Alan Olav Walker (born 24 August 1997) is a Norwegian DJ and record producer. His songs "Faded", "Sing Me to Sleep", "Alone", "All Falls Down" (with Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals) and "Darkside" (with Au/Ra and Tomine Harket) have each been multi-platinum-certified and reached number 1 on the VG-lista chart in Norway.[a] Walker's music style is reminiscent of slightly slower-paced progressive house, 1990s trance music, or dubstep with a smoother rhythmic edge.[5]
Walker grew up in Fana, Bergen, Norway, and began making music around 2012. Using feedback from fans online, he later gained recognition by posting several videos on YouTube and SoundCloud.[4] Starting out as a bedroom producer, he was better known as DJ Walkzz before signing a record deal and releasing his debut single "Fade" on NoCopyrightSounds (NCS) at the age of 17.[6][7] In December 2015, his single "Faded," released on MER Musikk, reached as high as number 80 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[a] In 2016, after releasing the singles "Sing Me to Sleep" and "Alone". In 2017 released the single "The Spectre," a vocal remake of an early song, "Spectre," which reached the top 10 on the Norwegian, Swiss, and Polish charts. Walker was ranked 13th on the Billboard 21 Under 21, which was released in September of the same year.[8] Then, in October of the same year, he achieved similar success with the single "All Falls Down," a collaboration with singer Noah Cyrus and British DJ and music producer Digital Farm Animals.
In 2018, he released the song "Darkside" featuring Antiguan-German singer/songwriter Au/Ra and Norwegian singer Tomine Harket. A few months later, his first studio album, Different World (2018), debuted at number 1 on the Norwegian and Finnish charts, as well as in the Top 20 in Sweden and Switzerland.[a] In 2019, Walker's music video "Diamond Heart" won the nominated for Best Cinematography at the Berlin Music Video Awards. In 2023, he ranked number 11 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs.[9] Walker has accumulated a net worth estimated at $20 million by 2022.[10]
In rating the most subscribed YouTube channels in Norway by vidIQ, Walker was the first in the list as of 2024 with about 45.7 million subscribers.[11]
Early life
Walker was born on August 24, 1997, in Northampton, England, to an Anglo-Scottish father and a Norwegian mother.[12] Walker moved to Fana, Bergen, Norway at the age of two with his two siblings.[13][3] He knew little about music though he loved listening to it. As a result of that, he began watching YouTube tutorials where he learnt music and production.[14]
Career
2012–2015: Career beginnings and breakthrough
In 2012, Walker, who was listening to a song by Italian DJ David Whistle (also known as DJ Ness) reached out to him inquiring how he produced his music.[7] He was inspired by Norwegian music producer K-391 and Dutch music producer Ahrix,[15] and film composers Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky.[3] He started producing his music on his laptop using FL Studio. In July 2012, using feedback from his fans online, he began pursuing his music production and subsequently posted some of his videos on YouTube and SoundCloud.[4] Starting as a bedroom producer, Walker was better known as DJ Walkzz before signing a record deal, releasing his debut single in 2014.[7]
After uploading some songs to YouTube, he released "Fade" on 17 August 2014.[16] The song was re-released by the record label NoCopyrightSounds on November 19, 2014 to great attention, garnering 200 million views on YouTube in 2014. Walker said of its success, "it was mind-blowing."[17] Walker stated that the creation of the track was inspired by K-391 and Ahrix, whose tracks were also picked up by the record label.[18] The track has achieved milestones, especially with the view counts on streaming services.[b]
Walker continued his music career and released "Spectre" and "Force" on NCS in 2015.[17] He signed with MER Musikk under Sony Music Sweden and released his next single, "Faded", a remastered vocal version of "Fade".[22] It was released on 8 December 2015, and featured uncredited Naustdal pop singer, Iselin Solheim.[23] The single topped the year-end charts in Austria,[24] Germany,[25] Switzerland and Sweden,[26][27] was nominated for British Single of the Year at the 2017 Brit Awards and won Årets Låt (Song of the Year) at Spellemannprisen.[28][29] The music video on YouTube reached 1 billion views on March 26, 2017,[30] and by June 2024, it had been viewed over 3.6 billion times, making it the 28th most viewedYouTube video.[31] It also became the first EDM song to achieve 3 billion views.[32] It has over 2 billion plays on Spotify,[33] and is also one of the Top 10 Most Shazamed tracks of 2016.[34] The single also received official remixes from Tiësto,[35]Dash Berlin,[36] and Hardwell.[37] He later released an acoustic "restrung" version of the song, with all the EDM elements taken out.[38]
