5 Songs I Love w/ Fredrik Norlindh

Following the release of his latest single 'Can't You See Me', Flex caught up with Swedish singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Fredrik Norlindh to learn more about what influences his eclectic sound. If you enjoy Fredrik's picks, be sure to check out 'Can't You See Me' at the end of the article.

1. Alphaville – Forever Young 

As a child, I had a 90-minute cassette that I filled entirely with this song, recording it every time it played on the radio. This was about ten years after its release, which gives you an idea of just how much of a classic it is. To emphasize that even further, it’s still widely popular today, with covers by artists like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Imagine Dragons, and David Guetta. 

I clearly remember the first time someone was impressed by my piano skills—it was when I played the arpeggiated synth solo from this song. Riding high on that moment, I even included that solo in a song by my first band, Weezuq. 

A stanza from Forever Young was featured in the famous Four Chords medley by Axis of Awesome, and the verses of David Guetta’s interpretation are built entirely on those four chords. But don’t be fooled—the original chord progression is actually twice as long, with a distinct second half. 

The production is phenomenal, filled with intricate sounds and details. The song builds dynamically from its peaceful beginning to a soaring climax in the second chorus, ending in pure euphoria. To me, that’s impossible to top, so I think it was a brilliant decision not to include a third chorus (which they understandably do live—when you have a crowd who wants to sing along, I get why). 

The melodies in the first verse and chorus are already stunning, but when the drums come in, they still dare to introduce variations, letting Marian Gold gradually increase the emotional intensity. That’s something I love and strive to do in my own music. 

It’s incredible to think that this was their first song ever. There is a documentary about the making of the debut album, also called Forever Young, on their YouTube channel, which I highly recommend. 

As I’ve been working on my own debut album, I’ve realized how much Forever Young has shaped my musical identity. The way it balances melancholy with euphoria, simple yet powerful melodies, and that sense of timelessness—these are all qualities I strive for in my own music. 

2. Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence 

Depeche Mode—and especially Martin Gore’s songwriting—has been a huge inspiration to me. The way they blend simple, catchy melodies with unexpected, theoretically dissonant harmonies while making it sound natural and unique is amazing. 

To me, a sign of a truly great melody is that it works in almost any genre. A few years ago, I heard Gore’s original demo, which was a dark ballad with his vocals and an organ instead of Gahan’s voice and the electronic beat. I found it hauntingly beautiful. But the uptempo production, initiated by Alan Wilder, was probably the right call. And it was actually after the new beat was in place that Martin came up with the now-legendary guitar riff. 

That iconic riff—which, by the way, is Shakira’s favorite—starts over the Cm – Eb chords. But in the verse, they unexpectedly shift to Cm – Ebm, a move that really inspired my own songwriting. It’s a great example of how stepping outside traditional scale rules can create something striking. One of the most rewarding moments I’ve had as a songwriter is when I’ve done something similar—bending the "rules"—and a professional musician plays it wrong, only to say, "It sounded so natural on your demo that I didn’t even realize it was unconventional." 

And Depeche Mode aren’t lazy; instead of repeating the intro riff exactly the same way every time, they later play it over the chorus chords, adding new melodies around it to keep it fresh and evolving.

Sonically, Martin L. Gore’s lyrics stand out—not just for their meaning, but for how they sound. His attention to phonetics, rhymes, and syllable counts makes every line flow beautifully, something I pay extreme attention to in my own music. Of course, the poetry itself is fantastic too. Even just the title Enjoy the Silence feels like something John Cage might have wished he had come up with when he wrote 4′33". 

The live arrangement takes the song to another level, especially in the epic seven-minute versions where a guitar riff builds up to a climax, perfectly blending with the song’s original outro. I think Martin plays a new riff for the buildup on each tour, but it always works because the song itself is so strong.

3. Lana Del Rey – Video Games 

I remember when a friend told me to listen to Lana Del Rey’s debut album Born to Die because he thought it would suit the way I write music—playing with my voice in different registers and characters, and using big arrangements with strings and cinematic elements. 

