Sometimes the Instagram algorithms work. They’ve given me some of my favourite discoveries like Subradio, Lord of the Lost, The Scarlet Opera, and now another, Lavrans Svendsen.
Lavrans Svendsen is a Greek deity with the voice of the Heavens flowing through his veins. Hailing from Fredrikstad, Norway, Lavrans appeared on the latest season of The Voice Norway. Spoiler alert, he placed second, but I don’t think that will spoil any music plans he has laid out for his future. If anything, I believe it will give him a wonderful freedom to pursue a future of his own choosing.
During his Blind audition, Lavrans covered “Human” by Rag’n’Bone Man. If he was nervous, he hid it wonderfully because his performance had a confident swagger and soul that betrayed his early twenties age.
In the Battle round, Lavrans covered James Arthur’s “You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” with Kirsti Hansen and two of them live up to the round’s name. They do indeed battle it out and Kirsti holds her own going toe to toe with the divine creature, but Lavrans does win in the end, and rightly so. The swagger from Lavrans’ audition is there but there’s a new found strength in his voice that I did not hear in “Human”. Maybe it was the possibility of being eliminated that brought the strength forward or it was having his The Voice Norway mentor, Jarle Bernhoft, see something in his talent that kicked that strength to the forefront. Whatever it was, I’m glad because Lavrans made the song his.
Instagram brought to my attention, Lavrans’ Knockout round cover of “Stay” by Rihanna and Mikky Ekko and it brought tears to my eyes. Vulnerable, poetic, and heartfelt this fragile and beautiful human poured his heart and soul into this song. The talent within Lavrans’ voice is as marvellous as it is unbelievable. His voice is tempestuous yet calming, delicate yet strong, but above all, it commands not only attention but for one to feel like they have never felt before.
The judges’ reactions and Jarle’s words, “pure excellence” perfectly sum up Lavrans’ cover of “Stay”.
While I could stop here, I would be remiss to discuss the rest of Lavrans’ journey on The Voice Norway.
In his first Live round, he covers Aden Foyer’s “The Ballet Girl” and while I wasn’t familiar with the original, I confidently declare that the song belongs to Lavrans now. His performance in this song shows his growth as a performer not just for the fans or judges, but for the cameras. The cameras love him and it picks up on every beautiful nuance that Lavrans expresses. There’s wonderful artistry to how he carries himself on stage. It’s not just movement, it’s art. In his cover, Lavrans gave me a performance that was as spellbinding as David Bowie and captivating as Freddie Mercury. He didn’t have to do anything over the top, just him and his voice, and that combination alone could charm and beguile anything with a heartbeat.
In his cover of Tom Odell’s “Another Love”, Lavrans channels the theatrics of Lady Gaga and Elton John and to say he does it with grace and beauty is an understatement. There’s a beautiful grit to his vocals and strength that is just stunning. With his cover of Gavin Degraw’s “I Don’t Wanna Be”, Lavrans channels the confident swagger of Jim Morrison. Whether performing heartfelt ballads or show stopping rockers, the cover shows Lavrans’ fluidity as an artist and creator. If there was any doubt Lavrans Svendsen was a rockstar, this performance silences all of the critics. This human is a goddamn superstar.
Teaming up with Jarle Bernhoft, who is a rockstar in his own right, Lavrans covers “Use Somebody” by Kings of Leon. Lavrans not only has the rockstar look down to a tee, but the performance and swagger is sheer perfection. And like Kings of Leon making Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” theirs. Lavrans has made “Use Somebody” his.
For his last song on The Voice Norway, Lavrans covered Finneas’ “I Lost a Friend” and like his version of “Stay” it’s heartbreaking and soul crushing. Lavrans has the ability to reach into one’s chest and crush their heart with his voice. His ability to channel raw and visceral emotion with his voice is hypnotising.
Saying Lavrans Svendsen is an artist to watch, trivialises his performances on The Voice Norway and it minimises the impact he’s already had on those who have witnessed or heard his insane talent. Lavrans Svendsen might be lightning in a bottle, but he’s also magical with a talent that is undeniably extraordinary.
Watch all of Lavrans’ performances from The Voice Norway
Photo from Lavrans Svendsen’s Instagram
