Emerging from digital obscurity as a mysterious viral phenomenon, the shadowy multimedia endeavor iamamiwhoami unites Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee with producer Claes Björklund. During the early 2010s, cryptic imagery paired with dreamy, fragmented tracks drew widespread online attention, building a dedicated audience through both the project's concealed origins and the inherent appeal of its sound. Once Lee and Björklund stepped forward as its creators, they demonstrated that this method extended beyond mere novelty, securing recognition for their inventive methods while the 2012 debut album Kin expanded the haunting electro pop that had initially captivated listeners. By the time of 2014's Blue the duo's palette had shifted toward greater warmth and closeness, a direction that persisted into 2022's Be Here Soon, where themes of parenthood shaped their artistic direction.
In December 2009 the project's opening pair of videos reached music journalists and blogs through an unnamed email account, followed by additional hints and footage on platforms including MTV and iamamiwhoami's dedicated YouTube channel. Speculation about the anonymous act ranged from Björk, Goldfrapp, and the Knife—whose styles aligned closely with iamamiwhoami's—to broader theories naming Trent Reznor or Christina Aguilera. June 2010 brought confirmation that the endeavor originated with Swedish singer/songwriter Jonna Lee, whose fans had already suspected her role despite earlier denials from her management, alongside co-producer Claes Björklund. That November the project staged a webcast concert. The next year brought the inaugural Swedish Grammi for Innovator of the Year, MTV O Music Awards nominations in the Innovative Artist and Best Web-Born Artist categories, and the release of two new songs, "john" and "clump." August 2011 marked the project's first live appearance at Sweden's Way Out West Festival in Gothenburg. Early 2012 saw iamamiwhoami's YouTube channel preview the digital arrival of debut album Kin that June, preceded by singles such as Drops and Good Worker; the physical edition followed in September. Bounty, gathering the project's initial material, surfaced in June 2013. Late 2014 delivered Blue, another audiovisual set whose lighter, brighter tone diverged from earlier work.
Following two years of Blue-related touring, iamamiwhoami paused while Lee launched a fresh endeavor. Her solo project ionnalee surfaced with the 2017 single "Samaritan," presenting a more straightforward interpretation of the arty electronic pop associated with her prior work. The debut album Everyone Afraid to Be Forgotten, issued in February 2018 and co-produced by Lee and Björklund, featured collaborations with TR/ST and Jamie Irrepressible. Early 2019 brought a nomination for Best Synth Album of the Year at Manifestgalan, Sweden's independent-music awards. May of that year saw ionnalee's second album Remember the Future, incorporating input from Björklund, former tourmates Röyksopp, Zola Jesus, and Jennie Abrahamson. The following year, amid the COVID-19 global pandemic, Lee connected with fans via KONSERT, a live-streamed island performance joined remotely by Imogen Heap, Zola Jesus, and TR/ST.
Lee and Björklund reactivated iamamiwhoami with June 2022's Be Here Soon, an audiovisual album merging their forward-thinking electronic pop with folk and ambient textures while exploring intersections between parenthood and creativity.
