If you are not Scandinavian, or a passionate Eurovision fan, you may not have heard of Benjamin Ingrosso, a young Swedish musician who represented his country at Eurovision 2018 and is part of a family of Swedish entertainment royalty that are a household name across Sweden.
However, with more than 850 million streams, 15 Platinum and 17 Gold certified singles, a Swedish Grammy, and three full-length albums that have topped the Swedish charts, he is a name that we can expect to see a lot more of in the days to come, as he sets out to take the international music world by storm.
Watching his Eurovision 2018 performance, it is clear that Benjamin is a talented artist, and his song “Dance You Off” achieved Platinum level success as a single, securing 7th place for Sweden overall in that year’s final. However, in 2018 one gets the impression that he was still a young artist, almost like a caterpillar – not yet fully formed artistically. Since then, Benjamin has been in a cocoon of growth and self-discovery, and his latest single Kite is such an authentic expression of the freedom and euphoria that he clearly feels when he performs, reflecting the joy that he so clearly wants to spread to the world through his music.
Benjamin sat down with me to discuss the single, his upcoming album and tour, Eurovision, and of course the predictions of ageing Korean fortune tellers…
Hi Benjamin, or Benjy, what should I call you? Which do you prefer?
Benjy or Benjamin, at least not Ben, because Ben sounds like an old guy.
Great, Benjy it is. I have to confess, I’ve been listening to your new song, “Kite”, a fair bit and it’s so upbeat and catchy, I just find myself dancing around to it.
That’s amazing. That’s what I want you to do.
It’s clearly about being high on life and love…
Big smile – it is
…when creating it, what excited you the most, and what do you hope listeners feel when they hear it?
I wrote that song in London about a year ago, together with John Shave and Anya. A year later, Anya and I work closely every day, collaborating on all the lyrics for my upcoming album, and she’s like a sister to me; I love her. That session was our first, and we nailed the entire song in about an hour. Usually, I focus on melodies, but Anya encouraged me to explore quirky melodies. She believed in my vocal abilities and was curious to see what unique sounds we could create. This led to experimenting with different vocal styles, and it was a lot of fun.
Surprisingly, this song, which we didn’t initially consider as the lead single for the next chapter, became very significant. After touring all summer and revisiting the studio with my producers, we finalised the song. It resonated so strongly with me that I found myself constantly humming the chorus, unable to get it out of my head. I usually share demos with my friends, but with this song, I waited until a week before its release to play them the final version, making it feel new and exciting for me too upon release.
This track is refreshingly different for me. It showcases my vocal range and versatility, featuring both falsetto and lower octaves, enriched with harmonies. It introduces a rawness I hadn’t embraced before, striking a balance between soulfulness and a bold, impactful delivery.
And then what inspired you to do the acoustic version with Astrid S?
Astrid and I first met around five years ago, and I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since. When I planned a trip to Norway for some promotional work, as we’re on the same label we arranged to meet through our label contacts, really to just hang out for an hour. Then we thought – ok, why don’t we do an acoustic version of “Kite” together? We didn’t have a plan really, I sent over a voice note with my idea for the guitar riff, and surprisingly, the version we released was only our second take, it was so natural.
In the video of it on YouTube, you’re just sitting there singing together on a couch, is that really how you recorded it?
Yes, we didn’t touch the vocals or anything.
This experience was incredibly validating for me as an artist. It proved that the song wasn’t just about the production or arrangement; it stood strong on its own with just a guitar or piano. This made me feel like I’d done a great…a good job as a songwriter, that I had created something genuinely meaningful.
You stopped yourself saying ‘great job’ there, but you really did do a great job.
Laughing – Yeah, I’m Swedish that’s why.
Talking of Sweden, they’re hosting the Eurovision song contest again this year! As a previous contestant yourself, do you think our UK entry, Olly Alexander, has a shot?
