"Norway" is a song by American dream pop duo Beach House. The song was released on the band's website as a free download on November 17, 2009, as the lead single from their third studio album, Teen Dream (2010). A 7-inch single was later released, with "Baby" as its B-side. The duo wrote the song while on a train in Norway.
In September 2009, following the release of their second studio album, Devotion (2008), it was announced that the duo had signed onto independent record label Sub Pop, marking their departure from Carpark, along with a confirmation that the duo were recording their third studio album. In October of that same year, the duo officially announced their third studio album, Teen Dream. With this record deal, they were able to produce a DVD version and hire a producer for the album, Chris Coady. The song was originally written while on a train in Norway in 2008. The song, as with the rest of its accompanying album, was recorded at Dreamland Studios in Hurley, New York.
On November 17, the band released "Norway", the lead single from Teen Dream, on their website as a free download. It received very positive reviews from contemporary music critics. The song was chosen upon release as Pitchfork Media's "Best New Track". Aaron Leitko stated that, "'Norway', the lead track from Teen Dream, the duo's Sub Pop debut, raises the temperature a few degrees. A percussive intro yields to an explosion of twinkling guitars and a chorus of woozy backing vocals. The core elements of Beach House's sound-- the drum machine, the thrift store keyboards-- are still present; they're just a few ticks faster. This makes a big difference. As it turns out, Beach House goes from dour to exuberant in just a few BPM." Leitko continues by saying, "Legrand, whose vocals have been saddled with Nico comparisons, can finally breathe a sigh of relief, too. The 1960s chanteuse's shadow is nowhere to be found here. 'You let us in the wooden house/ To share in all the wealth,' sings Legrand over a carsick slide guitar riff. No, 'Norway' is radiant with the sunshiny 70s pop vibes. It's Stevie Nicks territory, for sure. Climate change has come to Beach House, and the weather suits them beautifully."
Two versions of the accompanying music video for "Norway" was released on the DVD version of Teen Dream, with one video containing the track and the other one without it (titled "Snorway"). The music video was directed by Ben O'Brien as part of their web series Showbeast. Set with a storyline, the video is a "comical, fantastical adventure" featuring puppets as its characters; Brian Shultz from Punknews thought it was "seemingly" inspired by The Chronicles of Namia. O'Brien revealed, in an interview with their brother Richard, that guitarist Alex Scally originally approached them and stated that the duo wanted a visual interpretation, though not a music video, of "Norway". He took inspiration from album-film phenomenon The Dark Side of the Rainbow, further elaborating,
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "Norway" and Teen Dream.
Beach House
Additional musicians
Production
Artwork