Smerz
Smerz | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | Electronic |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | XL Recordings, Escho, Shopping |
| Members | Catharina Stoltenberg Henriette Motzfeldt |
| Website | smerz |
Smerz is a Norwegian music duo consisting of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt.[1] The duo splits their time between Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark.[2] Their debut studio album, Believer, was released in 2021.[3]
Their name comes from the German word herzschmerz, meaning "heartbreak".[4]
History
Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt met at high school in Oslo and moved to Copenhagen in 2011.[5]
Catharina Stoltenberg is the daughter of Norwegian politician and former NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg.[6]
Smerz released their debut single, "Because", on SoundCloud in 2016. Later that year, they followed it with the EP Okey, released on Escho in Denmark and HardUp in the UK. In 2017, the duo signed with XL Recordings and re-released Okey under the new label. Their next EP, Have fun, arrived in 2018, also through XL. In 2021, Smerz released their debut studio album, Believer, on XL Recordings. That same year, they released the mixtape Før og etter on their own label, Shopping.[7]
Smerz have been hosting a monthly radio show on NTS Radio since 2017.[8]
Smerz have played concerts at Tate Modern in London, MoMA PS1 in New York, Mutek in Mexico City and Montreal, Berghain in Berlin, Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, Roskilde Festval in Denmark, and Volksbühne in Berlin.[9]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Believer | 2021 | XL Recordings |
| Big City Life | 2025 | Escho |
EPs
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Okey | 2016 | Escho, HardUp |
| Okey | 2017 | XL Recordings |
| Have fun | 2018 | XL Recordings |
| Allina | 2024 | Shopping Records |
Mixtapes
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Før og etter | 2021 | Shopping[10] |
Singles
| Title | Year | Label | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Because" | 2016 | Self-released | |
| "Because" | 2016 | Escho, HardUp | Okey |
| "Blessed" | |||
| "Sure" | |||
| "Oh my my" | 2017 | XL Recordings | Have fun |
| "No harm" | |||
| "Half life" | |||
| "Have fun" | |||
| "Før og etter" | 2020 | Escho | Escho 15 år: Burgers for my new life |
| "The favourite" / "Rap interlude" | 2020 | XL Recordings | Believer |
| "I dont talk about that much" / "Hva hvis" | |||
| "Believer" | 2021 | ||
| "Flashing" | |||
| "Remember" | |||
| "My Producer | 2024 | Shopping Records | Allina |
| "You got time and I got money" | 2025 | escho |
Commissioned work
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Øy | 2020 | Carte Blanche | Music for dance performance |
| Miss france | 2021 | ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[11] |
| Debutante | 2022 | ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[12] |
Sampled on
| Title | Sample of | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "If U Ever" | "I don't talk about that much" | 2021 | Overmono | If U Ever |
| "Stop Playin" | "Flashing" | 2022 | Lil Baby and Jeremih | It's Only Me |
| "Good Lies2 | "No Harm" | 2023 | Overmono | Good Lies |
As featured artist(s)
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Guess What" | 2017 | Code Walk | Guess What |
| "Verdens smarteste person" | 2022 | Cezinando | Samtidig |
Remixes
| Title | Year | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Friendly (Smerz Remix)" | 2021 | Erika de Casier |
| "Say you love me - Smerz EDIT" | 2024 | Astrid Sonne |
Songwriting and production credits
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Verdens smarteste person" | 2022 | Cezinando | Samtidig |
| "ASAP" | 2023 | NewJeans | Get Up EP |
References
- ^ Moen, Matt (13 January 2021). "Smerz Makes a 'Believer' Out of Us". Paper. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ Renshaw, David (26 February 2021). "Smerz: meet the Scandi-pop duo who can read each other's minds". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ "Believer by Smerz". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
- ^ Hess, Liam (24 May 2025). "Smerz Are the Norwegian Duo Making Off-Kilter Pop Music for the Ages". Vogue. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "Smerz Make Uncanny Electronic Pop That Sounds Like a Secret". Pitchfork. 31 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Smout, Alistair. "Springsteen and Stoltenberg: NATO secretary-general picks top tracks". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Før og etter". Bandcamp.
- ^ Radio, N. T. S. "Smerz". NTS Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Smerz | Outer Agency". outer-agency.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ "Før og etter". Bandcamp.
- ^ "Miss france". SoundCloud.
- ^ "Debutante". SoundCloud.
External links