Marit Larsen

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Marit Larsen

Background information
Born July 1, 1983 (1983-07-01) (age 24)
Origin Lørenskog, Norway
Genre(s) Pop, Folk, Pop-Folk, Acoustic
Occupation(s) Singer - Songwriter
Instrument(s) Guitar, Piano, Mandolin, Harmonica
Years active 1998–present
Label(s) Atlantic (1999–2002) (M2M)
EMI (2004–2007)
Associated acts M2M
Website http://www.maritlarsen.com

Marit Elisabeth Larsen (born on July 1, 1983) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. She gained international fame during her teenage years as a member of the pop duo M2M with childhood friend Marion Raven. Most recently she pursued her own music career releasing her solo debut album, Under the Surface, in 2006.

Contents

[edit] Career

Marit Larsen was born in Lørenskog, Norway. Recognizable as the lighter-haired of the two musicians of M2M, Larsen played the guitar, while Raven played the piano, and did half of the vocals and songwriting. After touring the world and producing two albums with hits such as "Don't Say You Love Me", "Mirror Mirror", and "Everything", M2M was dropped by Atlantic Records in September 2002.

After the breakup of M2M, Raven set off on her own solo career, while Larsen took time off to reflect on her career. Fan interest was reignited in 2004 and early 2005, as Larsen made several appearances in Norway, showing off a darker-haired image and new music with increased instrumental and lyrical scope. In October 2004, Larsen performed three original songs, entitled "This Time Tomorrow", "Recent Illusion", and "Walls", on NRK radio, showcasing her skills at both guitar and piano. Larsen also performed live at the highly anticipated by:Larm concert in February 2005.

In fall 2005, Larsen recorded her debut album, "Under the Surface", with her new record label, EMI. The first single, "Don't Save Me", made radio impact on January 3, 2006, and quickly climbed into the top ten on many Norwegian charts and playlists. After the physical single release on February 6, 2006, "Don't Save Me" jumped to #1 on the official Norwegian singles chart in its second week of availability, and then spent five consecutive weeks in the top spot.[1] The second single released from the album was the title track "Under the Surface". The video was released May 10, 2006, and within a month the single became the most widely played track on Norwegian radio. "Only A Fool" and "Solid Ground" were the third and fourth singles released, respectively.

"Under the Surface", which was released in Norway on March 6, 2006, contains 11 songs, most of which were written individually by Larsen. Touted as "what many people consider to be the most eagerly awaited album of 2006" (according to Norwegian magazine, Plan B), the record debuted at #3 on the sales chart in her native Norway. On March 31, 2006, it became official that, after just three weeks of sales, "Under the Surface" became a certified gold record in Norway, selling over 20,000 copies.[2] In late 2006 and early 2007, "Under the Surface" won Larsen other accolades, including the award for Best Norwegian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards, and the Spellemannprisen (Norwegian Grammy) awards for Best Female Artist and Best Video ("Don't Save Me"). After Larsen's Spellemannprisen victories in January 2007, the album crossed the 40,000 copy mark, qualifying it for platinum certification. It was later announced in May 2007 that the album had reached double platinum status.[3] In addition, Larsen was the most played artist on NRK P3 Radio in 2006, with her three singles ("Don't Save Me", "Under the Surface", and "Only a Fool") being played collectively more than 880 times.[4]

Concurrently with the release of "Under the Surface", Larsen participated in the "Lyd i mørket" charity concert series in early March 2006. She began a Norwegian club tour in late April, headlining concerts for the first time in her career. She then played in music festivals across Norway during the summer, and held a second Norwegian club tour starting in October 2006.

"Under the Surface" was released in India and Thailand in late 2006, and in November, "Don't Save Me" began to be played on MTV Asia. Larsen also began making international appearances, performing at special events in Germany and Spain in September 2006, India in October 2006, and France in January 2007. She appeared in the United States at South by Southwest in March 2007. On May 2, 2007, Right Bank Music announced that Larsen will be managed by them for a possible release in the U.S.[5]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles/EPs

Release date Title Chart positions Album
Norway Singles Chart[6] Norway Airplay Chart[7]
February 2006 "Don't Save Me" 1 1 Under The Surface
May 2006 "Under The Surface" 6 1 Under The Surface
September 2006 "Only A Fool" 14 3 Under The Surface
March 2007 "Solid Ground" - 1 Under The Surface

[edit] Awards

  • Best Norwegian act - MTV Europe Music Awards 2006
  • Best video - Spellemannprisen 2006
  • Best female (nomination) - Spellemannprisen 2006
  • Best song (nomination) - Spellemannprisen 2006
  • Best pop act at the Norwegian Alarm-awards 2007

[edit] Miscellaneous

  • Larsen plays Guitar, Piano, Mandolin and Harmonica
  • During her M2M days, Larsen made a guest appearance in the American television series Dawson's Creek, 100 Light Years From Home episode. The episode also featured M2M performing "Everything", "Miss Popular" and "Don't".[8]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Vg Nett - Vg-Lista - Marit Larsen: Don'T Save Me
  2. ^ Marit Larsen : News
  3. ^ Right Bank Music -HOME
  4. ^ Marit Larsen : News
  5. ^ Right Bank Music -HOME
  6. ^ VG Nett - VG-lista - MARIT LARSEN
  7. ^ http://www.radio102.no/radio102/web.nsf/Topp40/
  8. ^ imdb (2002). [http://imdb.com/title/tt0555077/ "Dawson's Creek" 100 Light Years from Home]. imdb.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-24.