Marit Larsen
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Marit Elisabeth Larsen is a Norwegian singer and songwriter.
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[edit] Career
Marit Larsen was born on July 1, 1983 in Lørenskog, Norway. She gained international fame during her teenage years as a member of the pop duo M2M with childhood friend Marion Raven. Recognizable as the lighter-haired of the two musicians, Larsen played the guitar 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 broken up by Atlantic Records in September 2002.
After the breakup of M2M, 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 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. 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" will be the third single released.
"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.
Concurrently with the album release, Larsen participated in the "Lyd i mørket" charity concert series in early March. She began a Norwegian club tour in late April, headlining concerts for the first time in her career, and played in music festivals across Norway during the summer. A second Norwegian club tour began in October.
"Under the Surface" was released in the United States on September 11, 2006, and several other international releases are planned for upcoming months. Larsen performed in Germany and Spain in September and visited India in October to promote the album release there. In November, "Don't Save Me" began to be played on MTV Asia.
On November 2, 2006, Larsen was presented with the award for Best Norwegian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
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[edit] Singles/EPs
| Release date | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway Singles Chart | Norway Airplay Chart | |||
| 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 | 4 | "Under the Surface" |
[edit] External links
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