2021 in Nordic music

The following is a list of notable events and releases that happened in Nordic music in 2021.

Events

January

• 7 January – The death of Finnish guitarist Alexi Laiho is announced on social media by members of his band Bodom After Midnight. It is reported that Laiho had "suffered from long-term health issues during his last years".
• 12 January – Finnish musician Marko Hietala announces that he is leaving Nightwish and retiring from public life as a result of disillusionment and concerns about his mental health.
• 22 January – Papa Emeritus IV is introduced to the public on the TV game show "PÃ¥ spÃ¥ret", performing with The Hellacopters.
• 25 January – Swedish musician Snowy Shaw announces that he will release one song per month during 2021, making up a digital album.

February

• 20 February
• In the final of Melodi Grand Prix 2021, the 59th edition of Norway's national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, Tix is selected as the country's representative, with the song "Fallen Angel".
• In the Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2021, the 10th edition of Finland's national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest, the rock group Blind Channel are selected as the country's representatives, with their song "Dark Side".

March

• 13 March
• At Melodifestivalen 2021, the 61st edition of the Swedish music competition, Tusse is selected as Sweden's entrant, with the song "Voices", composed by Joy Deb, Linnea Deb, Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt and Anderz Wrethov. The Mamas, who had been selected as the 2020 entrants, with "Move", also competed in the final, with a new song, "In the Middle", but finished in third place.
• Iceland's Eurovision representatives, Daði og Gagnamagnið, release "10 Years", the song chosen as the country's entry.

May

• 30 April – Finnish rock band Before the Dawn release their first single since reforming after their 2013 break-up.

May

• 19 May – It is announced that two members of Gagnamagnið, Iceland's competitors at the Eurovision Song Contest, have tested positive for COVID-19, meaning that their appearance in the semi-final and final have to be based on footage from their rehearsal at Rotterdam Ahoy, recorded on 13 May.
• 20 May – In the second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, Denmark fail to qualify for the final.
• 22 May – In the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2021, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Iceland finish in 4th place, Finland in 6th place, Sweden in 14th place, and Norway in 18th place.

June

• 16 June – Copenhell festival was scheduled to begin on this date, with a line-up including Judas Priest, Opeth and The Hu, but was cancelled because of continuing COVID-19 restrictions.
• 22 June – Mia Winter Wallace rejoins Abbath.

July

• 7 July – Bingsjöstämning, an annual folk festival held near Uppsala, Sweden, takes place online, the live festival having been cancelled because of continuing COVID-19 restrictions.

August

• 13 August – Mikael Stanne announces that longtime drummer Anders Jivarp and bassist Anders Iwers will be leaving the Swedish metal band Dark Tranquillity.
• 26 August – ABBA launch a new website, containing information about their forthcoming new album.

October

• October – Tarja Turunen produces her autobiography, Singing in My Blood.

November

• 5 November - ABBA release Voyage, their first album of new material in 40 years.
• ABBA's new single, is nominated for a Grammy award in the "Record of the Year" category, the group's first-ever nomination.

December

• 6 December – The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra appoints Ryan Bancroft as its next principal conductor, beginning with the 2023–2024 season.
• 6 December – The Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra announces that Susanna Mälkki will stand down as its chief conductor at the end of the 2022–2023 season, and will become chief conductor emeritus with the orchestra.

Albums released

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Eurovision Song Contest

• Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021
• Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021
• Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021
• Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021
• Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021

Classical works

• Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir – Catamorphosis
• Klas Torstensson – City Imprints

Opera

• Kaija Saariaho and Sofi Oksanen – Innocence

Film and television music

• Matti Bye – Young Royals
• Gaute Storaas – Three Wishes for Cinderella (Tre nøtter til Askepott), starring Astrid S

Deaths

• 10 January – Thorleif Torstensson, 71, Swedish singer (COVID-19)
• 16 January – Pave Maijanen, 70, Finnish musician (complications from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• 13 February – Eva Nässén, 74, Swedish singer and teacher
• 1 March – Hauk Buen, 87, Norwegian hardingfele fiddler and fiddle maker
• 7 March – Lars-Göran Petrov, 49, Swedish singer (cancer)
• 11 March – Claes Dieden, 78, Swedish singer-songwriter
• 4 May – Henrik Ohlin, Swedish bassist (Black Ingvars). (death announced on this date)
• 10 May
• Lars-Gunnar Bodin, 85, Swedish electronic music pioneer
• Svante Thuresson, 84, Swedish jazz musician
• 25 May – Søren Holm, 25, Danish singer (Liss).
• 2 June – Carl Høgset, 79, Norwegian choral conductor and singer
• 9 June – Torgny Björk, 82, Swedish musician, composer and singer.
• 27 June – Peps Persson, 74, Swedish blues and reggae musician and social critic
• 20 July – Curt-Eric Holmquist, 73, conductor and Eurovision Song Contest winner
• 4 August – Anders Pettersson, 69, Swedish musician (Lasse Stefanz)
• 16 September – Geir Johnson, 67, Norwegian composer and musicologist
• 19 September – Mats Paulson, 83, Swedish singer, poet and songwriter
• 30 September – Lennart Åberg, 79, Swedish jazz musician and composer
• 9 October – Jim Pembroke, 75, British-born vocalist of Finnish band Wigwam
• 21 October – Einár, 19, Swedish rapper (shot)
• 27 October – Benjamin Vallé, 47, Swedish musician (Viagra Boys).
• 11 November – Per Aage Brandt, 77, Danish writer, poet, linguist and musician
• 19 November – Hank von Hell, 49, Norwegian punk rock singer
• 27 November – Teppo Hauta-aho, Finnish double bassist and composer (born 1941)
• 28 November – Laila Halme, 87, Finnish singer
• 17 December – Torhild Staahlen, 74, Norwegian operatic mezzo-soprano

References