up by most music channels, also with Agnes performing the song and a few others at G-A-Y
G-A-Y
G-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
, the UK's biggest gay nightclub venue and also a live performance on GMTV, one of the UK's biggest breakfast shows. Release Me hit the top of Radio 1's A-list playlist, and eventually debuted at number three in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and continued to ride high in the top ten for many weeks. After eight weeks it managed to get a Silver certification with over 300,000 copies sold. In Ireland the song debuted at thirty-eight and later peaked at ten. "Release Me" continued to reign European charts during the summer and autumn, being released in most European countries, becoming a success in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Agnes made her first appearance outside of Europe in late July after being signed by Warner Music in Australia with "Release Me" as her first Australian entering the Australian chart at number eleven in its first week of release.
Agnes' second international single was "On and On" which was first released in the Netherlands where it peaked at number fourteen. Later that year, "On and On" started to climb the charts in the francophone areas of Europe due to digital downloads from Dance Love Pop. It debuted at number twenty-seven in the Belgian-Wallonia Singles Chart
Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization...
and after its release, peaked at seventeen. In the Belgian-Flandern Singles Chart
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...
it peaked at eight, making it the second top-ten hit in Belgium for Agnes. A new version had been recorded for the French release, called "On Se Donne", but even before it was released as a single, it peaked at number fourteen on the French Download Chart and thirthy-seven in the Swiss Singles Chart. "On and On" was released as the second single in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in May 2010, and as the third single for the UK in June.
In the UK the second single was "I Need You Now
I Need You Now (Agnes song)
"I Need You Now" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes taken from her third album Dance Love Pop. The track was written by Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn. It was released as the album's second single in the UK in a remixed form. The song was re-sung and completely reproduced during the...
", which was rerecorded from the previous version on Dance Love Pop. "I Need You Now" was officially released in the UK on November 16, 2009 and peaked at forty in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. But fared better in the dance chart at 5. "I Need You Now" was then released in Sweden on November 23, 2009 as an iTunes exclusive single. Later the same week it was released to other digital markets and despite no promotion and little airplay, it entered the Swedish Singles Chart
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
at number ten and later peaked at number eight, making it Agnes' seventh top-ten hit in Sweden. The song was also released in a few other countries such as Italy, The Netherlands, Norway and Australia but failed to enter any charts.
2010-present: Fourth studio album and Royal wedding
In February 2010 it was confirmed that Agnes's third French single would be Sometimes I Forget. It will serve as the follow-up to the massive success of "Release Me" and "On and On", which combined has sold over 160,000 copies in France. The song will be released in Sweden as well, as Agnes' fifth single from "Dance Love Pop".In July 2009 the major American record company Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
had announced that they had signed Agnes and would release "Release Me
Release Me (Agnes song)
"Release Me" is a pop song recorded by Swedish singer Agnes taken from her third album Dance Love Pop. The track was written by Agnes Carlsson, Anders Hansson and Sharon Vaughn. It was released as the album's second single in Sweden, and as Agnes' debut single internationally.The song has been...
" in the U.S. on August 18, 2009. She also received a signing bonus of 1 million dollars ($1,000,000). This made Agnes the first and to date only Swedish Idol
Idol (Sweden)
Idol is a Swedish reality-competition talent show airing on TV4. It debuted in August 2004, and it has since become one of the most popular shows on Swedish television...
contestant to be launched in America. Before landing on Interscope/Geffen's table, three of America's biggest record companies fought over Agnes and her hit potential. In early 2010 a team consisting of 35 people that, in 2009, was assigned to make Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
the next star, started to plan Agnes' U.S. launch.
Agnes made her first appearance in the U.S. on August 27, 2009 at a release party for her single "Release Me". Among the guests where the CEO of Interscope Records, Ron Fair, and he made a comment about their new signing "She has it all. She is an amazing singer, looks good, is fearless and humble. She is a mix of Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera" The launch of Agnes in the U.S and Canada continued during the spring 2010 and in the summer of 2010 "Release Me" was added to mainstream radio.
On June 19, 2010 Agnes and Björn Skifs
Björn Skifs
Björn Nils Olof Skifs is a Swedish singer, songwriter, actor, and screenwriter.Björn Skifs formed his first musical group Slam Creepers’ in 1963. Slam Creepers’ split in 1969 and Skifs went on to form a new band, Blåblus, in 1972. As Blue Swede, the band had a #1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974...
performed at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling
Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling
The royal wedding between Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling took place on 2010 in Stockholm Cathedral. It has been described as "Europe's biggest royal wedding since the Prince of Wales married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981." Westling's style and title after the marriage is now...
The song When You Tell the World You're Mine
When You Tell the World You're Mine
"When You Tell the World You're Mine" is a song recorded by Swedish singers Agnes and Björn Skifs. The song was performed at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling on June 19, 2010. It is also the official wedding song, written especially for this occasion and as a...
is the official wedding song, written especially for this occasion. The lyrics were written by Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
, who has worked with Agnes before, and the music was written by Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Elofsson
Jörgen Kjell Elofsson is a Swedish songwriter who has written or co-written hits for stars such as Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson, Guy Sebastian, Ana Johnsson, Marie Serneholt, Shayne Ward and Super Junior. He has also written hit singles for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife...
