Galantis

Galantis is a pop-leaning electronic dance music outfit fronted by Christian Karlsson (aka Bloodshy) of Miike Snow. Since the early 2010s, the project’s prolific output has yielded hits such as the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated “Runaway (U & I)” and the Gold-certified “Peanut Butter Jelly” from 2015′s number one Top Dance/Electronic Albums-charting Pharmacy, and the platinum “No Money” from 2017′s The Aviary. In 2020, Galantis scored another Top Five hit on the U.S. dance charts with Church before topping the U.K. dance charts with 2021′s “Heartbreak Anthem” featuring David Guetta and Little Mix. Karlsson continued working with artists like Craig David, Icona Pop, and Hayley Kiyoko, and released singles such as 2023′s “Bang Bang! (My Neurodivergent Anthem).” The group’s earliest incarnation was as a duo, formed when Karlsson (the man behind hits like Britney Spears’ “Toxic”) met Linus Eklöw (the man behind hits like Icona Pop’s “I Love It”) at the Robotberget studio in Stockholm in 2007. Their mutual admiration turned into a project once they began discussing a more poignant style of EDM that retained pop’s passion. The duo set up shop on the Stockholm archipelago in the Baltic Sea, began recording, and released the “Smile” single on the Atlantic label in late 2013. The Grammy-nominated hit single “Runaway (U & I)” followed in 2014, while their debut effort, Pharmacy, landed a year later. The album featured two new singles, “Gold Dust” and “Peanut Butter Jelly.” The following year, Galantis released the single “No Money,” which became their first song to debut on the Billboard Hot 100. The year also saw the release of “Love on Me,” a collaboration with Aussie DJ Hook N Sling, and in 2017 they released a remix of singer/songwriter/pianist Wrabel’s “Bloodstain.” Singles continued to roll out, including “Hunter,” “True Feeling,” and “Girls on Boys,” which featured singer Rozes. The duo’s sophomore set, The Aviary, arrived that September and made a solid showing on Billboard’s Top 200. At this time, Eklöw stepped away from Galantis, but would still appear alongside Karlsson at live events and in videos (until the early 2020s). Galantis spent 2018 issuing singles such as “Spaceship” featuring Uffie and “Satisfied” featuring MAX. The next year was much the same, highlighted by collaborations with OneRepublic (“Bones”), Passion Pit (“I Found U”), and even Dolly Parton (“Faith”). By the time 2020 rolled around, most of the next album’s tracks had already been released. Nonetheless, Galantis issued a third LP, Church, that January, collecting all nine singles alongside fresh inclusions featuring John Newman, Bali Bandits, and others. In 2021, the project scored a number one U.K. dance hit with “Heartbreak Anthem” featuring David Guetta and Little Mix. More tracks followed soon after, including “Dandelion,” a collaboration with JVKE, as well as “Alien” with Lucas & Steve and ILIRA. 2022 saw several additional singles, including “Run” (with Becky Hill), a version of Roxette’s “Fading Like a Flower,” “DNA” (with Craig David), and “Damn (You’ve Got Me Saying)” (with Guetta and MNEK). A solo endeavor helmed by Karlsson for years at this point, Galantis began 2023 with the release of “Hooked (Hot Stuff),” with RIKA. He also released the Icona Pop collaboration “I Want You,” “Hungry Heart” with Steve Aoki and Hayley Kiyoko, and “Fool 4 U” with JVKE and Enisa. The single “Bang Bang! (My Neurodivergent Anthem)” arrived in June. ~ Neil Z. Yeung