Singles

Hafdis Huld – ‘Stop’

Released 24^th November 2008

Given the current state of Iceland (economic meltdown, not to mention practical blanket darkness in winter) it’s nice to see a shining light of pop dazzle the eyes of the beleaguered island’s music lovers.

The track, taken from Hafdis Huld’s forthcoming second album, is already in the Icelandic top ten following an early release there, and should also chart respectively in the UK thanks in part to a beautifully delivered vocal and also to the widely spread publicity generated by Huld and her PR machine.

‘Stop’s’ lyrics are delivered with a vulnerability and innocence that perfectly fit the song’s theme of heartbreak and loss, which are sure to make the listener believe what they are hearing. Whilst in the background the gentle melody is pleasant enough, with its mix of strings and acoustic sounds, but falls short of blowing the mind.

Without trying to put all Scandinavian artists in a box, the vocal resonates of the Cardigans which is surely a good thing, while Hafdis’ striking looks won’t do her any harm in the marketing stakes either.

This cover of the “classic” 80s Sam Brown track ‘Stop’ has recently featured in a pan-European TV advertising campaign that sees the multi-talented Huld acting in the lead role whilst also singing the single in a cappella. Whilst there’s no doubt the advert has raised the profile of the song and Huld in particular, I refrain from saying she has ‘sold out’, specifically because she isn’t a platinum selling artist and therefore doesn’t have a massive reputation to lose. She can only gain from this exposure.

Hafdis evidently believes in self promotion through advertising to gain recognition, as her music has also featured for Reyka Vodka and Always Ultra - as well as producing her own series of video blogs on MySpace, where you can also learn about Elf-watching in Iceland would you believe! The fact that Huld was a guest vocalist on Tricky’s 2008 album ‘Knowle West Boy’ will add credibility to her bubblegum pop image.

28 year old Hafdis Huld spent her teenage years recording and touring with the Icelandic group GusGus, which led her to release her debut solo album ‘Dirty Paper Cup’ in 2006 on UK indie label Red Grape Records. In the meantime she’s been busy headling a UK tour, and has supporting Mika on the international stage, whilst making appearances at festivals such as Glastonbury, Camden Crawl, In The City in Manchester and SXSW, as well as numerous across Europe.

Myspace: www.myspace.com/hafdishuld

Official website: www.hafdis.com