Stina Nordenstam

Stina Nordenstam
Birth nameKristina Ulrika Marianne Nordenstam
Born (1969-03-04) 4 March 1969 (age 55)
Stockholm, Sweden
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1990–2007
Labels

Kristina Ulrika Marianne Nordenstam (born 4 March 1969),[1] better known by her stage name Stina Nordenstam, is a Swedish singer-songwriter and producer. She is perhaps best known for her song "Little Star", which appears in the Baz Luhrman film Romeo + Juliet.

Life and career

Nordenstam was born in Stockholm on 4 March 1969.[1] As a child, she was highly influenced by her father's classical and jazz music collection.[2] Her debut album, Memories of a Color, was released in 1991. Her album And She Closed Her Eyes was released in 1994, and was named the best Swedish album of all time by Sonic on their 2013 list of the 100 best Swedish albums.[3] 1997's Dynamite began a more experimental path—most of the album was filled with distorted guitars and unusual beats.[citation needed] A 1998 cover album, People Are Strange, followed in the same vein. In 2001, Nordenstam went with a more pop-influenced sound on This Is Stina Nordenstam, which features guest vocals from Brett Anderson. Nordenstam's 2004 album The World Is Saved continued the path set on This Is..., and is her last album as of 2023.[2][3]

She appears on two songs by English band Nine Horses, on the album Snow Borne Sorrow and on the EP Money for All.[4] She also provided vocals for Vangelis' song "Ask the Mountains", Yello's "To the Sea", and a collaboration with Anton Fier. In 2000, Nordenstam featured on a track from Danish prog-rockers Mew's second album Half the World Is Watching Me. The track was later re-recorded for the band's international debut Frengers. Nordenstam's vocals on her track "A Walk in the Park" were used as a sample for two songs by the Canadian electronic duo Crystal Castles, "Violent Dreams" and "Vietnam".[5]

Nordenstam presented a sound installation at the Way Out West music festival in 2013, and, in 2014, Nordenstam was one of 12 inaugural inductees into the Swedish Music Hall of Fame.[6][7]

Nordenstam is autistic.[8]

Musical style

Nordenstam's voice was called "delicate", "serious", and "plucky" by Autostraddle.[9] The Irish Times described Nordenstam's voice as "childlike" with "hushed and fragile" tones and a "soft and gentle" timbre, contrasting it with her "mighty and immeasurable" sound. Her voice was described by Adam Brent Houghtaling, author of This Will End in Tears: The Miserablist Guide to Music, as "very fragile" and "wispy", and he stated that her music "melds a lot of jazz and folk and ambient pop all together".[10] Her music has also been described as avant-pop.[11] Sally Shapiro has listed Nordenstam as an influence on her music.[12]

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
SWE
[13] 		FR
[14]
Memories of a Color 27 —
And She Closed Her Eyes
  • Released: January 1994
  • Label: Telegram, EastWest
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette
 5 —
Dynamite
  • Released: 13 September 1996
  • Label: Telegram, EastWest
  • Formats: CD, cassette
 17 —
People Are Strange
  • Released: 23 April 1998
  • Label: EastWest
  • Formats: CD, CD-R
 — —
This Is Stina Nordenstam
  • Released: 5 November 2001
  • Label: Independiente
  • Formats: CD, CD-R, DVD
 26 135
The World Is Saved
  • Released: 1 January 2004
  • Label: V2, P-Vine, Beacon Sound
  • Formats: CD, LP, CD-R
 5 119

EPs

List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details
The Photographer's Wife (with Anton Fier)
  • Released: August 1996
  • Label: Telegram, EastWest
  • Formats: CD, LP

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
SWE
 UK
"Memories of a Color" 1992 — — Memories of a Color
"Another Story Girl" 1993 — —
"Little Star" — — And She Closed Her Eyes
"Something Nice" 1994 — 100
"Dynamite" 1997 — — Dynamite
"People Are Strange" 1998 — — People Are Strange
"Sharon & Hope" 2002 — — This Is Stina Nordenstam
"Get On with Your Life" 2004 35 — The World Is Saved
"Parliament Square" 2005 — —
List of singles, with year released, selected chart positions, certifications, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
SWE
 DEN
 SWI
 UK
"Ask the Mountains"
(Vangelis featuring Stina Nordenstam) 		1996 — — — 77 Voices
"To the Sea"
(Yello featuring Stina Nordenstam) 		1997 48 83 23 — Pocket Universe

Guest appearances

References

  1. ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Stina Nordenstam – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b Dineen, Donal (23 October 2014). "Sunken Treasure: digging up long lost music". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  3. ^ a b Nilsson, Jakob (4 June 2013). "Stina Nordenstam gjorde bästa svenska skivan någonsin". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  4. ^ Wallace, Wyndham (26 March 2012). ""A Beauty I Cannot Deny" - David Sylvian Looks Back". The Quietus. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  5. ^ Reeves, Mosi (8 June 2010). "Crystal Castles, 'Crystal Castles' (Fiction)". Spin. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. ^ Hammarström, Camilla (27 September 2013). "Spridda konstverk". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Abba first into Swedish Music Hall of Fame". The Local Sweden. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Stina Nordenstam". Totally Stockholm. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  9. ^ "Skins Recap Episode 405: Freddie (and Effy, That Crazy Diamond)". Autostraddle. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  10. ^ NPR Staff (11 August 2012). "'This Will End In Tears': How To Make A Sad Song". NPR. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  11. ^ Dalton, Stephen (15 March 2012). ""I Wish I Would Be A Man": Soap&Skin Interview & Quietus Mix 60". The Quietus. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  12. ^ Lemmon, Kyle (1 September 2009). "Sally Shapiro". Under the Radar. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  13. ^ "Stina Nordenstam Chart History". Swedish Charts. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Discographie Stina Nordenstam". Les Charts (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2022.