During his first six years as an artist, Swedish superstar Ola has enjoyed the sort of success that only a chosen few artists in Sweden get to experience. Numerous no. 1s in both the singles and albums charts have paved the way for Ola to stand today as one of the foremost artists in his home country. The Gold discs were followed by Platinum discs, which soon led to nominations and awards at prestigious ceremonies such as Rockbjornen and Grammy for the Best Male Artist, the Best Song and the Best Album Of The Year. He started 2011 with another win when his song ‘All Over The World’ picked up Best Male Solo Single at the Scandipop Awards.
So far in Sweden, Ola has achieved five gold selling singles, three platinum / double platinum selling singles and seven top 5 airplay hits. His singles and albums have occupied the no. 1 position for a total of 24 weeks and seven of his singles have reached no. 1.
Ola’s music is pop in its broadest context, fusing many different influences from the worlds of dance and urban music to create a contemporary, and constantly evolving, sound.
It was never a foregone conclusion that Ola would become a successful artist in the world of music. As a teenager, football was his life and his first professional job was as a football player. Football is still a major passion, but sometimes life takes us in directions we never planned, and it was a chance encounter with the judges of Swedish Idol one day in 2005 that changed Ola’s life forever.
In just a few short months, he went from professional football player to an artist with a record deal. His debut album ‘Given To Fly’, released in May 2006, debuted at no. 1 in Sweden. His second album ‘Good Enough’, released in October 2007, also made no. 1 and spawned several huge hits and radio smashes.
In 2010, after five years on a major label, Ola decided to start his own record company, Oliniho Records. The label’s first release was his eponymous third album, and it was a case of history repeating itself when this also shot straight to the top of the Swedish albums chart. ‘Ola’ also gained critical acclaim with Sweden’s top tabloid, Expressen, writing; “Ten songs and ten potential hit singles, he is an extremely skilled hit maker.”
Creatively, Ola is firmly in the driving seat, and has written all the songs on his latest album, seven of them in collaboration with Alexander Kronlund, who has written for artists such as Robyn and Britney Spears.
«Being an artist means taking musical liberties, and not always following the rules. It means standing out. Working on new material is still among the greatest moments in my life. The only thing that possibly beats the creative process, is that special moment on stage when everything is right and the energy goes both ways”, says Ola.
Now, after six years at the top of his game, Ola finally feels ready to take on the world. What better way to start than with a song called ‘All Over The World’? A track that has just become another massive hit in his homeland.
After fielding offers from both major and indie labels in the UK, Ola decided that the best home for him was with 3Beat. They are also home to such artists as Inna, Skepta, Martin Solveig and Duck Sauce.
Ola is an artist following his own rules and now, with many other territories getting ready to introduce the world to Ola and his music, 2011 is sure to be a big year for Ola.