2016: "Sing Me to Sleep" and "Alone"
Walker at the Starburn Festival, Norway, 2016
In early 2016, Walker released a remix of Sia's song "Move Your Body". This song was included in Sia's album This Is Acting (Deluxe Edition) in the same year.[39]Billboard's Michael Sundius praised Sia's deft use of vocals, saying it "has all the sentimentality and candor that fans have come to love about his work."[40] Walker quit high school in January to pursue his music career.[41]
On 27 February, Walker made his debut performance at the Winter X Games XIX in Oslo. He performed 15 tracks including the song "Faded" together with Iselin Solheim.[42][43] By March, Walker had produced 30 to 40 songs in total, but "Faded" marks his first single with Sony Music Sweden, and was considered the first to attain global success.[34] On 7 April, he teamed up with Zara Larsson at the Echo Awards in Germany, where they performed each other's songs "Faded" and "Never Forget You".[44] Four weeks previously, he achieved the first place on NRJ Euro Hot 30 for the first time, which only has been achieved by one other Norwegian music producer, Kygo.[45]
The single "Sing Me to Sleep" was released on 3 June 2016, and featured the same female vocalist Iselin Solheim as "Faded". The song reached number 1 on the Norwegian charts and won Norwegian Song of the Year at the NRJ Music Awards Norge that same year.[46][47]
Another single titled "Alone" was also released on 2 December of the same year, featuring uncredited Swedish singer Noonie Bao.[48] On 21 and 22 December, Walker held the concert "Alan Walker is Heading Home" in his hometown Bergen at USF Verftet,[49] where he performed 16 songs and tracks together with singers Angelina Jordan,[50] Marius Samuelsen, Alexandra Rotan, Yosef Wolde-Mariam,[51] and Tove Styrke.[52] The concert was officially live-streamed on YouTube.[53] He premiered several unreleased tracks, including a restrung version of "Sing Me to Sleep", as well as "Heading Home", the latter of which was first performed during his debut at Winter X Games. The song "The Spectre", a remastered, vocal version of his earlier track "Spectre" was also performed during the concert.
2017: "The Spectre", "Tired" and "All Falls Down"
Walker playing DJ Set
At the beginning of 2017, Walker's YouTube channel became the most subscribed channel registered in Norway, after passing about 4.5 million subscribers, and had the most views among Norwegian YouTubers at around 13.9 billion views as of 12 May 2024.[54][4] Between February and April, he toured around America including attending the Euphoria Festival in Texas.[55]
In the spring of 2017, Walker released an instrumental version of the song "Ignite" featuring K-391. The song is a remake of K-391's 2015 song "Godzilla" featuring Marvin Divine,[56] promoting Sony and the launch of their new product, the Sony Xperia XZs.[57] The official music video has also been released, showing footage of Tokyo, which is intended to showcase the excellent camera quality of Sony's phones.[58]
On 19 May 2017, Walker released the song "Tired" featuring Irish singer-songwriter Gavin James.[59] Then, on 14 July 2017, Kygo released a remix of the song.[60] Walker said the song "added another dimension" to his work.[61] The song reached number 5 on the Norwegian VG-lista charts.[46]
Succeeding "Tired", the song "Sky" with Danish music producer Alex Skrindo was released on June 9, 2017, and was part of the Insomniac Records Presents: EDC Las Vegas 2017 compilation.[62][63]
On 15 September 2017, Walker released "The Spectre," a vocal and instrumental remake of his 2015 song "Spectre".[64] The song was presented at last year's "Alan Walker is Heading Home" event.[52] The song of which the remake is based off was released by Walker on NoCopyrightSounds in January 2015.[65] Walker had incorporated the song into his live set months before its release and performed a revised version of the song on the main stage at Tomorrowland 2017.[66]
His next single, announced on YouTube,[67] was a collaboration with American singer Noah Cyrus and British DJ and music producer Digital Farm Animals featuring Swedish singer Juliander titled "All Falls Down", which was released on 27 October 2017.[68] Then, on December 2, 2017, to celebrate Walker's YouTube channel reaching 10 million subscribers, a video of him performing with Noah Cyrus and Juliander at YouTube Space NY was released.[69] The song reached number 1 on the Norwegian and US BillboardDance Club Songs charts,[46][70] and reached the top 5 in Sweden and Belgium.[71][72]
