Jesper Jenset

Norwegian singer-songwriter Jesper Jenset first stepped into the spotlight through his appearance on the 2014 season of Norwegian Idol, where he ultimately placed fifth. Raised in the coastal city of Molde, he picked up the guitar at age six and soon showed equal promise in athletics, earning a spot on Norway’s national gymnastics team. During his mid-teens he traveled the world for international competitions, yet music gradually eclipsed his sporting ambitions. The visibility from Idol turned him into a familiar figure across Norway and secured a recording contract, giving him the assurance that a professional career in music was viable. His debut single, “High,” arrived in 2016 and climbed to the second-most-played track on Norwegian radio while logging four weeks inside a prominent international Top 50 streaming playlist, extending his reach well beyond his home country. Two follow-up releases, “Lies” and “Painkiller,” prompted critics to liken his style to that of Ed Sheeran and Shawn Mendes. Jenset later confirmed plans to issue an EP in 2017.