Every so often I remember Stina Nordenstam and wonder where she is, what has become of her. One of the so-called Scandinavian “Björks”, the Swedish singer-songwriter became known during the 90s with a series of albums that alternated between crystalline folk, whispered grunge, jazz-pop and lo-fi, ‘Little Star’ being her signature song after appearing in a Hollywood film by a certain biopic-loving director. During the 21st century, Nordenstam released just two albums and, after the release of his 2004 album, ‘The World is Saved’, faded from public life.
Unfounded rumors about his life have persisted on the Internet for decades, such as an alleged addiction and a serious accident of which no details are known. Some promotional images from 2004 showed her with marked thinness and a tremendous bruise on one eye, but none of these rumors have been confirmed. In 2013, Nordenstam reappeared to promote an art exhibition, and in 2014, she revealed that she had been diagnosed with autism. Since then, silence. This March, he turned 57 years old.
Nordenstam has become part of that lineage of “mysterious”, “reclusive” and “enigmatic” artists – such as Nick Drake or Karen Dalton – who have chosen to return to anonymity after a long career in the music industry. But Nordenstam will never be anonymous as long as her beautiful music survives, and lately figures such as Guitarricadelafuente, Mariang (from La Pija y la Quinqui) or the music popularizer Margeaux (@marg.mp3) have spread it on networks, while some songs seem to have gone viral, showing that they continue to be discovered. Today we discuss his seven essential songs.
Little Star
Easily Stina Nordenstam’s best-known song for its inclusion in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film ‘Romeo and Juliet’, where it plays in the background during a memorable scene, ‘Little Star’ condemns Nordenstam’s crystalline folk style in a song of stark contrasts. While acoustic guitar and trumpet melodies take us to a comforting and melancholic place, the lyrics actually describe a tragedy, the death of a mysterious person in a fire. The haunting final melody is composed of a Latin prayer sung by a male choir. Michel Gondy directs its music video.
Under Your Command
After two first albums marked by a fragile beauty, Nordenstam’s third album chooses the rawness of the electric guitar in the midst of the era of grunge and PJ Harvey. ‘Dynamite’ offers a very personal vision of that sound, being a clear precursor to artists like Nilüfer Yanya. ‘Under Your Command’ is an introduction that seems to address the music industry, portrayed as a suffocating authority. Between distorted guitars and electronic flashes, Nordenstam addresses themes such as obedience, loyalty and sacrifice, with evident irony: “Under your orders, didn’t I swallow my pride?”
Memories of a Color
It’s impossible to understand Stina Nordenstam’s career without listening to her 1991 debut, ‘Memories of a Color.’ In September of that year, Nordenstam performed at the Swedish Parliament in commemoration of the “Year of Jazz”, and ‘Memories of a Color’ is their album with the greatest influences of this music, offering a clean and pristine production typical of the time. The title track refers to Sade in its smooth-pop and jazz echoes, while the lyrics narrate a kind of spiritual journey full of nostalgia and longing. Nordenstam sets out in search of something, she doesn’t know what, and ends up faced with her own emptiness. The ballad ‘Soon After Christmas’ is another essential track.
Everyone Else in the World
After his time at Warner Music, Nordenstam released his first independent album in 2001, ‘This Is Stina Nordenstam’. ‘Everyone Else in the World’ is the devastating portrait of unrequited love, with a teenager Tamsin Egerton (‘Family Secrets’) starring in the video clip: “Everyone loves me from day one, except you.” The album was a return to something resembling pop, very representative of the noir Nordic pop sound of this track that seems to roll into the void, with hypnotic guitar loops and ethereal percussion. Brett Anderson, Suede’s vocalist, sings on two songs on the album.
I Dream of Jeanie (with the Light Brown Hair)
This is the Nordenstam song that, in an unusual way, seems to have gone viral – we suspect that TikTok may have had something to do with it – since it is currently his most listened to song on Spotify, approaching 3 million views. Included on ‘People Are Strange’, one of the most unusual cover albums in history, “Jeanie” is a strange yet addictive indie-rock adaptation of a popular 19th century American parlor song. Stina’s detached vocal performance, the raw guitar riff and the reedy melody of the chorus contribute to building an unlikely “hit.”
Get On with Your Life
Nordenstam “moved on with his life” after the release of his album ‘The World Is Saved’… since he hasn’t released another one in 22 years. ‘Get On with Your Life’ was their star single, although in the end the song ‘Parliament Square’ – which was released as the last single – accumulated more listens. The story of mental captivity (“I can’t get this porn movie out of my head”), Nordenstam describes a “weight” that does not allow him to exist in peace. In contrast, the music sounds light, combining lo-fi, jazz, cabaret-style piano, pop and strings in the most accessible song from the last Stina, the last because there were no more.
So This Is Goodbye
‘And She Closed Her Eyes’ is named in 2013 by Sonic magazine, the best Swedish album in history. The album containing ‘Little Star’ – the second in Stina’s discography – also includes the beautiful ‘So This Is Goodbye’, a tender song of heartbreak that begins acoustically but slowly progresses towards a subtle crescendo of electric textures. Nordenstam’s voice will always be described as “fragile” and, over time, even described as a precursor to ASMR, but songs like ‘So This Is Goodbye’ demonstrate its emotional depth. A song to pick up the pieces of a broken heart.