On 31 October 2017, Riot Games released the Alan Walker remix to their League of Legends World Championship anthem "Legends Never Die," which formed a collaboration with American rock band Against the Current.[73] Along with their lead singer Chrissy Costanza, he performed the track at the 2017 League of Legends World Championship at the National Stadium in Beijing, as well as at Coachella 2018.[74] On November 17, 2017, Walker released a remix of Swedish DJ Avicii's song "Lonely Together" featuring British singer Rita Ora. The remix is part of Avicii's official remix package.[75]
On December 11, 2017, Walker was scheduled to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert with Norwegian DJ Matoma,[76] but on November 20, Walker announced that he would be canceling his performance due to Walker's personal circumstances.[77]
2018: Different World
Walker at the 2018 Different World Tour
In an interview with Fuse in early 2018, Walker revealed that an upcoming album is coming later in the year. "It's still in progress, not ready," Walker said. "I can't tell you much about features on it or anything yet, but I'm really, really excited about this one."[78]
During a performance at the 2018 Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren took to the stage where he premiered his new collaboration "Slow Lane".[79] The song was released on December 18, 2020, two years after the performance. In April, he performed at the Coachella 2018 music festival in Indio, California.[80]
On May 11, Walker and K-391 released a vocal version of the previous year's instrumental track "Ignite". The vocals are by Norwegian singer Julie Bergan and South Korean singer Seungri.[81] The song was performed at VG-lista 2018 with Julie Bergen and Norwegian rapper Vinni and reached number one on the Norwegian charts.[82][46]
Walker at the 2018 Jimmy Fallon Show
On 27 July, Walker released the song "Darkside" featuring Antiguan-German singer-songwriter Au/Ra and Norwegian singer Tomine Harket.[83] A remix by Dutch DJ Afrojack was also released. The song reached number 1 on the Norwegian charts and number 10 on the Swedish charts.[46][84]
At the end of August, Walker released a remix of Chinese rapper Lay's song "Sheep" from his solo album Lay 02 Sheep.[85] Prior to the release of the remix, Walker performed a remix of the song with Ray on August 3, 2018, at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois.[86]
In December, Walker released his debut album Different World. This album includes previous songs such as "Faded" and "Alone," as well as new songs such as "Lonely," a collaboration with American DJ Steve Aoki.[90] Along with the release of the album, a campaign titled "#CreateADifferentWorld" was launched. The aim is to raise awareness on the topic of climate change.[91] The album topped the charts in Norway and Finland and was nominated for Top Dance/Electronic Album at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.[92][93][94]
2019: Collaboration with PUBG Mobile
Walker in 2019
In early 2019, Walker released "Are You Lonely" with American DJ Steve Aoki featuring Norwegian band Isák. The song is a remake of Walker's song "Lonely" from last year's album Different World.[95]
He released "On My Way," a collaboration with American singer Sabrina Carpenter and Puerto Rican singer Farruko, as a single to commemorate the first anniversary of the US-based battle royale game PUBG Mobile.[96] A cover challenge for the song was also announced and performed during the Good Morning America summer concert series.[97][98] This song peaked at number 3 on the Norwegian VG-lista chart.[46]
On 25 June 2019, Walker released the song "Live Fast (PUBGM)", which is a collaboration with American rapper ASAP Rocky. The song became a track for the PUBG Mobile eighth season.[99] Walker performed live at the PMCO Spring Split Global Finals in Berlin as a result of the collaboration.[100]
On 17 August 2019, Walker announced his intention to release a remake to the track "Eurodancer" by Swedish DJ and producer Mangoo from 2000, together with K-391 and Norwegian producer Tungevaag.[101] On 30 August 2019, the song "Play" was released as the final result. The vocals were contributed by Norwegian singer Torine.[102] On the website p74y.com allowed people to download the audio file of the song and create their own version of the song. K-391, Tungevaag, and Walker each selected one interpretation of the results, reworked it, and released it as an official remix.[103][104] 3 months later, Walker launched The Walker Excavations project on mobile and on his website.[105] The project was a game which featured Easter Eggs that teased fans of upcoming music and content.[106]
End of the year, he released "Alone, Pt. II" with American singer Ava Max.[107] The song is a sequel to Walker's single "Alone".[108] Numerous remixes of the song have been released, including those by NIVIRO, Toby Romeo, RetroVision, and Da Tweekaz, as well as Alex Skrindo's collaboration with Sebastian Wiebe.[109] The song entered the top 10 of the charts in Belgium,[110] Norway,[46] Poland and Romania.[111][112] The official music video of the song was uploaded on Walker's YouTube channel on 27 December 2019.[113] It is a sequel to Walker's video for his single "On My Way" from the same year.[114]
