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Despite her young age Marie Serneholt is a bit of a veteran on the Swedish music scene. She was only 15 when she experienced things that most artists may only dream about with the international success of A-Teens. One day the young 4-piece would find themselves doing a South American TV-show in front of 20 million viewers and the next day they performed for the Swedish royal family in Mexico. The group toured with superstars like Britney Spears and N’Sync, sold 5 (!) million records and became one of Sweden’s biggest music exports ever.
After five intense years Marie felt that she needed to distance herself from all these mind-blowing experiences. She wanted to hang out with her friends and family, do regular things that normal people do. This was in 2004 and the band decided to take a break. Soon it turned out to be permanent.
Two years later Marie returned to the stage with the hit single “That’s the way my heart goes” and her solo debut “Enjoy the ride”. By her side in the studio was the successful songwriter Jörgen Elofsson, famous for writing #1 songs for artists like Britney Spears and Céline Dion. Together the two of them created an album that Marie says she is still very proud of, “although I would’ve done things differently today”.
Marie, who is both a singer and a dancer, knew early on that she would become an artist of some kind. “I have always loved being on stage, to make people feel good”, she says. She have no idea from where she got this exhibitionistic side of her personality, she just knows that it has been there for as long as she can remember. It may not be widely known but she is also a star at imitating different voices and dialects. Since A-Teens split-up she has been working in the movies, dubbing film into Swedish. Her voice can be heard in blockbusters such as Narnia and last year’s Tinker Bell.
But more than anything else she has been occupied trying to find her identity as an artist. Now, after spending two years in the studio in Stockholm with songwriters Peter Boström and Tony Nilsson, she has finally found her place. “I know who I am and what I want. I actually think I’ve developed more the last two years than I did in five years with A-Teens”, says Marie, now 25 years old.
She wants to make music that feels just as home in sweaty clubs as in the biggest venues. It must have a great rhythm and a chorus you cannot stop yourself from singing along to. That is probably the most natural progression for someone who has the body of a dancer and a heart that beats for pop music.
With “Disconnect me” she wanted a hot Mediterranean feeling, danceable, yet still melodic. Peter and Tony listened to her wishes and in February Marie performed the song in the Swedish edition of Eurovision Song Contest. The song did not make it to the final, but that is not something that bothers Marie. “I have always loved the show and been glued to the TV set every year. I couldn’t even dare to dream about one day being on the show myself. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever experienced”, she explains.
To participate in the country’s by far biggest TV-event has strengthened her self confidence quite a lot. Her next goal is to be able to do some of the things she did with A-Teens, but on her own this time. She feels confident with the people she is surrounded with and has reinvented herself the last year. This time she is more involved in the song-writing than ever before.
“I’ve learned so much during these years and have a lot more confidence in myself today”, she says.
Marie Serneholt
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