Astrid S

Norwegian pop artist Astrid S first drew widespread attention across Scandinavia in the early 2010s after appearing on a national singing contest. Her self-titled debut EP quickly lifted her into Norway’s upper pop ranks, and a steady run of follow-up singles kept climbing until she claimed the top spot in 2017 with “Think Before I Talk.” By 2019 she had amassed ten Top Ten entries even though no full-length album had yet appeared; Leave It Beautiful arrived the next year and peaked at number two on the domestic album chart. Additional singles followed, among them the chart-topping Norwegian-language track “Når snøen smelter” in 2021 and “Darkest Hour,” which surfaced on her 2023 EP Felt Cute Might Delete Later.

National visibility had come in 2013 through Norway’s Pop Idol, yet Astrid Smeplass had already been performing for years in the village of Berkåk, playing piano at home and flute in the school marching band. Classical repertoire felt restrictive, so she picked up guitar and began composing original material shaped by her chief inspiration, John Mayer. On the televised competition she reworked Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and Keane’s “Somewhere Only We Know”—the latter drawn from one of her favorite albums, Hopes and Fears—while also introducing her own guitar-pop ballad “Shattered.” Although she placed fifth, her career accelerated rapidly, all before she turned eighteen.

A brief post-show tour led to a Universal contract and the 2015 release of her first single, the alt-R&B cut “2AM.” The track earned five-times platinum certification in Norway and brought early accolades, including an MTV EMA for Best Norwegian Act, a Norwegian Grammy nomination, and a sold-out headline tour. Subsequent releases included the Lido-produced nocturnal track “Hyde” and guest appearances on Matoma’s “Running Out,” Avicii’s “Waiting for Love,” and Shawn Mendes’ “Air.”

The five-song debut EP Astrid S reached stores in 2016 and contained the tropical-pop success “Hurts So Good,” her fourth Top Ten single. The following year’s Party’s Over EP yielded the Top Three hits “Breathe” and “Such a Boy,” setting the stage for “Think Before I Talk,” which topped the chart and earned platinum status throughout Scandinavia. After being named Artist of the Year at the 2018 Norwegian Grammy Awards, she issued “Emotion” and “Closer,” then delivered another batch of singles in 2019—among them the JP Cooper collaboration “Sing It with Me” and her tenth Top Ten entry, “The First One”—before releasing the Down Low EP in September.

Further momentum arrived via the NOTD duet “I Don’t Know Why,” after which Leave It Beautiful became her first proper album and reached number two at home. The gold-certified “Relations,” recorded with Felix Sandman, came next. Astrid also starred in the film Tre nøtter til Askepott and contributed the original Norwegian song “Når snøen smelter,” which hit number one. Additional Top Ten placements followed with “Pretty,” a duet with Dagny, and the 2022 single “Come First.”

Felt Cute Might Delete Later, her 2023 EP, spotlighted the grungy electronica number “Darkest Hour.”