Music from Norway, their way – Six women at the forefront of Norwegian pop right now

By Karl Batterbee

It is no secret that Norway is populated with plenty of proficient pop makers. And if you have been tuning into it, you will know that it is fair to say that an increasing amount of the best stuff is coming from female singers, songwriters and musicians. If you are a little out of the loop, however, then read on. Scan Magazine highlights six Norwegian women in music who have been making 2025 sound way better than it otherwise might have. From some big names that you will be pleased to hear have made a comeback, to new names that may soon become regular additions to your go-to playlists.

This summer, Sigrid released her first new music in almost two years, Jellyfish. Photo: Press Image

Sigrid

Making a very welcome comeback this summer, Sigrid returned with Jellyfish, her first new music since 2023’s The Hype EP. Her time away from pop was a self-imposed exile, with the globally renowned singer having felt that she needed to escape from the content culture that artists are subjected to these days; the pressure to maintain a strong, engagement-heavy presence on social media.

Refreshed and revitalised after her well-deserved break, the Ålesund-born talent returned to the recording studio and made the conscious decision to set herself free from any expectations that people may have on what she should sound like and just write the kind of music she felt most comfortable with on that day. The result is a brand-new collection of songs that emanate that free-spirited energy she approached her sessions with. Fort Knox is the follow-up single to Jellyfish and the third album from the Norwegian superstar will be out in late October, titled There’s Always More That I Could Say.

Up-and-comer May is on the cusp of big things, thanks to a string of radio-friendly songs she’s composed.

May

An up-and-comer in the Norwegian music scene, May independently released her first two singles in 2024, which led to her being named as Månedens Urørt (a monthly spotlight on unknown artists) by national radio station NRK P3. Shortly thereafter, she was signed by Sony Music Norway and promptly followed up those career-starting releases with four fresh new tunes in 2025. But it is her latest one, Come Over, which has really marked her out as one to watch. Sounding like the kind of song that Taylor Swift ends up making when she reaches out to Max Martin for a collaboration, it is tailor-made for radio airwaves all across the globe. It signals that May, the artist moniker of Margrethe Olsbu Frich from the Nordberg borough of Oslo, has got some big things ahead of her.

Ina Wroldsen

A prolific songwriter to the stars for two decades now, Ina Wroldsen has contributed to global smash hits such as Symphony and Rockabye for Clean Bandit, How Deep Is Your Love for Calvin Harris and Disciples, Hold My Hand for Jess Glynne and more recently Padam Padam for Kylie Minogue. Throughout the past ten years, Ina has juggled this with an artist career of her own, and taken residency in a seat on the judges panel for The Voice Norway TV show.

At the start of 2025, however, Ina took a brief reprise from her own compositions and had a go at singing other people’s songs! Taking part in the latest series of Norway’s Hver Gang Vi Møtes programme, Ina joined a team of other established artists who were all tasked with coming up with their own interpretations of each other’s songs. Arguably the breakout star of the series, Ina turned in some new radio and streaming classics. Check out her hauntingly dark version of Carola’s wide-eyed schlager hit Främling (which Ina performed in English and titled Stranger), her rousing country-pop update of Thomas Dybdahl’s downbeat jazz number One Day You’ll Dance For Me, New York City, and her heart-breaker ballad interpretation of Astrid S’ dance track Running Out.

Alessandra has been embracing her half-Italian side in 2025, resulting in some of her best work to date. Photo: Press Image

Alessandra

She rose to prominence in a major way at the start of 2023, by winning Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix, subsequently representing her country at the Eurovision Song Contest and giving the Norwegians a respectable fifth-place finish in a field of 37. The song in question was Queen of Kings, which went to number one in Norway and Top 10 in nine other countries (including the UK). Alessandra has managed to use her Eurovision experience as a springboard for success and will head out on her second European tour later in the year.

2025 has seen Alessandra pivot to a whole new sound, and it’s one that is suiting her immensely. The singer, who is half Italian, has mined that side of her gene pool for sonic inspiration, with some impressive results. Distinctively Italian flavours are present in both the production and the melody of her latest songs, with the theme of female empowerment rooted in both; whether that is being direct in the dating game (Non Stop), or surrounding yourself with your best girl friends in the wake of a relationship’s demise (Toscana).

A two-part album project has seen Synne Vo hit new heights across the past 12 months. Photo: Press Image

Synne Vo

She has been releasing music since the start of the ‘20s, but it is only in the past 12 months that Synne Vo has majorly crossed over into mainstream recognition, thanks to a two-part album series that launched in September 2024 with Kanskje Det Går Te Helvete and was concluded in April of this year with Ps. Kanskje Det Går. The project won over critics and hoards of new listeners, as Synne relayed the personal journey from her hometown of Lesja to the big city, where she is confronted with the choices and challenges that come with being in her early twenties.

A big part of Synne’s charm is when you listen to her sing. Far from shying away from her Gudbrandsdalen accent, she really leans into it; with the singer and the dialect having now become pretty synonymous with one another on Norwegian radio. When a Synne Vo song is playing, you know straight away it is a Synne Vo song!

Moyka has been keeping Norway’s reputation for exporting great electropop intact in 2025. Photo: Sara Westergaard Karlsen

Moyka

There are few nations more esteemed with exporting great electropop than Norway. And in 2025, Moyka has been doing a pretty stellar job of keeping that reputation alive and well. Between the Röyksopp-inspired 24/7 and the euphoric Colder (a collaboration with the Swedish-Norwegian production duo anamē), the artist has been ensuring that the genre and its fans do not forget about the music’s ice-cool Norwegian side.

The singer from Hallingdal is coming off the back of a noteworthy 2024, when her music was introduced to a whole new generation of fans; three of her songs were featured prominently in the third and final series of Netflix’s hit Swedish show Young Royals.

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