2020–2021: World of Walker
Walker at Houston Live in 2021
In 2020, Walker performed "End of Time" with K-391 and Ahrix at X Games Norway.[115] He also appeared at Tomorrowland Around the World, the virtual replacement for Tomorrowland 2020, which was canceled due to COVID-19.[116]
On 15 May 2020, Walker released a remix of Hans Zimmer's "Time".[117] Walker had previously been gifted a signed copy of the score for "Time," and the two musicians first met in April 2019 in Barcelona during one of the dates of the "World of Hans Zimmer – A Symphonic Celebration" tour. This meeting led to talks about a possible collaboration, which finally saw the light of day.[118] The song charted in Germany Dance,[119] Hungary and Switzerland.[120][121]
On 11 June 2021, Walker released the song "Sweet Dreams", which is a collaboration with Kazakh record producer Imanbek. The song samples Scatman John's song "Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop)".[122] He also released a remix package titled Sweet Dreams Remixes which features remixes from Brazilian DJ Alok and Dutch DJ Brooks, among others,[123] which charted in both Norway and Sweden.[46][124] A remix contest of "Sweet Dreams" was launched in partnership of Walker and the digital workstation, FL Studio.[125] The next single, "Don't You Hold Me Down," featuring English singer Georgia Ku, was released on August 27 and marked Walker's third collaboration with PUBG Mobile.[1][126][127]
On 18 August 2021, Walker launched the "ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker Special Edition," a custom gaming laptop created in partnership with ASUS and Republic of Gamers (ROG).[128][129] It included Walker's "AW" logo engraved into the laptop and had custom startup sounds and animations for the laptop were also created by Walker.[130][131] The collaboration also centered on Walker's single "Fake a Smile" featuring American singer Salem Ilese.[132][133]
On September 10, 2021, Walker released the EP Walker Racing League.[134] The EP reached in the Norwegian and Finnish charts. Then, on November 26, 2021, they released their second studio album World of Walker, consisting of 15 tracks built around electro-pop and EDM.[135] This is also his first album in three years. The album reached number 6 in Norway and number 24 in Finland.[46][136] The album includes songs such as ”On My Way," "Alone, Pt. II" and "Fake a Smile".[137]
On 13 November 2021, his contract with NoCopyrightSounds expired and his releases on the label (Fade, Spectre, Force) were removed from the NoCopyrightSounds catalog and from streaming platforms.[138]
2022–present: Walkerverse and Walkerworld
Walker in 2022
In 2022, Walker released the project Walkerverse, which was presented as two EPs and later re-released as his third studio album, Walkerverse Pt. I & II.[139] the first EP, Walkerverse Pt. I, included "Adventure Time," "Somebody Like U" with Au/Ra,[140] The second EP, Walkerverse Pt. II, contains nine songs, including "Extremes" with Trevor Daniel and the single "Lovesick," which samples Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5".[141] This was followed by Walkerverse: The Tour 2022, which began in September 2022.[142] The tour, which visited large venues such as Ecostage in Washington, D.C., Radius in Chicago, and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, began in the UK in September and ran for 29 shows until December in San Francisco, California.[142] A teaser for the tour was also released.[143]
In 2022, Walker signed with the Swedish crowdfunding website Corite, which allows fans to invest in a music project. Walker raised over $100,000 from fans for his next musical projects, the first being a compilation EP called Origins, while the second was a collaboration with his online community of fans known as The Walkers, called "Unity".[10][144]
In April 2023, he re-signed with NoCopyrightSounds and "Dreamer" was released. This was Walker's first NoCopoyrightSounds release in eight years and also his first release since his original contract expired and his previous releases were deleted.[145] The song reached number 47 on the US BillboardHot Dance/Electronic Songs charts,[146] and a remix by Egzod, Alex Skrindo, Rival, and Beauz & Heleen was also released.[147] The next single ”Hero" with Sasha Alex Sloan, was released on May 4. The song reached number 1 on the Hungarian radio chart and number 18 on US Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.[148][146]
