Kygo (born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll in Bergen, Norway) broke through with a sound termed “tropical house” that tended to be brighter and more relaxed than that of his commercial dance music contemporaries. In 2013, the Avicii-inspired producer and DJ reached number one on Norway’s VG-lista chart with his slow-galloping remix of Seinabo Sey’s “Younger.” He gained additional attention through remixes of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” and Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire.” Signed to an international deal with Sony that placed him on RCA in the U.S. and on Syco in the U.K., he released his first proper single, “Firestone,” in 2014. Featuring a lead vocal from Conrad Sewell, the song not only went to number one in Norway but reached the Top Ten in several other territories. The following year, the Parson James collaboration “Stole the Show” was Kygo’s second consecutive solo number one hit in Norway. Later that year, “Nothing Left,” featuring Will Heard, became his third Norwegian chart-topper.
These hits, along with additional singles that featured Labrinth, Kodaline, and James Vincent McMorrow, preceded his debut full-length LP, Cloud Nine, which was released in May 2016 and quickly went to number one in Norway. That month, two tracks he produced with Stargate appeared on Fifth Harmony’s 7/27. In February 2017, Kygo released “It Ain’t Me,” a collaboration with American singer Selena Gomez that reached number ten on the Billboard pop chart. “First Time,” another collaboration, this time with British singer Ellie Goulding, quickly followed. Both tracks went on to appear on 2017’s Stargazing EP. The release also featured a remix of the U2 song “You’re the Best Thing About Me.” Later that year, Kygo issued his sophomore follow-up LP, Kids in Love. The album featured guests like John Newman (“Never Let You Go”), OneRepublic (“Stranger Things”), and Wrabel (“With You”). Released in 2018, the Kids in Love (Remixes) LP offered alternate mixes and recut versions of tracks from his 2017 album and also included the new song “This Town” featuring Gucci Mane and Sasha Sloan. ~ Andy Kellman
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