Tove Styrke - Kiddo (2015)

Combining the bubbling electronica of Robyn with the hipster synth pop of Annie and the hook-laden Euro-disco of September, former Idol contestant Tove Styrke is another product of the burgeoning Swedish female dance scene. Born in the university town of Umea, Vasterbotten in 1992, Styrke was inspired to pursue a performing career by her ballet instructor mother and her father, Anders Ostman, who scored a Swedish number one in the '70s. Encouraged by her piano teacher grandfather, she took up the instrument at a young age, and influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, and Simon & Garfunkel, became a vocalist in a traditional jazz band in her teens. After modeling for various publications including Glamour and Cosmopolitan, she entered the 2009 Swedish version of Pop Idol, where, thanks to impressive renditions of tracks by Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, and the Beatles, she finished third behind runner-up Calle Kristiansen and winner Erik Gronwall. Following the show, she signed a deal with Sony Records, and began working on her self-titled debut album with Patrik Berger, Lykke Li, and Shout Out Louds' Adam Olenius. Released in 2010, it spawned two hit singles, "Million Pieces" and "White Light Moment." ~ Jon O'Brien, Rovi