JONAH HEDQVIST The Best Male Popstar Since, like, whenever! (An Introduction of Sorts!)

Critical Links:

30 second clip of Summer High through Zshare (here)
Hear the entire song and show your love on his myspace (here)

There are many male pop acts at the moment. All are great and sublime but none as refreshing as Mr.Jonah Hedqvist. His single Summer High is currently shooting up the Swedish charts and has become a DontStopthePop legend. He's always been a firm favourite of DontStopthePop but now I can safely say that he is one of few acts that reaffirm why this blog (still) exists. This needs some explaining. Unlike so many other acts who have to be pulled, wrenched and hurled from the closet once their sexuality is revealed Jonah did it the other way round. He is extremely proud of who he is and to me is the first male musician who might be seen as a role model for young gay boys who often see male singers come out through trouble, scandal or after the sun has set on the performer's career.

On the contrary Jonah really never came out-it just is what it is. Now usually I don't make an issue about sexuality but this singer is fucking cool. So much so he was Mr.Gay Sweden. I feel like all those pride marches I went to as a kid and teenager has finally resulted in an act that is up there waiving the rainbow flag with you. So, Jonah is a star. An out and very happy popstar. So what makes him a legend?

Last year, he was due to perform his previous single "Once In A Lifetime" at Stockholm Pride but after leaving a gay bar he was attacked in a vicious hate crime. This is what he had to say on the subject-

"I heard a few steps behind me and got a glimpse of a couple of silhouettes. Then everything went black. There was blood all over the place and I had two big gashes in my head. The whole situation was very hard to understand and still is. I got a pretty bad concussion but I refused to stay in bed for my performance at the big Closing Pride Show. Then it would have felt like they had won. The thought of being followed and beat to the ground for the sake of being gay scares me. This might seem like a chiche, but the assault changed me in the way that I do appreciate life and my friends even more. This last year music has been therapy for me, so i put all my emotions in writing lyrics."

This is the man gay mags should be featuring on their front covers!

So to the music. Ok, there are three singles by Jonah. The first two were ultra camp and extremely sublime. His take on I am What I am is the best cover of the song since the French musical first appeared some twenty years ago in the La Cage Aux Folles by Jerry Herman. And yes, I think its better than Gloria Gaynor's epic version! Theres something about the deep voice of Jonah singing the song that really brings out the essence that made it the rallying cry of the Gay Pride movement. When sung by a woman, whether it be the Gaynor, the Bassey or the Marti Webb something is lost. I don't know why or how but perhaps the song was meant to be sung by a man who was proud of who he is despite what the world threw at him. The production is helped out by the inclusion of the schlager legend Shirley Clamp taking the helms on the backing vocals. Its an epic song by a man singing about coming out of the closet just as the original was in the original stage production. For this reason alone it surpasses all the amazing disco covers done by those wonderful diva's previously mentioned above.



The second single was the anthemic Once In a Lifetime which follows in the same uplifting spirit of I Am What I am. Clearly dedicated to Eurovision, Once In A Lifetime is part-Kylie and part-Dannii. Its a track Alcazar would love to record as it brings a huge smile to your face. Indeed, the song sounds like the template for the recent albums released by his fellow Swedish singers Magnus Carlsson and Danny.


Now its his latest single that has secured his status as "DONTSTOPTHEPOPS finest male act of 2007". Forget Mika, Robbie, Magnus! And leave that Danny at home! This is the sound of the most exciting Swedish male pop act of 2007 and next year. Forget Sweden-lets break down the borders, I personally think Summer High could be the best pop song by a male singer in the world so far this year. Am I being over the top? Well its so catchy its unbelievable, ever so kitchy, ever so witty and ultra pop it makes you immediately run out and dance in the streets wearing very little (if the weather is nice of course!). Coming in at under 3 minutes long, the song is too addictive to describe but is perhaps the most perfect and concise pop song I've come across by a male singer in ages!

If theres anyone in the UK from the music industry reading this they need to sign this boy immediately. Jonah has told me the album is nearly done and you can't fault a boy whose dream it is to represent the UK at Eurovision. So in the next couple weeks of expect to see more on and about Jonah as DontStopthePop follows his music, his career and his self journey through the world of pop and as a gay boy myself it makes me so proud that Jonah is literally out there doing something great with his music.

Thank you to Jonah and all at Pyjama Records
When the album is out you'll be able to buy it here (CDON)