I streamed the album from the beginning on my way home, and I immediately thought, this is good. But when track four started, the world stood still. That chorus is breathtaking—so beautiful, harmonically rich, and creatively structured. I listened to it on repeat for the rest of the way home, then went straight to the piano to figure out how it was written. I even bought the sheet music just to be sure I got it right. I posted a live cover of it on social media.

If you're a musician, I highly recommend diving into this song—its use of tension and release, dissonances, and its haunting beauty are masterful. 

And being someone who constantly sings whatever’s on my mind at home, especially around my loved ones, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve found myself singing this chorus without even thinking about it. 

When producers or mixers ask me how I want my vocal recordings to sound on my ballads—like Carl Rosanders Väg or Lugn—I always say: Video Games has the sound quality and presence I dream of. 

4. Michael Crawford & Sarah Brightman – The Phantom of the Opera 

My older brother had The Phantom of the Opera highlights album, and when I was around five, he thought it would be fun to scare me by playing the overture. The moment the orchestra launched into that famous chromatic theme, I was terrified—even though I had no idea what the story was about. But just like Christine in the musical, I found the Phantom both frightening and strangely enchanting. 

I was too scared to listen to the overture on my own, but the pop version with vocals felt safer and fantastic, so I could play it on repeat. I think it has something for everyone: a dramatic chromatic motif, a beautiful pop melody in the verse, a catchy chorus built on a dissonant diminished chord, a rock-inspired riff, Christine’s soaring outro, synths, a symphony orchestra, intricate bass lines, shifting drum beats, mood changes, and seven key changes—all introduced in different ways. The constant evolution of elements keeps my attention throughout all four verses. 

If a song repeats its verses exactly the same way (aside from the lyrics), I tend to lose focus as a listener. It’s the same when I write music—I love variation. Plus, it helps me keep track of where I am in a song, so I don’t accidentally sing the wrong verse! 

Many years later, I wrote a musicology thesis on The Phantom of the Opera. Analyzing it in depth made me appreciate it even more. The orchestration, key changes, performance techniques, harmonies, dissonances, and moments of tension and release are masterfully crafted. One thing that fascinates me is how the Phantom’s chromatic motif constantly shifts its harmonic function depending on the surrounding chords, making it both unsettling and hypnotic. 

One of my own songs could almost pass for a Lloyd Webber musical number—or at least, that’s what my self-inflated taste would have me believe! In fact, The Phantom of the Opera is closely related to some of the tracks on my upcoming album Contrasting Notes, where I explore theatrical elements, dramatic chord progressions, and contrasts between dark and light, just like this song does so well. 

And perhaps most importantly for my music career, I met an actor and singer from the Swedish production of The Phantom of the Opera. He had become a vocal coach, and when I showed him some of my demos, he told me he saw "a diamond in the rough" and wanted to help me develop my voice. Training with him truly transformed my singing. 

Fittingly, my most popular TikTok video features me playing this song on piano—singing both Christine’s and the Phantom’s parts. 

5. Coldplay – Fix You 

This song is a classic and truly epic. It's also one of my favorite songs lyrically, as its themes closely resonate with my own philosophies. The fundamental melodies and chords may seem quite simple, but they’re so beautiful. The way they build and color the soundscape with fantastic elements like the droning organ, the bassline, and the growing layers of sound is masterful. The grand, arena-like explosion of sound at the end is awe-inspiring, bringing both energy and emotional euphoria. 

I tend to reach for that kind of finale in my own songs—where more is more, and emotions aren’t held back. A great example of this is the end of my song "Jag kommer Aldrig Bli som du" and many tracks on my upcoming English album Contrasting Notes. 

The time I was most moved by Fix You was when I watched the final episode of season 1 of Derek with Ricky Gervais. The song was so cleverly incorporated into the story that it made me cry every time I watched that episode. I almost think Fix You was the reason that episode was written in the first place. 

The true power and importance of this song was perfectly showcased in the Coldplay documentary A Head Full of Dreams, where Chris Martin shares how the band’s internal struggles while making their third album almost led them to break up. But they had Fix You, and that song was so great that it kept them going. Without Fix You, Coldplay might have ended in 2006. 

Coldplay is a big inspiration for my music, and I’ve actually posted some clips where I analyze their music.

Listen to Fredrik Norlindh 'Can't You See Me'