From the country whose most famous musical export might be Lars Ulrich from Metallica—no offense, Victor Borge and Carl Nielsen—comes a newer act looking to claim that Danish crossover throne. In the past, Denmark has been the rich musical soil that bands like The Raveonettes and Aqua have grown out of, but no Danish band has caught fire like Lukas Graham.
The pop trio utilizes elements of hip hop in the background of its music while lead singer Lukas Forchhammer shows off his soulful voice. Forchhammer, 28, grew up in an artistic anarchist commune in the middle of Copenhagen called Freetown Christiania. This unique upbringing and focus on the arts no doubt has had an effect on his presentation. He has one of those voices that seems destined for success. And while Lukas Graham might not have broken through to the A-list here in the U.S. yet, around the world it’s a different story.
The single “7 Years” reached No. 1 in Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Sweden and currently has more than 500 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, “Mama Said” is a catchy number that mashes stylistic components of Jay Z’s “Hard Knock Life” and Twenty One Pilots’ “Heathens.”
That’s not bad company to keep for a band looking to make it to the top.
Hard Rock Hotel, 8 p.m. May 25, starting at $25 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849
