Kygo

Norwegian electronic producer Kygo is internationally famous for his accessible blend of pop and progressive house. He broke into the mainstream in the 2010s as one of the key figures of the tropical house sound, which he utilized on remixes of Seinabo Sey’s “Younger,” Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing,” and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire.” Building a steady following with singles and live performances, he issued his debut album, Cloud Nine, in 2016, topping charts in Europe and the U.S. and going multi-platinum in his native Norway on the strength of the single “Firestone” with Conrad Sewell. Subsequent hit singles included “It Ain’t Me” with Selena Gomez, “First Time” with Ellie Goulding, and “Born to Be Yours” with Imagine Dragons. Kygo has remained at the top of the charts in Norway with albums like 2017′s Kids in Love and 2020′s Golden Hour, the latter of which reached number 18 on the Billboard 200. In 2022, he surprised fans with his unannounced fourth album, The Thrill of the Chase, which returned him to the upper echelon of the dance charts. Collaborations with Ava Max and Nile Rodgers also helped propel 2024′s KYGO to number one in Norway and the U.K.. Born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll in Singapore and raised across multiple continents, the Avicii-inspired producer and DJ started playing piano as a child, discovering electronic music as a teen. After dropping out of college, he decided to pursue music full-time. Signed to an international deal with Sony that placed him on RCA in the U.S. and Syco in the U.K., Kygo released his first proper single, “Firestone,” in 2014. Featuring lead vocals from Conrad Sewell, the song not only went to number one in Norway but reached the Top Ten in several other territories. The following year, the Parson James collaboration “Stole the Show” was Kygo’s second consecutive solo number one hit in Norway. Later that year, “Nothing Left” featuring Will Heard became his third Norwegian chart-topper. These hits, along with additional singles that featured Labrinth, Kodaline, and James Vincent McMorrow, preceded his debut full-length LP, Cloud Nine, which was released in May 2016 and quickly went to number one in Norway. That month, two tracks he produced with Stargate appeared on Fifth Harmony’s 7/27. In February 2017, Kygo released “It Ain’t Me,” a collaboration with American singer Selena Gomez that reached number ten on the Billboard pop chart. “First Time,” another collaboration, this time with British singer Ellie Goulding, quickly followed. Both tracks went on to appear on 2017′s Stargazing EP. The release also featured a remix of the U2 song “You’re the Best Thing About Me.” Later that year, Kygo issued his sophomore follow-up LP, Kids in Love. The album featured guests like John Newman (“Never Let You Go”), OneRepublic (“Stranger Things”), and Wrabel (“With You”). Released in 2018, the Kids in Love (Remixes) LP offered alternate mixes and recut versions of tracks from his 2017 album and also included the new song “This Town,” featuring Gucci Mane and Sasha Sloan. He closed out the year with an Imagine Dragons collaboration, “Born to Be Yours,” before kicking off his next album cycle. Following the 2019 release of “Think About You” featuring Valerie Broussard, Kygo scored an unexpected international crossover hit with a remix of Whitney Houston’s “Higher Love.” Landing close to the top of the U.K. singles chart, it also placed across Europe, Asia, and Australia. More high-profile collaborations followed, leading up to the release of his third LP, 2020′s Golden Hour. In addition to “Higher Love,” the set also featured work with artists from across the genre spectrum, including Zara Larsson, Tyga, OneRepublic, Kim Petras, Zac Brown, and many more. Golden Hour reached number 18 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top Electronic Albums chart. More non-album tracks appeared, including the song “Gone Are the Days” with James Gillespie. 2021 brought additional singles like “Love Me Now” featuring Zoe Wees and “Undeniable” featuring X Ambassadors. Kygo’s first outing of 2022 was the glowing single “Freeze,” which reached the Top 40 in Norway. All of these tracks were included on the DJ’s fourth full-length, The Thrill of the Chase, which arrived as a surprise release in November 2022, hitting number two on the U.K. dance charts and four on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. A remix of the classic Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson single “Say Say Say” appeared in 2023. “Whatever,” with Ava Max, appeared in January 2024 and topped the charts in Norway. The song worked as the lead-single off Kygo’s fifth full-length album, the eponymously-titled KYGO. Released that June, the album featured guest appearances by Sigrid, the Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Zak Abel, and Nile Rodgers, among others. It hit number one in Norway and the U.K., and reached number two on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart. ~ Andy Kellman & Neil Z. Yeung