Alan Walker

British-Norwegian EDM producer Alan Walker merges his affinity for video game culture and cinematic elements into an approachable mix of progressive house and electropop. At just 18, the track "Faded" emerged as a major European success for him, claiming the top position in ten countries while reaching the Top Five in six others. That breakthrough led directly to his first full-length project, the 2018 album Different World, which also topped the charts in Norway. High placements on the Norwegian charts continued with World of Walker in 2021, Walkerverse, Pts. I & II in 2022, and Walkerworld in 2023. Walkerworld 2.0 arrived in early 2025.

Born on August 24, 1997, in Northampton, England, to a Norwegian mother and British father, Walker relocated with his family to Bergen, Norway, when he was two. Growing up immersed in technology as a true post-millennial, he developed a deep fascination with computers. By 2012, after discovering EDM producers K-391 and Ahrix on YouTube along with film composers Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer, he started producing his own tracks on a laptop. Working first in the "drumstep" style—a slowed-down variant of drum'n'bass—he uploaded the instrumental "Fade," which gained traction after being re-released on the No Copyright Sounds (NCS) YouTube channel and free netlabel that had promoted K-391 and Ahrix. The track achieved massive reach, eventually accumulating 65 million streams, and was succeeded by two additional cinematic releases, "Spectre" and "Force," though these proved somewhat less widely embraced.

Major labels soon expressed interest, leading Walker to sign with Sony Music in 2015. His debut single for the label, "Faded," reworked the earlier "Fade" and featured uncredited lead vocals from fey Oslo pop singer Iselin Solheim, who had recently gained attention with her song "The Wizard of Us." Powered by Solheim's angelic, ethereal delivery, a melancholic yet memorable melody, polished production, and a dark, dystopian video filmed across decaying industrial sites in Estonia, the track reached number one in Sweden—where it earned nine-times platinum status—Germany, France, Italy, Norway, and numerous other territories. He later issued a stripped-back acoustic "restrung" rendition that removed the EDM components. Walker made his first live appearance at the X Games in Oslo during February 2016, then followed with several prominent festival slots.

In 2017 he issued the single "Tired," which featured Irish singer/songwriter Gavin James, and in 2018 came "Ignite," a collaboration with Julie Bergan, K-391, and Seungri. Both "Darkside," featuring Au/Ra and Tomine Harket, and "Diamond Heart," featuring Sophia Somajo, reached the top of the Norwegian chart and later appeared on his debut album Different World, which topped the Norwegian charts upon its December release. 2019 saw the arrival of the singles "Are You Lonely" with Steve Aoki and ISÁK and "On My Way" featuring Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko. Over the following two years he continued scoring major streaming successes, including 2020's "Alone, Pt. II" with Ava Max and 2021's "Fake a Smile." Both tracks featured on his second album, World of Walker, which entered at number four in Norway upon its November 2021 release. That September he also dropped the Walker Racing League EP. A pair of EPs titled Walkerverse, Pt. I and II surfaced in 2022 alongside another EP, Origins. The combined Walkerverse releases included notable hits such as "The Drum" and "Shut Up" featuring UPSAHL.

The next year he focused on singles including "Dreamer" and "Hero," the latter featuring Sasha Alex Sloan and serving as the lead track for his fourth album, Walkerworld. The first portion of the project landed in November 2023 and peaked at number 18 in Norway. Additional singles from the second part followed that December, among them "Fire!," featuring YUQI of (G)I-DLE and JVKE. Further charting releases such as "Who I Am," featuring Putri Ariani and Peder Elias, and "Barcelona," with Ina Wroldsen, appeared among his many 2024 singles, and Walkerworld 2.0 arrived in early 2025.