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Fresh finds to soundtrack your June
By Karl Batterbee
From less stress (Darin’s Mimosa) to hot mess (Zara Larsson’s Pretty Ugly), there’s a decadent array of new Scandipop gems for you to add to your playlist this month. Swedish music legend Veronica Maggio is back with her first release since 2023 – new single Inte Bra i Grupp. It’s the first song to be taken from her forthcoming eighth album Sciura, which her producer on the record, August Vinberg, is calling her Ray Of Light! As if I wasn’t already excited by that Madonna comparison, this new single absolutely slaps – while simultaneously sounding nothing like anything Veronica has ever put out before. Darin seems to have a knack for coming out with precisely the song you need, when you need it. Pairing a “sipping on mimosas” hook with a reggaeton-lite beat, I already know that his new single Mimosa is going to be soundtracking the next few weeks of easing nicely into summertime. And that’s going to sound so good!
Double Eurovision champ Loreen has just added a third Eurovision-winning song to her repertoire. Taking Duncan Laurence’s Arcade, which scored victory for the Netherlands in 2019, Loreen has given a beat to the ballad and put it (and the listener) into a deep trance. Elliot, a new up-and-coming artist in Sweden, has been releasing a steady stream of singles over the past few months, with his debut album pencilled in for the summer. Hands has been the big highlight of the bunch so far – serving up a dreamlike production to complement its wistful lyrics. His latest single Green Mile packs a whole other kind of punch, too, if you fancy following Hands with a downbeat chaser. Finally, we have a brand-new anthem for anyone around the world who is living their best ‘Hot Mess’ life. And with Zara
Larsson at the helm, it obviously hits the pop spot even for those with their lives well in order. Check out her new single Pretty Ugly for something a little… different. www.scandipop.co.uk
Monthly Illustration
Sunbathing in roundabouts We are all enjoying the change of seasons. When I look out my window, people are wandering past in shorts, legs streaky with sunscreen. Children are demanding ice cream every day of the week, and rosé wine is suddenly back on the menu after having been slighted for months on end. The parks are full of people barbecuing, drinking, and getting terrible sunburns. The outdoor pools are open, the pollen is high, we are all digging out the sandals and cursing ourselves for not keeping the sunglasses somewhere we can actually find them. So far, we are pretty similar, UK and Scandinavia. If the sun comes out, we go out to enjoy it. The Swedes will plonk themselves down into deckchairs, onto towels in the parks and sit on any available bench with their legs out to work on 68 | Issue 179 |
June 2025
their tan. But... I am yet to see a Swede sunbathing by a main road. This is not as odd a sight in the UK. I am aware that there is not as much space or greenery available to the UK population, and you need to work with what you have. But I would draw the line at roundabouts and car dealerships. There are
By Gabi Froden
many social media posts showing pale Brits on display for cars, trucks and buses going past. These people seem completely oblivious. I will not judge anyone for seeking out the sun, in fact, I am a little bit jealous of this attitude. But I dare you to find me a swede in swimming trunks in the middle of a roundabout. Even for a tan, there are just some things not worth exposing yourself to. Like pollution and extreme mockery.
Gabi Froden is a Swedish illustrator and writer, living in Glasgow with her husband and two children. Her children’s and YA books are published in Sweden by Bonnier Carlsen and Natur&Kultur. www.gabifroden.com