Ask the DJ: Queen of Hearts – Top 10 Scandi Pop Hits

“I am utterly obsessed with Scandi pop,” says London based singer-songwriter, Queen of Hearts. “They just GET great pop music. It’s ingrained in their DNA, it might even be taught in their schools? Someone once asked me if I was Scandinavian, it was probably the best day of my life.”

Since arriving on the scene in late 2011 with her debut EP, The Arrival, the enigmatic and elusive Queen of Hearts has quietly carved out a niche for herself, with a handful of carefully executed independent releases and collaborations, cementing her status as one of the most exciting and original faces in electronic pop music.

Speaking of her latest track, the artist aka Liz Morphew said, “I wrote ‘The Water Between Us’ after a long-distance relationship I was in broke down quite catastrophically. I’d taken a little temporary break from music, but writing this track was very much a way of expressing myself and dealing with the emotions I had at that particular time. I originally wrote it for another project, but quickly realised that it was my story and I wanted to tell it. I think it’s one of my favourite things I’ve ever written.”

Join Queen of Hearts on a journey through Sweden, Denmark and Norway’s finest, besides Ikea, Smörgåsbords and the art of Hygge, of course.

1. Robyn – ‘Dancing On My Own’ (Swedish)

“No one does ‘tears on the dance floor’ better than Robyn. FACT.  I love how her lyrics here are so sad and yet the tune itself has you on the dance floor, full on fist pumping. Fierce, Iconic, 100% true to herself. GOD I LOVE YOU, ROBYN.”

2. Faye – ‘Water Against The Rocks’ (Swedish)

“I fucking love this song. Such a simple idea for a video and yet you can’t take your eyes off her, her performance is effortless, yet powerful. Melody wise, it’s ALL about the second half of verse two. Well done Faye, well fucking done, babe.”

3. Say Lou Lou – ‘Nothing But A Heartbeat’ (Swedish)

“Sisters making great pop music together is cool AF. I’ve probably listened to their album, Lucid Dreaming, 100 times or more, it’s all killer no filler. If you don’t know it, you should.”

4. The Sound Of Arrows – ‘Conquest’ (Swedish)

“The only male group in this line up, and what a group they are! A modern day sounding Ace of Base, Stefan writes the most stunning melodies and their videos / general imagery is always on point. I had the pleasure of working with SOA when we wrote ’Shoot The Bullet’ for my debut album, Cocoon. That too, is a one hell of a tune. (Shameless self-promo.)”

5. Lykke Li – ‘Gunshot’ (Swedish)

“Lykke Li is my current girl crush. I love the Michael Jackson-esk synth drums on this track and the breakdown in the middle 8. AMAZING.”

6. MØ – ‘Say You’ll Be There’ (Danish)

“Covering a Spice Girls’ hit could have been career suicide; luckily for MØ her take on it is utterly brilliant. Personally, I was always Geri in my school Spice Girl performances. And yes, I did have a replica union jack dress.”

7. Annie – ‘I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me’ (Norwegian)

“This song will always remind me of Popjustice club nights at Trash Palace in London. Ohhh, they were good.”

8. Fender Heist – ‘Fighter ft. Frøder’ (Norwegian)

“I have no idea when or how I came across this song and have to admit knowing very little about her as an artist, but there’s just something special about this song. I used to listen to it when I was training for the London Marathon. Something about the passion and power in her vocal delivery always got me through the 30 second sprint intervals.”

9. Emilie Nicolas – ‘Grow Up’ (Norwegian)

“This song is just so utterly beautiful. I love how it builds as you move through, the harmonies, adlibs and the pulsing synths at the end are just perfection.”

10. Loreen – ‘Euphoria’ (Swedish)

“If it’s good enough for Eurovision, it’s good enough for me! This is SUCH a banger. I love the power in her voice and how massive the chorus feels in comparison to the verses. Pop gold.”

Queen of Heart’s latest track ‘The Water Between Us’ is out now. Stream it HERE.

You can listen to all Ask the DJ playlists on the FMS Magazine Spotify CHANNEL.

Find Queen of Heart’s playlist below and HERE.

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