Swedish rapper “Bladee” is known for his unique voice and accent, though he typically raps in English. “Ingen hor” off of his new single “ingen horr” is the first time I have ever heard Bladee rap in his native language, Swedish. Both “ingen hor” and “forstelnad” are fully Swedish and are very synthpop and glitchy and do not stick to the confines of hip hop by any means. Both tracks were produced by Yung Sherman, a producer for Yung Lean’s “sad boys collective” and Woesum who is a Swedish producer who often produces music for Swedish rappers. In modern-day pop culture, English is the most common language because it is understood by many different cultures. Because of this, languages such as Swedish aren’t common in the music scene, especially in the rap scene.
I understand that for some people, listening to music in a different language than the one you speak can seem boring because you don’t understand the translation right away. We as a society have become so comfortable with listening to music only in English, even though our country is seen as a “melting pot” to some. Listening to music in someone else’s native language is an important experience and skill; translating lyrics allows for the discovery of a different language’s phrases that are said by using just one word. For example “Hemmablind” is a word used in Sweden to describe being so used to your surroundings that you can’t see their beauty anymore. Phrases like this are common in almost all languages.
Considering the beat of “ingen hor”, it is surprising to look at the translation or lyrics with such dark and heavy topics. The song repeats topics of insomnia, mental illness in both self and friends, and doubt in religion. Bladee’s music has always contained topics of spirituality and religion, though he has never claimed to belong to a religion. “Jesus in heaven If you still exist, come into my heart. If it can be a pity for the one who sinned, become new blood.” This lyric shows that Bladee struggles to believe in a god because if one existed then why does he feel the way that he does? Bladee’s mentions of Christianity are often analogies of life with this one supporting the common absurdist idea of the world having no meaning.
In the early days of Yung Lean’s career he was a part of a musical group named “dod mark” with Gud, a Swedish rapper. This is where Yung Lean’s Swedish voice is shown. Yung Lean commonly speaks in Swedish at his concerts when he thanks fans. The rise of Yung Lean expanded people’s knowledge on the culture and language of Sweden.
Listening to music in a different language than our own is a way of expanding your understanding of different cultures’ values. Bladee’s new single is a great way to get into music in a different language.