& John Lundvik as the official wedding song. As a tribute to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland is the heiress-apparent to the Swedish throne. If she ascends to the throne as expected, she will be Sweden's fourth queen regnant .-Early life:...
, Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland engaged Elofsson to compose a song that express what we feel when we fall in love with someone. The song entered the Sweden Top 60 Singles
Sverigetopplistan
Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....
at fourteen and peaked at one the week after, it did also manage to peak at nineteen in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The song was released Worldwide in June, but will also be released as a CD Single and as Agnes' third single in Germany on August 25.
According to the Swedish tabloid Expressen
Expressen
Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side....
, Agnes fourth album will be released within the first six months of 2011, and the first single is expected during the summer of 2011. First official single is "Don't Go Breaking My Heart
Don't Go Breaking My Heart (Agnes song)
"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a song by Swedish recording artist Agnes from her upcoming fourth studio album. It was released as the album's lead single on September 21, 2011...
" was premiered on August 5 at Mr. Gay Sweden Show The song is written by Agnes, Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll, The Nervo Twins and produced by Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll. A music video for the single release was shoot on September 12, 2011 and directed by Mikeadelica.
Musical style and influences
Agnes started out in Swedish Idol, and when it came to choose the songs for the competition she had a particular taste of genres. The first song she ever sang on Swedish television was "Varje gång jag ser dig" (Each time I see you), a soul ballad with a strong love lyrics. Throughout the competition she continued to impress with her vocals in songs like Flashdance... What a FeelingFlashdance... What a Feeling
"Flashdance... What a Feeling" is a song from the 1983 film Flashdance, written by Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey, and Irene Cara, and performed by Cara. Despite the title, the word "Flashdance" is never used in the lyrics; however, the line "In a flash, take a hold of my heart" refers to the...
, I'm So Excited
I'm So Excited
"I'm So Excited" is a song by American recording artists The Pointer Sisters. The track, written by The Pointer Sisters and Trevor Lawrence, was originally released in 1982 and saw a re-release in 1984. It is considered to be one of the group's signature songs.-Background:The song appeared...
, Young Hearts Run Free
Young Hearts Run Free
"Young Hearts Run Free" is a disco song by American soul singer Candi Staton. Released in 1976 from the album of the same title, it spent a week at number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart. It also peaked at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Along with the tracks: "Run To Me"...
and Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Can't Take My Eyes off You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
. Already in this early stage of her career she cited legendary soul-singer Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
as her inspiration. Both her self-titled debut album and her second album consisted strongly of R&B, soul, and pop songs, continuing the path she began during her time in "Idol".
But after leaving Sony Music and signing on to Roxy, she geared towards the dance and club genre, she was introduced to the songwriter and producer Anders Hansson. Agnes recalls when his name first came up for the album “They said maybe you should just meet first and see if you like each other, as opposed to just working together.” They got on – so well that Hansson ended up producing an album that helped Agnes realise her vision, Dance Love and Pop together in one album “A lot of things changed for me when I started to work with this album. I really liked it, because I knew that I wanted to do something totally different to the two others. I wanted to do uptempo, disco-orientated songs and I really wanted to work with Anders because he felt the same way." When released the first single "On and On" from her third album, it immediately showed a clear change of artistic direction for her music. This was clearly observed by the critics who all homaged her new musical style. Other remarks are "The album fits the dance floor at any club. A mood trigger with bubbling enjoyment." and "Agnes Carlsson once and for all gets rid of the "Idol"-dust."
Agnes has often cited strong female soul singers like Beyoncé
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
as her inspiration in music. In an interview she said that whenever she was home alone she would play Whitney Houston and Beyoncé's songs “at the highest volume” and sing along. “Whitney’s voice is so emotional, and if there’s one thing I learnt from listening to her, it’s that it’s important to put emotion in.”
Discography
Studio albums- 2005: AgnesAgnes (album)Agnes is the debut album composed of the songs performed by the Idol 2005 winner Agnes Carlsson. The album debuted at #1 in Sweden and stayed there for 2 weeks. The lead single, "Right Here, Right Now ", written and produced by Jörgen Elofsson, topped the Swedish Top 60 Singles chart for six weeks...
- 2006: StrongerStronger (Agnes album)-Release history:-Charts and certifications:...
- 2008: Dance Love PopDance Love PopDance Love Pop is the third studio album by Swedish recording artist Agnes, released originally on October 29, 2008 in Sweden. This was Agnes' first studio album since 2006 and her comeback to the music stage. The album is written and produced by Swedish song-writer Anders Hansson and geared...
- 2011/2012: TBA
Tours
- 2006: Agnes Live Tour
- 2007: Stronger TourStronger TourThe Stronger Tour is the twelfth tour by American recording artist, Kelly Clarkson. Beginning in January 2012, the tour will support her fifth studio album, Stronger. The trek is set to visit North America.-Background:...
- 2009: The Dance Love Pop TourThe Dance Love Pop TourThe Dance Love Pop Tour was the third concert tour by Swedish pop singer Agnes Carlsson, and the first outside of Sweden. It was to support her third studio album, Dance Love Pop. The tour reached Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom.-Tour dates:...
- 2009: Clubland Live 3 Tour
- 2010: The U.S. Club Tour