“Adrenaline and sugar levels at Hovet are high”
Updated 09.34 | Published 2024-02-03 23.14
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CONCERT Marcus & Martinus are faced with a classic dilemma: how to manage to age as artists without losing their young fans.
But really, they just need to sing about skiing slalom.
Marcus & Martin
Place: Court, Stockholm. Public: 5 200. Length: 90 minutes. Best: ”Slalom”. Worst: The sound is initially as noisy as the five-mile in Holmenkollen.
A couple of weeks ago advertised Marcus & Martin that they would take a break from social media. A confused maneuver that created an outcry among the fans. The duo apologized shortly afterwards, explaining the move as an experiment – while resenting the pressure of having to make some kind of scandal in the transition from child stars to adult performers.
Tonight’s concert is part of a Scandinavian tour with the overly obvious title “We are not the same”. The new single of the same name is r’n’b-pop complete with guest rappers and combative slightly dangerous lyrics.
An exciting contrast to the fact that many of Marcus and Martinu’s fans have barely started preschool. Adrenaline and sugar levels at Hovet are high. Girls with “M” inked on their faces buy Chinese puffs like there was no tomorrow. A little girl’s arms just barely fit around a bag of popcorn.
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full screen The Gunnarsen brothers on Hovet’s catwalk. Arena concerts in Gothenburg and Malmö await shortly. Photo: Andreas Bardell
Marcus and Martinus enter through a staircase in the stage floor and stand in a frozen position at the same time as the pyro sets off some pieces to accentuate the seriousness of the moment. Then the twins kick off themselves and the audience with the song “Like it like it”.
The concert at Hovet takes place in unison with Melodifestivalen. The brothers Gunnarsen from Trofors came second last year and has already been named this year’s winning favorite by the betting companies (they perform in the fifth part of the competition with the song “Unforgettable”). Tonight they thank you in advance for all the presumed votes.
Reinforced by a swinging band, Marcus and Martinus are reminiscent of a mix between Maroon 5 and the brothers Hanson from northern Norway. In fact, the guys’ harmless pop is better than much else in the same class. Melodic, one hundred percent uncomplicated and just right heartbreaking, it is made for a very young person’s first encounter with pop music.
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full screen Marcus and Martinus play in Stockholm simultaneously with the favorite team in the Swedish Melodifestivalen. Photo: Andreas Bardell
“With this song, we got to show you that we’ve grown older,” they introduce Chris Isaak-cover “Wicked game”, known from the TV show “Masked singer”. The 21-year-olds face a classic dilemma: how to manage to age as artists without losing their young fans.
For me there is only one way forward. What takes Marcus and Martinus from a dozen acts to something special is when they embrace the mother tongue. The song suite “Plystre på deg”, “Hei” and “Slalom” is on a level of its own. The group’s biggest hit, “Elektrisk”, is also in Norwegian.
The algorithms speak for themselves.
In the new tough r’n’b direction, they have thousands and thousands of competitors. But no one else writes songs in Norwegian about skiing slalom.
Marcus and Martinus perform at Scandinavium in Gothenburg on February 4 and at Malmö Arena on February 10.
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full screenMarcus and Martinu’s fans, or “MMers” as they call themselves. Photo: Andreas BardellFACTS
All the songs
1. Like it like it 2. Gimme your love 3. Remind me 4. 247365 5. Invited 6. Let me go 7. When all the lights go out 8. Wicked game 9. Akustiskt medley 10. Plystre på deg 11. Hei 12. Slalom 13. Ei som deg 14. Belinda 15. Air 16. Love flow 17. We are not the same 18. Girls 19. One flight away 20. Elektrisk
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