Alphabeat

Danish pop act Alphabeat craft vivid, energetic anthems rooted in '80s synth pop and '90s dance music. With dual lead vocals supplied by Stine Bramsen and Anders SG, the group exploded onto the European stage via their self-titled 2007 debut and secured both a chart-topping album and a Danish Music Award for the 2009 release The Spell. They have stayed perennial live draws throughout Europe, while later efforts such as Express Non-Stop in 2012 and Don't Know What's Cool Anymore in 2019 highlight their sharp fusion of vintage and modern sounds.

Originally comprising Anders SG, Stine Bramsen, guitarist Anders B, keyboardist Rasmus Nagel, bassist Anders Reinholdt, and drummer Troels Hansen, the collective first assembled under the name Sodastar in 2004. They spent that period working the regional festival circuit with a saccharine pop blend shaped by the B-52's, Wham!, and Altered Images. To sidestep overlap with an existing act, they adopted the name Alphabeat and inked a deal with Copenhagen Records. Their 2007 debut, Alphabeat, arrived with tracks largely written by guitarist Anders B alongside established pop producer Rune Westberg. Powered by the singles "Fascination," "10,000 Nights of Thunder," and "Boyfriend," the record generated online excitement and reached number two on the Danish charts. Its swift rise drew interest from international executives, prompting a 2008 European and U.K. reissue titled This Is Alphabeat.

The band followed with their second album, The Spell, in 2009, shifting toward a '90s dance and R&B palette shaped by Black Box, Snap!, and Soul II Soul. The project landed at number five in Denmark, entered the U.K. Top Forty, and earned Alphabeat the Danish Music Award for Danish Group of the Year. Capitalizing on that momentum, the album received a U.S. release in 2010 under the title The Beat Is.... Their third album, Express Non-Stop, appeared exclusively in Denmark in 2012, climbing to number three on the Danish pop charts and yielding the singles "Vacation" and "Love Sea." After a lengthy break during which members focused on personal lives and families, Alphabeat resurfaced with Don't Know What's Cool Anymore in 2019, which included the single "Shadows."