Oh, definitely, Olly Alexander has a solid chance. I really love the song and the video. He’s insanely talented, both as a singer and a performer. So, basically, if he just knocks it out of the park with his live performance and does something really special with it, I reckon he’s got a massive shot at winning. Eurovision’s a bit tricky, though; it really swings with what the Eurovision fans are feeling that year. Like, some years, you’ve got acts that could’ve been winners, but the crowd’s just in the mood for something different, something funny or maybe something deep. It’s all about catching the right vibe.
But honestly, I think Italy’s looking strong, and England’s definitely in the running. And then there’s the Sweden/Norway mix-up with Marcus and Martinus, right? They’re Norwegian, but this year, they’re waving the flag for Sweden. That’s pretty interesting. So, it’s going to be a tight contest, but yeah, Olly’s got as good a chance as any, as long as he delivers on the night.
Great to get your veteran insight, I’m crossing my fingers for the UK! As a Swedish musician, especially someone who competed in Eurovision, I imagine you must feel a strong connection to ABBA and their legacy…
I actually know Björn from ABBA quite well; he’s a friend of mine. We’ve worked together on two songs, which is pretty epic. Three years ago, he video-called me, and we talked for about two and a half hours. He wanted to express how much he liked my music and what I do, which was one of the coolest calls I’ve ever received. Afterward, he asked me to write a song for a musical he was working on. We wrote that song, and he mentioned we should collaborate again. Taking him up on his offer, I sent him a voice note of a new song a few months later. When I didn’t hear back for a couple of months, I assumed he wasn’t interested, but then he surprised me by sending three different lyric options for the song. We released that track, and performing it on my last tour, especially with a big orchestra, was an epic moment each time. The song is called “I Had It All and Let It Go”.
It was an incredible experience because in Sweden, Benny and Björn are legends. Now, on Spotify, it lists Benjamin Ingrosso and Björn Ulvaeus as the songwriters, which feels surreal. I joked with him that it’s now changed from Benny and Björn to Benjy and Björn.
Writing with him is an honour I’ll always cherish, especially since he typically only collaborates with Benny. This is definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
That must have been incredible. Just…wow.
So coming up soon you have your tour – The Better Days Tour… I noticed that your album En gång i tiden (del 2) (transl. Once Upon a Time (Part 2 )) from 2021 was quite melancholic, especially compared to the uplifting sound of “Kite”, and then I wondered if that was why ‘Better Days’….?
Yeah, it was definitely a melancholic time, you know, with COVID and everything. We were all stuck in some form of lockdown, and I really wanted to make this album as a kind of tribute to my grandparents and the older generation. It was about healing and remembering Old Sweden.
Part one was really inspired by the Swedish 90s scene, and then for Part 2, we dived into the 70s vibe, think ABBA and Tatiana Stall, who’s like, my favourite artist ever. But looking ahead, the next album’s got this 70s influence too, but it’s all in English this time and it’s got more of a quirky edge, like mixing glam rock with funk pop, and even throwing in a bit of punk. It’s a bit all over the place, but in the best possible way.
It’s also got this really organic feel to it. Not acoustic, per se, but we’re talking real instruments, ditching the autotune and that super modern sound. I wanted it to feel real, you know? Even though we’ve kept it modern, I didn’t want people to listen and be able to say exactly when it was made. It should feel like it could’ve come out in the 70s or even 20 years from now. Just timeless, really.
Awesome, I can’t wait to listen to it. So your track “Better Days” is what inspired the sound of the tour?
Absolutely, “Better Days” really set the tone for the whole tour. I wrote the song back in 2021, so it’s been with me for quite some time now. The message of the song is about maintaining hope and positivity in challenging times. As a young person wanting to live life to the fullest, dealing with heartbreak, and the collective experience of living through COVID, it’s about longing for those better days ahead, you know?
This song was a turning point for me. As soon as I laid it down on the piano, I knew it was the direction I wanted to take my new sound—this blend of 70s vibes, organic sounds, with a bit of punk rock and pop. It was like unlocking a new level of creativity for me. “Better Days” was the first song I wrote for the upcoming album and it essentially inspired the tour’s name and vibe.
