On Saturday, it is 19-year-old Emma Steinbakken who takes the guest of honor place, and is admired by the other star artists in the fourth episode of Hver gang vi møstes.
The music program’s youngest participant in history has, despite his young age, built up an impressive CV.
When she was 14, she released her first monster hit – “Not Gonna Cry”.
HITMASKIN: Despite her young age, Emma Steinbakken has achieved an enormous amount. Photo: Erik Edland / TV 2
The song was streamed 450,000 times during the first month, and at the time of writing has passed 22 million on Spotify. “Not Gonna Cry” immediately became the song of the week on NRK P3, and also entered the radio charts in Germany and Switzerland. All of this set her career on fire.
Within a short time she got a record deal in Germany and filled large arenas.
However, in Saturday’s episode of Every time we meet, she reveals the reverse side of the coin.
BECAME FAMOUS OVERNIGHT: Emma Steinbakken was only 14 when she had her first hit song. Photo: Erik Edland / TV 2
A chaos
Steinbakken praises her family, and says that she has always received a lot of support from home. Her father in particular has helped her dare to pursue music.
She did not get the same support from her teachers. To the great laughter of her Hver gang vi møtses colleagues, she says that she got a grade two in music at secondary school.
HONORABLE: Pop artist Emma Steinbakken gets the big attention in Hver gang vi møsets’ fourth programme. From left: Isah, Freddy Kalas, Bjørn Eidsvåg, Kristian Kristensen, Karoline Krüger, Ingebjørg Bratland and Emma Steinbakken (in the middle). Photo: Vegard Breie / TV 2
– It has been chaos. I started doing this in secondary school. Not all my teachers were happy that I had to be away once in a while. In the tenth grade I got a grade two in music. There wasn’t a big cheerleader at school, she says in the episode.
– Slept with my mother for four days
If you live in Norway and have access to a radio, you will surely have heard Emma Steinbakken’s version of “I will never forget you”. The song, which is originally a Hellbillies song, was used in the NRK series Rådebank.
This song also has well over 20 million plays on Spotify, which is a shockingly high number for a Norwegian song.
GOOD FRIENDS: Emma Steinbakken says she is grateful for the friendship she has made with Bjørn Eidsvåg. She describes the popular artist as a warm and kind man. Photo: Vegard Breie/TV 2
The song was quickly picked up by radio channels, and before you knew it the song topped the charts in Norway.
– I hadn’t realized how big Rådebank was, and how many people actually watched it. We recorded and got the song out. I remember sitting in the common area at school and suddenly learning that the song was number one. This is something I’ve dreamed of my whole life, to have a number one song. Suddenly I received lots of messages and many calls from the press, who wanted me to comment on this. I don’t think that was any fun, she says in the programme, and continues:
– I was so “unfresh”. I had overslept and went without make-up. I felt like everyone was watching me. I had no relationship with Rådebank. So I’m expected to have so much to say about it?
In the video below, Steinbakken talks about this tough time, and says that it was actually a completely different artist who was supposed to cover “I’ll never forget you”. That it was her was pure coincidence.
– I felt that I was getting very short of breath. My heart was beating very hard. I said, “I’m just going to the bathroom.” Then I went down to the school’s basement, where there were communal toilets. Then I felt that my body just stopped. I thought: “Now I’m going to die. Now I know I’m dying.” I thought it was a coincidence that it happened on the very day I had a number one hit. Then I got on my phone and called my mom. I said, “I love you. I am dying now”. She understood nothing. I sobbed, and said: “Now I die.”
It turned out that what she was feeling was panic attacks. She went straight from school and home to her mother. There she slept for four days, before she got back on her feet.
AUTOGRAPH: Emma Steinbakken has many fans. Here she signs autographs at Aker brygge in Oslo. Photo: Erik Edland / TV 2
After this, she started going to a psychologist, and at times she went to a psychologist four times a week.
Slowly but surely, she learned to appreciate the success, and rather to be proud that so many people liked the song. Now she loves to sing this song at her concerts, and hear everyone who sings along.
She also got to know Hellbillies vocalist Aslag Haugen (62), and got to perform the song with him during the Spellemannprisen.
– It was really great. It was the first time we met, and I think he was so cool.
APPEARING IN THE EPISODE: Aslag Haugen came to Kjerringøy to honor Emma Steinbakken. She really appreciated this, as she is a big fan of Haugen. Photo: vegard breie
After this meeting between Haugen and Steinbakken, they established a mutual respect for each other, and a good friendship. That’s why Haugen also comes all the way to Kjerringøy to honor her in Saturday’s episode.
Watch Every time we meet on Saturdays at 20:00 on TV 2 Direkte, and whenever you want TV 2 Play.
