Alan Walker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Walker
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Walker in 2024
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Alan Olav Walker
24 August 1997 Northampton, England
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| Agent | Gunnar Greve |
| Awards | Full list |
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| Origin | Fana, Bergen, Norway |
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| Years active | 2012–present |
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| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2012–present |
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| Network | United Screens |
| Subscriber and view counts updated as of 14 July 2025. | |
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Alan Olav Walker, born on August 24, 1997, is a famous DJ and music producer from Norway. He is known for his electronic dance music (EDM) songs. Some of his most popular hits include "Faded", "Sing Me to Sleep", and "Alone". These songs have been incredibly successful, reaching number one in Norway and selling millions of copies worldwide.
Alan Walker often wears a hoodie and a mask when he performs. This helps him stay a bit mysterious and keeps the focus on his music. He started making music around 2012, sharing his songs online. He quickly became popular, especially on YouTube and SoundCloud.
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Who is Alan Walker?
Alan Olav Walker was born in Northampton, England, on August 24, 1997. When he was two years old, his family moved to Fana, a city in Norway. Growing up, Alan loved computer games, graphic design, and programming. He spent a lot of time playing video games on consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo GameCube.
When he was in middle school, Alan started learning how to make music. He used online tutorials on YouTube to teach himself. He continued making music through high school. After graduating, he thought about joining the Norwegian military or working at a grocery store. But his passion for music soon took over.
How Alan Walker Started His Music Career
Early Days and First Hits (2012–2015)
In 2012, Alan Walker was inspired by other DJs and music producers. He started making his own music on his laptop using a program called FL Studio. He shared his songs on YouTube and SoundCloud, getting feedback from fans. Before he became widely known, he was called DJ Walkzz.
His first big song was "Fade", released in August 2014. A record label called NoCopyrightSounds (NCS) re-released it, and it quickly gained over 200 million views on YouTube. Alan said this success was "mind-blowing." He then released other songs like "Spectre" and "Force" on NCS.
In December 2015, Alan released "Faded" with singer Iselin Solheim. This song was a new version of "Fade" with vocals. "Faded" became a massive hit around the world. It reached number one in many countries and was nominated for awards. The music video for "Faded" has been viewed over 3.6 billion times on YouTube, making it one of the most-watched videos ever. It was also the first EDM song to reach 3 billion views.
New Songs and Tours (2016)
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After "Faded" became so popular, Alan decided to leave high school to focus on his music career. He performed live for the first time at the Winter X Games XIX in Oslo. He played 15 songs, including "Faded" with Iselin Solheim.
In June 2016, he released "Sing Me to Sleep", also featuring Iselin Solheim. This song also topped the charts in Norway. Later that year, he released "Alone" with singer Noonie Bao.
In December 2016, Alan held a concert in his hometown of Bergen called "Alan Walker is Heading Home." He performed many songs, including new ones like "Heading Home" and "The Spectre". The concert was streamed live on YouTube for fans around the world.
First Album and More Hits (2017–2018)
By early 2017, Alan Walker's YouTube channel became the most subscribed channel in Norway. He toured across America, performing at big festivals.
In May 2017, he released "Tired" with singer Gavin James. This song reached number 5 in Norway. In September, he released "The Spectre", a vocal version of his earlier instrumental track. He performed this song at Tomorrowland 2017.
His next big song was "All Falls Down", released in October 2017. It featured American singer Noah Cyrus and British DJ Digital Farm Animals. This song also became a number one hit on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
In 2018, Alan released "Darkside" with singers Au/Ra and Tomine Harket. This song also reached number 1 in Norway. In December, he released his first studio album, Different World. The album included his past hits and new songs. It was number 1 in Norway and Finland.
New Music and Projects
World of Walker and Gaming (2019–2021)
In 2019, Alan Walker released "On My Way" with Sabrina Carpenter and Farruko. This song was released to celebrate the first anniversary of the game PUBG Mobile. He also released "Live Fast (PUBGM)" for the game.
He worked with K-391 and Tungevaag on the song "Play" in August 2019. Later that year, he released "Alone, Pt. II" with American singer Ava Max, which was a sequel to his earlier hit "Alone." The music video for "Alone, Pt. II" continued the story from his "On My Way" video.
In 2020, Alan released a remix of Hans Zimmer's song "Time". He also performed at virtual music festivals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, he released "Sweet Dreams" with Kazakh producer Imanbek. He also collaborated with Asus and Republic of Gamers (ROG) to create a special edition gaming laptop. In September 2021, he released the EP Walker Racing League. His second studio album, World of Walker, came out in November 2021. It featured 15 songs, including "On My Way" and "Alone, Pt. II".
Walkerverse and Walkerworld (2022–2023)
In 2022, Alan Walker released his project Walkerverse, which started as two EPs and later became his third studio album, Walkerverse Pt. I & II. He then started the "Walkerverse: The Tour", performing in 29 cities across Europe and North America.
In April 2023, he released "Dreamer" on NoCopyrightSounds again, after an eight-year break from the label. This was followed by "Hero" with Sasha Alex Sloan in May.
