Suede
| Suede | |
|---|---|
| File:SuedeWiki.png | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Genres |
Pop Dance Electropop Swedish pop |
| Years active | 2011 to present |
| Labels | Blacklight (2012 to present) |
| Members | |
|
Herman Chang Anders Björlin Lennart Björlin | |
Suede is a Swedish pop trio from Stockholm, Sweden. The trio consists of Herman Chang and fraternal twins Anders and Lennart Björlin; Chang is the cousin to the Björlin twins. Suede formed in 2011 and launched their careers that year when they participated in the 2011 Melodifestivalen contest, in which they came in third. The appearance at the contest stirred buzz for the group and they eventually released their debut single "See The Light" and their debut album Today Is Our Day in early 2012. Both the single and the album were successful, with the single reaching the top ten in Sweden and UK, while the album reached the top twenty in Sweden and the top three in the UK, where it is currently certified Platinum.
In 2012, it is rumored that the trio is beginning work on their second album. They're also currently doing a promotional tour throughout North America, Scandinavia, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
Formation: 1990s-2011[edit | edit source]
Herman Chang's mother got remarried to a Swedish man when he was only two years old. When he was seven, his stepfather moved the family to Stockholm, Sweden, settling just two houses down from where his stepfather's brother lived. Before the move, Chang's stepfather would take the family to Sweden on summer vacations and holidays. During his first visit there, when he was two, he met and bonded with his twin cousins Lennart and Anders Björlin; after the move, the bond between Chang and the Björlin twins grew stronger.
The three boys eventually began to sing together and when the Björlin twins became teenagers, they, along with Herman, decided to take music seriously. They entered into a bunch of talent contests where they either won or at least placed significantly high.
The twins eventually went off to college and Herman continued to pursue a music career when was fourteen. Herman was a member in four groups, who all disbanded after having minimal to no success. Between groups, Chang would often try to get his cousins to form one with them. Though they thought it was a good idea, they constantly rebuffed him insisting on focusing on college. After the fourth and final group that Herman was involved disbanded, he reluctantly considered on going solo. However, his twin cousins, completely finished with college at that point, decided that they wanted to form a group with him. The trio formed in early 2011 and decided to call themselves Suede. The reason why the name "Suede" was chosen was because it reminded them of the word "Swede" and they wanted to show pride towards Sweden and being Swedish.
Today Is Our Day: 2011 to present[edit | edit source]
In early 2011, Suede entered into the Melodifestivalen 2011, which determined who was going to represent Sweden at the Uravision Song Contest that year. Suede submitted the song "I Release You" for the competition and made it to the finals, coming in third in the competition. After their performance of Melodifestivalen, buzz began to stir around the group in Sweden. In late 2011, the member of Suede moved to the UK to expand their music career aspirations by trying to break into the British music market while also trying to break into the music market in Sweden as well.
In January 2012, the band released their debut single "See The Light". The single was commercially successful by reaching #4 in Sweden and #6 in the UK. On January 9, 2012, the group released their debut album Today Is Our Day. The album was also commercially successful reaching #13 in Sweden and #3 in the UK. To date, the album has sold over 400,000 copies in the UK and has been certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). "Lat dem ga" was released as the second single (overall) from the album in Sweden; it reached #11 on the Sverigetopplistan. In February and March 2012, the trio participated in Melodifestivalen 2012 with a song called "Break My Heart (From The Start)". They made it through to the finals of the competition and, once again, placed third. "Break My Heart (From The Start)" would later serve as the b-side for the trio's second UK single "Guns and Bullets".
In Spring 2012, the trio released "Pass Me By" and "Guns and Bullets". "Pass Me By" was initially only released in North America where it the top three in the United States and Canada while "Guns and Bullets" reached #6 in the UK and was certified Silver. In June 2012, "Pass Me By" was released in Sweden, Norway, and Ireland, reaching #1 in the latter country. "Pass Me By", in some countries, was coupled with "Hovering" in June 2012, which was also released on its own in other countries as well. "Hovering" would prove to be an international hit for the trio reaching the top ten in Ireland, the United States, Canada, and Norway, becoming their first top ten hit single in the latter. In Sweden, "Hovering" charted within the top forty. "Pass Me By" and "Hovering" was supposed to be coupled together as a double A-sided single in the UK but its release was cancelled.
In July 2012, Suede traveled to South Korea and Hong Kong, respectively the ancestral homes of the Bjorlin twins and Chang, to promote their debut album. The trio announced that they would be re-recording some of Today Is Our Day in Korean and Chinese. The trio also confirmed that the Asian editions will have brand new tracks and also revealed plans to re-release the album in the UK with new tracks as well.
Upcoming projects[edit | edit source]
Suede is rumored to be in the beginning process of recording their sophomore album. The trio confirmed that, unlike their debut Today Is Our Day, they will not be collaborating with Shawn Middlebrough at all on their second studio album.
Image[edit | edit source]
The boys have received a lot of attention because of the fact that they are both Asian and from Sweden. Indeed, all three members are of Asian descent with Herman being Chinese-American and the Björlin twins being half-Korean and half-Swedish. The Björlin twins have always identified themselves as Swedish and are said to be unfamiliar with their Korean heritage. Apparently, they haven't even visited South Korea, the origin of their mother. The twins also do not know how to speak the Korean language.
Suede ranked at #7 on James Moss' "Top 12 Breakouts of 2012", which ranked his favorite up and coming artists for 2012. The boys have stated that they were "touched and honored" to be included on Moss' list. On the "revisted" edition of the special, Suede rose to #6. Suede was considered to be apart of Nicholas X's Top 40 Romeos Countdown, which counted down the forty males that were considered to be the sexiest in the music industry, though it was hosted by Nicholas X; Suede failed to chart on the list, causing minor controversy among the trio's fanbase.
Members[edit | edit source]
- Herman Chang, 23 (born August 14, 1988)
- Anders Björlin, 27 (born March 1, 1985)
- Lennart Björlin, 27 (born March 2, 1985)
Discography[edit | edit source]
Albums[edit | edit source]
| Album | Album details | UK | SWE | CAN | IRE | NOR | US | Sales | Certification(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today Is Our Day |
|
3 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 3 |
|
|
Singles[edit | edit source]
| Year | Single | UK | UK Dig |
UK Air |
SWE | CAN | IRE | NOR | SCO | US | US Pop |
US Dance |
Album | Sales | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "See The Light" | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 69 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 100 | 36 | 1 | Today Is Our Day |
|
|
| "Låt dem gå" 1A | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Idag är vår dag | |||
| "Pass Me By" 2A | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | Today Is Our Day |
|
| |
| "Guns and Bullets" | 6 | 5 | 36 | 20 | 63 | 13 | — | 6 | 50 | 34 | 9 |
|
| ||
| "Hovering" 2A | — | — | — | 27 | 6 | 8 | 8 | — | 8 | 8 | 1 | ||||
| A dash (—) means that the single did not chart and/or was not released in that country. | |||||||||||||||
Notes[edit | edit source]
1. "Låt dem gå" was only released in Sweden. It was not released anywhere else, including the UK.
2. "Pass Me By" and "Hovering" was originally supposed to be released in the UK, coupled together as a double A-sided single. The release has since been cancelled.
A. Not released in the UK. Possibly released in other countries.
Videography[edit | edit source]
| Year | Video | VEVO | Views |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "See The Light" | 3 | 3,761,667 |
| Year | Video | Views | |
| 2012 | "Guns and Bullets" | temporarily shelved/cancelled | |
| "Pass Me By" A | |||
| "Hovering" A | |||
A. Blocked in the UK by Vevo and does not count their views on YouTube.