On 28 September 2023, Walker collaborated with Dutch electronic music group Dash Berlin and British YouTuber and musician Vikkstar on the song "Better Off (Alone, Pt. III)", which was Vikkstar's debut single. It's part of Walker's suite of songs, including his 2016 single "Alone" and his 2019 collaborative single with Ava Max, "Alone, Pt. II".[149] The song heavily samples the 1999 single "Better Off Alone" written by Dash Berlin founding members Eelke Kalberg and Sebastian Morin as part of the Eurodance project Alice Deejay.[150]
On 10 November 2023, Walker released his fourth studio album, Walkerworld.[151] This album includes the song "Spectre 2.0" with Steve Aoki and "Land Of The Heroes" with Sophie Stray.[152] Along with the release of this album, "Walkerworld Asia Tour Pt. 1" was held from June 2024.[153] The tour sold nearly 160,000 tickets in nine cities in India, making it the highest-grossing international tour in Indian history.[154]
On 4 January 2024, Walker released the song "Who I Am" with Norwegian singer Peder Elias and Indonesian singer Putri Ariani.[155] The main drop of the song samples a song from the 1955 Norwegian film Karius and Baktus, composed by Christian Hartmann (who also has a songwriting credit in the film).[156]
On April 27, 2024, Walker performed unmasked during a residency at LIV Nightclub Las Vegas in Nevada, USA. Five days later, Walker released the song "Unsure" with American singer Kylie Cantrall.[157]
In September 2024, Walker released "Children Of The Sun", a song with Indian composer Pritam. The song also features the voice of Indian singer Vishal Mishra and incorporates a children's choir.[158] The collaboration began after they met during Walker's Mumbai tour in 2019.[159] Naman Ramachandran of Variety said, "The song blends Eastern and Western musical influences."[159]
On 11 January 2025, Walker released "Warpaint", a song with Voli Contra.[160]
Artistry
Artistic image
Walker at Wind Music Awards, with an outfit resembling a black blocprotester or a computer hacker.Symbol consisting of intertwined letters "A" and "W," used by A. Walker as a logo
He was originally called "DJ Walkzz" and was part of several production collectives before becoming "Walkzz". The current logo consists of the initials "A" and "W" of Walker's real name, and was designed by Walker himself in 2013.[161][137] To project his image, he uses a hoodie and face mask similar to concept.[13] Walker said: "At first we were thinking about ideas like how can we promote Alan Walker as an artist, but then we started creating symbols that anyone could do, and anyone with a hoodie and a face mask could do it.[162] You can become a 'Walker' right away, and we are all equal," he explained his concept.[162] In an interview with NRK, when asked why he used a mask, he said, "To maintain the image they gave me. Basically, I'm focused on anonymity, so no one knows. But I can join Alan Walker and show that masks can look good on anyone."[13]
In the first promo pictures his management handed out, Walker's face was barely visible. Also in the music video for his single "Alone", he is all dressed as a black shadow figure. This is, according to the artist himself, a carefully planned image drawn up together with the record company Sony.[163] "In a meeting with them we talked about how we could build the profile of Alan Walker", said Walker to the newspaper VG. "They asked about my interests. I replied PC, computer gaming and stuff like "Anonymous" and computer hacking where hoodies play a role."[164]
Walker acknowledges that it's a difficult time keeping low profile. Both he and his management prefer that he be characterised by the hoodie with a logo on the back. "When I first created a Instagram account I never had pictures of myself, nor of nature and such. But it is difficult to remain anonymous."[164]
On stage, he is accompanied by two other men who are also masked. "It's rare to see a trio in electronic music. I think it is a cool concept. We are in a way a small band."[164]
At a press conference on 9 November 2016, Walker said: "The concept with the mask is very cool, that is inspired by the hacker group "Anonymous" and the television series Mr. Robot. I have a background as a gamer and kept on with it before I started with music. By taking on a mask I can be immediately seen as a gamer."[165]
"I chose to quietly without a mask today. The concept ends in the trilogy. It will be interesting to open new doors and explore a bit. The mask is not lost permanently, but temporarily", which means he will take a break from his image – for a time. "With Alan Walker, the music is the focus, not necessarily everything around. It is a recurrent theme in the music of "Faded", "Sing Me To Sleep" and "Alone", which is a kind of conclusion to what one might call a trilogy", explains spokesperson Yonas Aregai for the record label MER."[165]
Influences
Walker took inspiration from a variety of artists such as (clockwise from top) K-391, Hans Zimmer, Tiësto, and Kygo.
