Agnes (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agnes
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Agnes in 2012
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Agnes Emilia Carlsson |
| Born | 6 March 1988 Vänersborg, Sweden |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
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Agnes Emilia Carlsson (born 6 March 1988), known simply as Agnes, is a Swedish singer. She became famous after winning Idol 2005, the second season of the Swedish TV show Idol. After her win, she signed with Sony Music.
She released her first album, Agnes, and her second, Stronger. Both albums reached the top of the Swedish music charts. In 2008, Agnes left Sony Music and joined a smaller record label called Roxy Recordings. Her third album, Dance Love Pop, came out in 2008. It became her most successful album worldwide. Two songs from this album, "On and On" and "Release Me", became international hits. "Release Me" was especially popular, selling over 900,000 copies around the world.
Agnes has said that Stevie Wonder is a big inspiration for her music. She also looks up to singers like Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson.
Contents
Early Life
Agnes Carlsson was born in Vänersborg, Sweden, on March 6, 1988. She is the youngest of four children. Her father worked with the environment, and her mother was a nurse.
Agnes started playing the violin and joined a choir when she was young. She sang her first solo in front of an audience while still in school. When she was 16, she began taking private singing lessons.
Career
Becoming an Idol (2005–2007)
In the spring of 2005, Agnes, who was 17, tried out for the second season of Idol. She sang "Varje Gång Jag Ser Dig" by Lisa Nilsson. The judges were very impressed by her powerful voice. She moved on to the next rounds of the competition.
Even though she didn't get enough public votes at first, the judges chose her to go to the finals. Agnes continued to impress everyone during the finals. She never ended up in the bottom two or three contestants. In the grand finale, she won with 57% of the public votes. She became the second Swedish Idol winner and the first female to win the show.
Right after winning Idol, Agnes signed a deal with Sony BMG. Her first song, "Right Here Right Now (My Heart Belongs to You)", came out. It quickly went to number one on the Swedish charts and stayed there for six weeks. The song sold over 40,000 copies.
Her first album, Agnes, was released in December 2005. It also went to number one on the Swedish album charts. The album sold almost 40,000 copies in its first week. In March 2006, she released her second song, "Stranded". It didn't do as well on the charts, but her first album kept selling well.
In August 2006, Agnes released "Kick Back Relax". This song was the first single from her second album. It reached number two on the Swedish singles chart. Her second album, Stronger, came out in October. Like her first album, Stronger debuted at number one. It sold over 50,000 copies in Sweden. A song from this album, "Love Is All Around", was covered by many other singers.
In November 2006, Agnes released "Champion". In early 2007, she went on her second national tour. Later that year, she sang a Christmas song, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", with Måns Zelmerlöw. It reached number three on the Swedish charts.
International Success (2008–2010)
In 2008, Agnes left Sony BMG because she wanted to try new things with her music. She then signed with an independent label, Roxy Recordings. In August, she released "On and On". This song showed a new dance and club style for her music. It reached number eight on the Swedish singles chart.
Agnes's third album, Dance Love Pop, came out in October 2008. She wrote it with Swedish producer Anders Hansson. The album debuted at number five in Sweden. In November, "Release Me" was released as the second song from the album. It reached number nine in Sweden.
In 2008, it was rumored that Agnes would compete in Melodifestivalen 2009. This competition chooses Sweden's song for the Eurovision Song Contest. Agnes confirmed this, and her song was "Love Love Love". She performed it as a solo act. In February 2009, Agnes made it to the final round and finished in 8th place. "Love Love Love" was released as the third single from Dance Love Pop and reached number four in Sweden.
While Agnes was promoting her music in Sweden, "Release Me" started getting attention from other countries. Roxy Recordings decided to release the song internationally. This was the first time Agnes's music was sold outside Sweden. The song became a big hit in the UK, reaching number three on the charts. It sold over 300,000 copies there. "Release Me" also became popular in many other European countries. Later, it was released in Australia and reached number eleven.
Agnes's second international single was "On and On". It was released in the Netherlands and other parts of Europe. In the UK, her second single was "I Need You Now". It was released in November 2009 and reached number 40 in the UK. In Sweden, it reached number eight.
In July 2009, a big American record company, Geffen Records, signed Agnes. They released "Release Me" in the U.S. This made Agnes the first and only Swedish Idol contestant to launch her music in America. Agnes made her first U.S. appearance in August 2009. The CEO of Interscope Records, Ron Fair, praised her as an "amazing singer."
In June 2010, Agnes and Björn Skifs performed at the Wedding of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, and Daniel Westling. They sang "When You Tell the World You're Mine", which was written especially for the wedding. The song went to number one on the Swedish charts.
New Albums (2011–2013)
Agnes's fourth album, Veritas, came out in September 2012. The first song from it was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart". It didn't chart on the main Swedish singles chart but did well on digital sales.
In May 2012, Agnes released "One Last Time" as the main single for Veritas. Agnes wanted to be involved in writing all the songs on this album. Her American record company wanted her to record the album in the U.S., but Agnes felt more at home recording in Sweden. She said the name Veritas (which means "truth" in Latin) fit the idea behind the album.
In August 2012, "All I Want Is You" was released as the second single. A famous blogger, Perez Hilton, shared the song on his website. Agnes described the song as a story of love or even obsession. This song also did not reach the main Swedish charts. In June 2013, the third single, "Got Me Good", was released.
Agnes and singer Darin Zanyar performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö. In late 2013, Agnes was part of the TV show Så mycket bättre. Her first greatest hits album, Collection, was released in December 2013.
Return to Music (2019–Present)
After seven years, Agnes returned to music in May 2019. She was featured on the song "Tough Love" by the late DJ Avicii. Avicii wanted the song to be a duet by a "real couple."
Agnes also started her own record label called Senga. In October 2019, she released an EP (a mini-album) called Nothing Can Compare. This EP had a "rawer and darker" sound than her earlier music.
In February 2020, Agnes released the song "Goodlife". In August 2020, she announced her fifth studio album, Magic Still Exists. She released the first song from it, "Fingers Crossed". Agnes said this song was "inspired by the sense that nothing is impossible." In May 2021, she released the single "24 Hours".
Musical Style and Influences
When Agnes first started on Swedish Idol, she liked soul music. She sang songs like "Varje gång jag ser dig," which is a soul ballad. She also sang songs like "Flashdance... What a Feeling" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". Even then, she said that soul singer Stevie Wonder was her inspiration. Her first two albums were mostly R&B, soul, and pop songs.
After leaving Sony Music, she changed her style to dance and club music. She worked with songwriter and producer Anders Hansson. Agnes said she wanted to do something "totally different" with her third album. She wanted to make upbeat, disco-style songs. When she released "On and On" from her third album, people noticed her new musical direction. Critics praised her new style, saying the album was great for dancing.
Agnes often mentions strong female soul singers like Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson as her inspirations. She said she would play Whitney Houston and Beyoncé's songs loudly and sing along. She learned from Whitney that it's important to put emotion into your singing.
Personal Life
Agnes is married to Vincent Pontare. They have been together since 2009. They welcomed their first child in October 2022.
Discography
- Agnes (2005)
- Stronger (2006)
- Dance Love Pop (2008)
- Veritas (2012)
- Magic Still Exists (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Agnes Carlsson para niños
- List of awards and nominations received by Agnes Carlsson
- Swedish pop music
