Nanne

A distinctive stage presence defined by theatrical flair and an expansive operatic voice, Nanne Grönvall ranks among Sweden’s most inventive and long-lasting artists. Across more than two decades her recordings have ranged from group projects with Sound of Music and One More Time to a steady solo output that has kept her on domestic charts. Born Marianne Elisabeth Nordqvist in Stockholm in 1962, she launched her professional life in the pop outfit Sound of Music alongside her future husband, Peter Grönvall, whose father is ABBA’s Benny Andersson. The band twice reached Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s annual selection for Eurovision, finishing fourth with “Eldorado” in 1986 and again with “Alexandra” in 1987. After the group dissolved, Nanne and Peter joined vocalist Maria Rådsten to create the trio One More Time, which issued several albums throughout the 1990s and captured the 1996 Melodifestivalen title with the close-harmony ethnic ballad “Den Vilda,” ultimately placing third at Eurovision.

Her solo path opened in 1998 when she returned to Melodifestivalen with the self-written “Avundsjuk,” a track examining envy among women. For the performance she appeared in a purple wig and Spock-like prosthetic ears; the entry finished fourth yet climbed to number six on the Swedish singles chart, marking her first solo hit. The debut album Cirkus Homo Sapiens appeared soon afterward. A follow-up, 2001’s Alla Mina Ansikten, sold poorly, and that year she also entered the UK Eurovision heats with “Men,” ending last. Melodifestivalen beckoned again in 2003 with “Evig Karlek,” blending dance beats and operatic lines, though the song did not advance to the final.

In 2005 she submitted the propulsive tribal track “Häll Om Mig,” which addressed the longing for physical intimacy. The number sailed through the semifinals and led the public vote by a wide margin, yet jury placement left her second overall behind Martin Stenmarck’s “Las Vegas.” The song nevertheless proved the bigger commercial success, holding the top Swedish chart position for two weeks and charting for more than six months. Its parent album, Altid Pa Vag, became her strongest seller and spawned three further Top 20 singles: “Om Du Var Min,” “Lyckos Dig,” and “Många Karlar Lite Tid.” A retrospective, 20 år med Nanne, also surfaced that year, surveying her work with both earlier groups and her solo material. In 2006 she disclosed a breast-cancer diagnosis that halted all promotional plans; after receiving the all-clear she resurfaced in 2007 with her fourth solo album, Jag Måste Kyssa Dig.