Walker is inspired by Italian DJ David Whistle, who he said in an interview was "the first person to inspire me."[166] He is also inspired by fellow Norwegian producer K-391. In an interview with the American online magazine The Knockturnal, Walker said, "My producer idol is K-391. He was a big inspiration and helped me create my sound."[18] When making his debut single "Fade," Walker was influenced by the sound of the song "Nova" by Dutch music producer Ahrix. In an interview, he said, "The melody and the way the song progresses is very unique, which later inspired me to make "Fade."[15] The classical aspects of Walker's songs were influenced by film composers such as Hans Zimmer and Steve Jablonsky.[161]
In an interview with Norwegian newspaper Bergensavisen, when asked "Are you inspired by Kygo?", Walker replied, "He's a great inspiration, but we're not."[167]
He has often spoken about the influence of Dutch music producer Tiësto, saying in a 2019 interview with Rolling Stone India:
He’s always been a very big inspiration to me growing up. Since I was 9-years-old, Tiësto was obviously everywhere. He has always been a big inspiration and influence, and he has always been able to renew himself in the music industry – that’s what is really incredible about him. I’m really excited and honored that he was one of the first people who actually picked up my single “Faded” and boosted it by making a remix for his tour. It was fantastic and I’m so thankful that he did it in the very beginning.[168]
Walker is also influenced by video game music, drawing inspiration from The Legend of Zelda series, as well as classic games like Tetris. In an interview, he said, "Sometimes when I play a video game and listen to the game's music, a new style suddenly emerges." Other influences include the Call of Duty series and movie music. "Video games and film music provide similar inspiration," he said.[169] In an interview with India Today, he said, "Games expose me to unique sounds and atmospheres that inspire my work."[170]
Musical style
When it comes to making music what I feel is the most important thing is to basically have a musical freedom, and that I can make whatever I want to.
Walker's musical style has been described as house,[172]drumstep,[12]electro,[4]big room house,[4] and progressive house.[4] Originally, Walker was worried that his musical style wouldn't "fit in with the crowd," he said.[173]DJ Mag described Walker's sound as a youthful mix of big room house, progressive and electro styles.[4] Also, Ayaan Paul Chowdhury of The Hindu wrote that "his music is often darker and more minor in tone compared to the upbeat beats of contemporary tropical house."[174]
Norwegian journalist Øyvind Holen described Walker's musical style as "much darker and closer to minor keys than the harmonies that characterize Kygo's contemporary tropical house. Walker's music is reminiscent of slightly slower progressive house, 1990s trance music, or dubstep with a smoother rhythmic edge."[5]
Walker's main priorities when creating music are melody, melancholy, and mood. "I think sometimes people focus too much on having the best drum sample or having the perfect drum beat for a song or the perfect bass line, but at the end of the day, the audience, they don't think about whether the drums sound cool or if the bass sounds amazing, it's all about the melodies. You won't be singing and going around beatboxing to the beat – most likely – or trying to remember where the bass line goes. You'll be going around trying to remember the melody of the song or the vocals. That is actually what I want to try and focus on in my music, because I've always been a fan of melodies," Walker said in an interview with Rolling Stone India.[168]
Walker sees AI as an essential tool for music production. "I think it's very important to embrace AI in an era where everything is technology-driven. We need to figure out how we can leverage it," he said in an interview with Times of India.[175]
Reception
Alan Walker has generally been well received by critics. His music has been praised for its creative production, unique style, and melodic sound. Critics have also noted the strong emotional impact of his music. However, many have criticized Alan Walker's music for being too repetitive and lacking in lyrical content. Other critics have been divided on his use of vocal samples, with some praising it for adding an extra layer of emotion to his music while others have argued that it detracts from the overall appeal of the music. Additionally, Walker received criticism from a "walkthrough" video on the production of his song "Alone", via the YouTube channel Future Music Magazine. Due to his co-producer Mood Melodies's extensive involvement in the production of the song, the video was met with backlash from many of Walker's fans, who considered Mood Melodies as his "ghost-producer".[176]
Julie Bergan replacement
In 2022, Walker created a song titled "Ritual" which had been played numerous times on his performances before release in November 2022, the same date as he released Walkerverse Pt. II, an EP the song originally was part of. The song ended up being released as a single due to issues. Julie Bergan, a Norwegian singer-songwriter Walker collaborated with before, was reportedly part of the songwriting team, and she accompanied Walker as a singer for the song in live performances. The song featuring her voice was frequently used in teasers for the second part of the Walkerverse album, but they were ultimately unused in the final song.[177]
Upon release, many fans were critical of the new singer and deemed her vocals inferior to Bergan's. Bergan's manager Cecile Torp-Holte stated that there was no agreement between her and MER on using Bergan's vocals. According to Torp-Holte, six concerts were planned in the US where Bergan was to perform with Walker, including a performance of "Ritual" as part of a larger agreement. She also said that the song's original release date was 28 October, and the negotiations on sharing rights collapsed shortly before.[177]
In 2019, Walker donated more than $100,000 to Team Trees, a joint fundraising effort initiated by American YouTube stars MrBeast and Mark Rober to plant 20 million trees.[179] First, MrBeast donated $100,000 and left an invitation for others to follow suit, commenting, "I dare you to take this space from me:)." Then Walker responded to his comment, "I want to plant one of the trees!" and matched his $100,000 donation.[180]
Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, known professionally as Kygo, is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He garnered international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his December 2014 single "Firestone". In late 2015, he reached one billion streams on Spotify faster than any other artist, and by June 2016, he had reached two billion streams.
