Artist Spotlight: Kygo

Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, better known as Kygo, is a Norwegian DJ, record producer, and musician who burst onto the international music scene in the mid-2010s.

Born in 1991 in Singapore but raised in Bergen, Norway, Kygo began playing piano at age six. He later developed a passion for electronic music, inspired by Avicii and Chris Martin of Coldplay.

Kygo’s breakthrough came in 2014 with his remix of Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire,” which garnered millions of plays on SoundCloud and YouTube. His signature “tropical house” sound, characterized by laid-back tempos, melodic synths, and steel drums, quickly became a defining feature of mid-2010s pop music.

His debut album, “Cloud Nine” (2016), solidified his status as a EDM heavyweight, featuring hits like “Firestone” and “Stole the Show.” Kygo’s ability to blend electronic elements with pop sensibilities has led to collaborations with major artists like Selena Gomez, Ellie Goulding, and Imagine Dragons.

In 2019, Kygo released “Higher Love,” a reworking of Whitney Houston’s cover of the Steve Winwood classic. The track showcased Kygo’s talent for breathing new life into older material, combining Houston’s powerhouse vocals with his trademark tropical house beats. “Higher Love” became a global hit, introducing Whitney Houston to a new generation of listeners while cementing Kygo’s reputation as a versatile and innovative producer.

Kygo’s influence on the EDM scene is undeniable, having helped popularize the tropical house genre and paving the way for a more melodic, pop-oriented approach to electronic music.