Learning Danish through song lyrics

Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish. One of the first gifts I received in Denmark was a CD by a singer called Carsten Lykkegaard. I think you'll like this, said one of my first Danish friends. And I did. Even though I didn't speak much Danish at the time, Carsten Lykkegaard's lyrics made me laugh. He's a small, awkward guy, and at that time he was best known as the leader of a band called the Ebens. They were a bit like the British bands Blur or Pulp. Karsten's solo work mostly involves him making fun of himself and his treacherous relationship with his mother. His big hit involved a fantasy of being married to then-Crown Prince Frederik. It was called If Frederik Was Into Men, I'd Be Queen Right Now. And Karsten is willing to laugh at the Danish jantelov, The unwritten Danish rule that discourages any show of status or success, with songs like I bør da give mig bank, the theme of which is, I'm so successful, you ought to punch me. At any rate, I learned a great deal of ordinary, everyday Danish from that CD, so much I didn't realize it until Carsten Lykkegaard, now in his mid-fifties, put out a new single earlier this year. I queued up all his old stuff again. I still remembered almost every line. That's why one of the tips I give to newcomers in Denmark is learning Danish through song lyrics. Find a Danish lyricist who writes songs you enjoy listening to again and again. The repetition will give you a sense of how the Danish language fits together. And give you something to dance to during the long, dark winter months. It's hard to compare musical artists, but I'm going to give it a shot just to give you something to start with. You're going to hear a lot of names in a minute, but no worries, you can find easy links at howtoliveindenmark.com. I've also put them together in a Spotify playlist and a YouTube playlist with all the artists I'm going to mention. Just search for learning Danish through song lyrics. My goal is to help you find an artist that you like so you can start listening to lyrics, enjoying the songs, maybe get the lyrics in text form online and compare written Danish to spoken Danish. Now, a lot of Danish artists sing in English. They are not helpful to you. The following artists sing in Danish. And they write Danish lyrics. Good Danish lyrics. These are in no particular order. Number 1: The Minds of 99. They are a very popular group that sell out stadiums in Denmark. They have a vibe that's a little bit like The Killers or Arcade Fire. Minds of 99. Number 2: Hans Philip. Hans Philip is a former rapper. He now sings and, in my opinion, sings well. He's a good guy to try out if you like younger singer-songwriters like Dominic Fike, for example. Number 3, if you're into female dance artists like Lady Gaga or Chapel Roan, you might like Medina, a woman who has had a long career in the dance space and some fun collaborations. Incidentally, Lady Gaga's Born This Way was co-written by a Danish guy. percussionist Jeppe Larsson. Little-known facts. Number 4: Are you a Swiftie? If you like Taylor Swift, you might enjoy Marie Key. She is a singer-songwriter with kind of introspective, witty lyrics and a focus on personal relationships. Number 5: Classic rock fans should get to know the songs of the late Kim Larsen. A Danish music icon. His place in the national consciousness is a bit like the place Bruce Springsteen might hold in the USA or Elton John in the UK. 2 female music icons from the same era— '70s, '80s— are Sanna Salomonson and Anna Lindh. I guess they're number 6 and 7. They have kind of a Joni Mitchell or Carole King vibe. Number 8, Thomas Helming, is another Danish icon from the '80s. He's got a bit more of a Motown sound. Number 9, if you like '60s groups like the Animals or the Small Faces, try out Gasoline. They have been called the Danish equivalent to the early Rolling Stones. Number 10, if you like Ed Sheeran or Shawn Mendes, try out Rasmus Sebak. He's a huge star in Denmark, and people have kind of watched him grow up in public, starting out as a confused young guy to the family man with young children that he is today. Again, I'm limiting myself to Danish artists who sing in Danish. Plenty sing in English— that's the way to get more international exposure, in particular in Asia. There's a blond, muscular Danish singer called Christoffer who has made a huge career for himself in China and Korea. He does duets with K-pop stars. And I think we've all heard of the Danish artist Aqua and their famous song Barbie Girl. I'm a Barbie girl. Which is in English. But to get the full benefit of language learning, you need an entirely Danish song. Something about music just sticks in your head. I'm sure you can remember advertising jingles. Back from the time when you were very small. I know I can. So listen to the music, get the lyrics online, and you'll be on your way to a better understanding of Danish and Danish culture. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. Remember, I, Kay Xander Mellish, can come out and speak to your group or organization. Just go to events.howtoliveindenmark.com to find out how. You can also follow How to Live in Denmark on almost all of the big social media platforms, but I do spend a lot of time on LinkedIn talking about Danish business culture. So go ahead and follow me there. See you next time.