We’re hitting the road for a European tour, which is like a dream come true for any artist, especially coming from Sweden. The show is designed to be an uplifting experience, like a musical. It’s going to be something else entirely, and I think once you see it, you’ll get exactly what I mean by the “Better Days Tour.” It’s all about bringing that hopeful, positive energy to life on stage.
I’ll be there, at Heaven in London on 4th April, I’ll bring my dancing shoes!
I saw that as well as “Kite” being released as a single, you have a remixed version collaborating with the UK’s very own Olly Alexander?
Yeah, Olly texted me saying how much he loved Kite and we got talking about Eurovision, which of course I’ve been a part of. We decided to reach out to our labels to see if we could work on something together, and that’s how the remix idea for “Kite” came about. I’ve always been keen on remixing my songs, but instead of the usual DJ remixes, I thought, why not make it more personal? So, we thought about an acoustic version or bringing someone in for a fresh verse, and Olly was totally up for it.
We met up in London a couple of weeks ago, and honestly, he’s the best. Such a kind-hearted guy, and I think he really took the song to another level. He even wrote his own verse for it, which was important to me because I wanted him to feel like it was his song too. I gave him the freedom to express himself in his verse.
And yeah, he wrote about issues that are important to him, which I absolutely love. It adds so much to the song. That’s the beauty of being artists; we get to infuse our opinions and our souls into our music. Now, it feels like a perfect blend of both of us in one song.
You mentioned that your tour is going to be like an uplifting musical, did you grow up watching musicals, are you a big fan of them?
100%, I’m a huge fan of musicals. My mum has been a musical artist all her life, along with my grandma, grandpa, and uncle. So, I grew up practically living behind the stage. I saw my first musical when I was just 2 or 3 years old and did my first one at 7. By the time I was 15, I’d been in 8 musicals, so that world was my whole childhood.
I’m still the biggest fan of musicals and love watching them, although I’ve moved away from performing in them. I’ve been offered some dream roles, but now I see myself more as a creator. I dream of writing a musical and have already penned like 10 songs that could be part of a future project of mine.
Musicals influence my music too. The next chapter of my work is so melodic, almost cinematic, because that’s what musicals are—they’re like movies. Watching my show, you’ll get a sense of that musical storytelling.
As for favourites, “Les Mis” is up there, especially since my mom’s best friend recently played the lead in the West End. I missed that performance, which is a shame. I also adore “The Book of Mormon”; I think it’s one of the best ever. I have a soft spot for classics like “West Side Story,” and “Grease” holds a special place in my heart—my mom played Sandy in Sweden twice, so she’s like Sandy to everyone. I even went to school as Danny Zuko, complete with a T-Birds jacket and black hair.
“Singing in the Rain” and Gene Kelly were huge inspirations for me growing up. “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” is another favourite; it’s an old musical with a story that wouldn’t fly today, but the music is incredible. That’s the beauty of musicals for me.
I couldn’t agree better.
Before I let you go, I have to ask…I saw a promo you did with Samsung in Korea – Seoul Searching – where you met a Korean fortune teller who predicted that you are going to have a scandal or a car crash in 2025, is this something you lose a lot of sleep over?
When I heard about that prediction, I was like, “Oh, shit!” But honestly, I’m just planning to avoid cars in 2025. She said it would be minor, but I’ll make sure to always have my seatbelt on, just in case. And no, I haven’t got my driving license. Definitely not planning on getting it any time before 2025 passes!
It’s been such a pleasure chatting with you today, if people want to find you online where should they look?
They can follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, YouTube Music, you know, all the platforms – I’m there.
Benjamin Ingrosso’s new single “Kite” is out now. Tickets for his Better Days Tour 2024 are on sale now at LiveNation.co.uk.
Interview Nick Barr
Photography Jack Alexander
Creative Director / Stylist Dennis Bröchner
Artist Manager Tim Collins, whpnd.co
Senior Project Manager Frida Bergh, EMI Sweden / Universal Music
Export Project Manager Cherie Glover, Universal Music
Top image credits
Pants Stockholm Surfboard Club Jacket GANT Shirt GANT TIE Oskar Jakobson Ring AllBlues