Lost Stories is an Indian DJ and music production duo composed of Prayag Mehta and Rishab Joshi. They are best known for their ability to uniquely blend Indian folk sounds with electronic music. Some of their most popular tracks are "Bombay Dreams" with KSHMR, "Mahi" with Kavita Seth, their official remix of Alan Walker's "Faded", their edit of "Vaseegara" with Jonita Gandhi's vocals, "Mai Ni Meriye" with Jonita Gandhi and Ashwin Adwani, and their official remix of Marshmello and Demi Lovato's "OK Not To Be OK".
William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, known by his stage name DJ Snake, is a French DJ and record producer. He was first credited with production work on several singles for other artists—including "Shut It Down" by Pitbull and "Applause" by Lady Gaga—before gaining widespread recognition for his 2013 debut single, "Turn Down for What".
"Often" is a song by the Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released on July 31, 2014, as the lead single from his second studio album, Beauty Behind the Madness (2015). The song contains a sample from "Ben Sana Vurgunum" by Turkish singer Nükhet Duru.
"Faded" is a song by Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker with vocals provided by Norwegian singer Iselin Solheim. A rework of Walker's prior single "Fade", the song was written by Walker, Jesper Borgen, Mood Melodies and Gunnar Greve, and produced by the former three. The song was released as a single by Mer Musikk on 3 December 2015 for digital download and streaming.
"Sing Me to Sleep" is a song by Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker. Incorporating uncredited vocals provided by Norwegian singer Iselin Solheim, it was released commercially for digital consumption on 3 June 2016. Upon release, the song received positive reviews from music critics, with several positively comparing it to Alan's previous song "Faded".
Julie Bergan is a Norwegian singer and songwriter born in Skien, Norway. Bergan started releasing covers on YouTube at the age of 16, eventually signing a record deal with Warner Music Norway in 2013. In 2015 she attained mainstream success in Denmark and Germany with her single "All Hours", before breaking through in her native Norway in 2016 with "Arigato" peaking at number one. Bergan's major-label debut album Turn On the Light was released in 2018. She returned to the number one spot in 2018 on VG-lista after collaborating with K-391, Alan Walker and Seungri on "Ignite".
"Let Me Love You" is a song recorded by French DJ and electronic music producer DJ Snake featuring vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was released through Interscope Records on 5 August 2016 as the third single from his debut studio album, Encore (2016). The artists both co-wrote the song along with Andrew Watt, Ali Tamposi, Brian Lee and Louis Bell, while the song's production was handled by DJ Snake, Bell and Watt.
"Alone" is a song by Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker. Incorporating uncredited vocals provided by Swedish singer Noonie Bao, it was released commercially for digital download on 2 December 2016. Two sequels to the song were released: "Alone, Pt. II" (2019) and "Better Off " (2023). The song garnered critical acclaim upon release.
The discography of Norwegian DJ and record producer Alan Walker consists of five studio albums, eight extended plays, 63 singles, 34 remixes and 21 music videos.
DJDS is an American production and DJ duo consisting of Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy, based in Los Angeles.