In September 2023, he worked with Dash Berlin and Vikkstar on "Better Off (Alone, Pt. III)". This song was part of his "Alone" series. In November 2023, Alan released his fourth studio album, Walkerworld. He was also ranked number 11 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list.
Recent Projects (2024–Present)
In January 2024, Alan released "Who I Am" with Norwegian singer Peder Elias and Indonesian singer Putri Ariani. He also started the "Walkerworld Tour" in June 2024, performing in many cities across Asia and India. During his India tour, he performed with Indian actress Alia Bhatt.
His fifth studio album, Walkerworld 2.0, was released in January 2025. He also announced a "Walkerworld North American Tour" and a "Walkerworld European Tour" for 2025. In May 2025, he released "Story of a Bird" with Indian singer King.
Alan Walker also announced a new fan app called "World of Walker," which will be released in August 2025. The app will offer fans special content, live streams, and direct chats with him.
Alan Walker's Unique Style
His Look
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Alan Walker is famous for his unique look: a hoodie and a face mask. He designed his logo, which combines the letters "A" and "W," in 2013. He explained that the mask and hoodie concept is about anonymity. He wants people to focus on his music, not on who he is as a person. He also said that anyone wearing a hoodie and mask can become a "Walker," showing that everyone is equal.
On stage, he often performs with two other masked people. He thinks this makes them like a small band. While he used to wear mostly black, he sometimes wears a white mask and hoodie now. He realized that adding color helps the audience see him better on stage.
What Inspires His Music?
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Alan Walker gets inspiration from many places. He was inspired by Italian DJ David Whistle, who encouraged him to start producing. Norwegian producer K-391 and Dutch producer Ahrix also influenced his early sound.
He also loves film composers like Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky. Their music inspires the classical parts of his songs. Alan has said that video game music, like from The Legend of Zelda and Tetris, also gives him ideas. He believes that games and movies offer unique sounds and atmospheres.
His Music Style
Alan Walker's music is often described as house, electropop, and future house. His sound is known for being a bit darker and more emotional than some other electronic music.
When he makes music, Alan focuses on melody, melancholy (a feeling of gentle sadness), and mood. He believes that melodies are the most important part of a song because they are what people remember and sing along to. He also sees AI as a helpful tool for making music in today's technology-driven world.
Giving Back
Alan Walker is also known for his charity work. In 2017, he donated money to the Norwegian Children's Cancer Society based on how many likes and shares his Facebook post received.
In 2019, he donated $100,001 to Team Trees, a project that aimed to plant 20 million trees. He matched a donation from YouTuber MrBeast to support the cause. In December 2023, he donated 500,000 Norwegian Krone (about $45,000) to a Christmas fundraising campaign in Norway to help families in need.
Alan Walker's Personal Life
Alan Walker has two pets: a dog named Happy, adopted in 2016, and a cat named Peanut, adopted in 2021. He loves animals and calls Happy his "best four-legged friend."
He also enjoys cars and has owned several luxury vehicles, including an Audi R8 Spyder, a Ferrari 488 Spider, and a Lamborghini Aventador.
In 2019, Alan started dating Viivi Niemi from Finland. In July 2021, he bought a large villa in Oslo, Norway. This property is used as both his home and a studio/office for his music business. In September 2023, he purchased another luxury villa in Bergen, Norway.
Alan Walker's Music Albums
- Different World (2018)
- World of Walker (2021)
- Walkerverse Pt. I & II (2022)
- Walkerworld (2023)
- Walkerworld 2.0 (2025)
Tours and Performances
Alan Walker has gone on many tours around the world, performing for millions of fans.
Headlining Tours
- Walker Tour (2016–2018)
- The World of Walker Tour (2018)
- Different World Tour (2018–2019)
- Aviation Tour (2019)
- Walkerverse: The Tour (2022–2023)
- Walkerworld Tour (2024–2025)
Supporting Tours
He has also opened for other famous artists on their tours:
- Rihanna – Anti World Tour (2016)
- Justin Bieber – Purpose World Tour (2017)
- Martin Garrix – Thursdays at Ushuaïa
Awards and Achievements
Alan Walker has received many awards and nominations throughout his career.
- His song "Faded" won the Song of the Year award at the Spellemannprisen (Norway's Grammy Awards) in 2017.
- "Sing Me to Sleep" won Norwegian Song of the Year at the NRJ Music Awards Norge.
- He has been nominated for Best Norwegian Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards multiple times.
- In 2019, he was named "Spellemann of the Year" at the Spellemannprisen.
Interesting Facts About Alan Walker
- Alan Walker has both British and Norwegian citizenship.
- He was inspired to make music by other EDM producers like K-391. He also liked film composers such as Hans Zimmer.
- Alan left high school in January to focus completely on his music career.
- When he first started, he was known as "DJ Walkzz" or "Walkzz." He began using his real name after signing with a record label.
- Alan designed his own logo in 2013. It's a symbol with the letters "A" and "W" intertwined, which are his initials.
- The music video for his song "Alone" has been watched over 1.2 billion times on YouTube.
- Alan's song "On My Way" was used as the soundtrack for the sixth season of the mobile game PUBG Mobile.
- In 2019, his music video "Diamond Heart" was nominated for an award for Best Cinematography.