"Tired" is a song by Norwegian DJ and music producer Alan Walker, featuring Irish singer-songwriter Gavin James. The song was written by Mike Needle, Dan Bryer, Gavin James and Ollie Green, and was produced by Alan Walker, Gunnar Greve, Mood Melodies, Lars Kristian Rosness, Marcus Arnbekk, Fredrik Borch Olsen and Carl Hovind. It was released commercially for digital download on 19 May 2017. On 14 July 2017, Kygo released a remix of the song.
"The Spectre" is a song by Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker incorporating uncredited vocals provided by Norwegian songwriter and producer Jesper Borgen. It was composed by Jesper Borgen, Alan Walker, Marcus Arnbekk, Mood Melodies and Lars Kristian Rosness, with production handled by the latter four, and lyrics written by all composers as well as Tommy La Verdi and Gunnar Greve. "The Spectre" has a tempo of 128 BPM, is in the key of C♯ minor, and lasts for 3 minutes and 13 seconds. The song was released via Mer Musikk on 15 September 2017.
Kenneth Osberg Nilsen, known professionally as K-391, is a Norwegian music producer and DJ. He is best known for his 2018 single "Ignite", a song featuring Alan Walker, Julie Bergan and Seungri which reached number one in Norway.
"On My Way" is a song by British-born Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, American singer Sabrina Carpenter and Puerto Rican singer Farruko, released as a single on 21 March 2019 through MER and Sony Music. Farruko also contributes a Spanish verse.
"Play" is a song recorded by Norwegian DJs K-391, Alan Walker, Tungevaag and Swedish songwriter and producer Mangoo. Incorporating uncredited vocals provided by Norwegian recording artist Torine, it was released through MER Musikk, and exclusively licensed to Liquid State, a division of Sony Music, on 30 August 2019. It is a revamp of Mangoo's song "Eurodancer", which was released in 2000.
Trevor Daniel is an American singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with his 2018 single "Falling", which hit the charts in more than twenty countries after going viral in 2019. His debut studio album Nicotine was released in March 2020.
"Alone, Pt. II" is a song by Norwegian record producer and DJ Alan Walker and American singer Ava Max, released by Sony Music on 27 December 2019. It is a sequel to Walker's single "Alone" (2016). Many remixes of the song were published, among which those by Rave Republic, Toby Romeo, RetroVision, Da Tweekaz, and one by Alex Skrindo, in collaboration with Sebastian Wibe. Much like the original, "Alone, Pt. II" also garnered critical acclaim. The song reached the top 10 in Belgium, The Czech Republic, Norway, Poland, and Romania. A sequel to the song titled "Better Off " was released on 28 September, 2023.
"Better Off " is a song by British-Norwegian DJ Alan Walker, Dutch electronic music group Dash Berlin and British YouTuber and musician Vikram Barn better known as Vikkstar released by MER on 28 September 2023. The song is Barn's debut single and is a part of a series of songs by Walker that includes his 2016 single "Alone" and his 2019 collaborative single "Alone, Pt. II" with Ava Max. The song heavily samples the 1999 single "Better Off Alone" written by Dash Berlin founding members Eelke Kalberg and Sebastiaan Molijn as part of Eurodance project Alice Deejay.
Walkerverse: The Tour is a concert tour by Norwegian music producer and DJ Alan Walker in support of his third studio album Walkerverse (2022).
↑ Litleskare, Tord (8 December 2017). "Feirer bursdagen i hjembyen med massivt show"[Celebrating his birthday in his hometown with a massive show]. gaffa.no (in Norwegian). GAFFA. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
↑ Hansen, Karianne. "Slik var NRJ Music Awards Norge"[This was how the NRJ Music Awards Norway were]. Lyden av Norge (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 24 October 2024.
↑ "Det siste halvåret har vært magisk"[The last six months have been magical]. www.bt.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 9 November 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
↑ Ødegård, Ann Kristin (11 April 2015). "Bergens nye YouTube-suksess"[Bergen's new YouTube success]. Bergensavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
Hensen, Karianne (11 February 2016). "Slik var NRJ Music Awards Norge"[Such was the NRJ Music Awards Norway]. The Morning Show. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
"Årets Nominerte (2017)"[Nominee of the Year (2017)]. Facebook. Gullsnutten. 17 March 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
"Winners". Swiss Music Awards (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
"Disse er nominert til Eksportprisen"[These are nominated for the Export Prize]. Ballade (in Norwegian). 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
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