Kristian released the single "Letting go" in 2012 in South America with one of the biggest music video productions of the year. (Directed by MTV award winning director Ray Kay, and starring international soccer and movie star Vinnie Jones and famous movie and tv actor Taylor Cole.)
He have also produced, written and starred in 3 more tv-shows witch have all ended up being the highest rated tv-shows. (TV-Norway and NRK1)
Kristian won Entertainer of the year" plus "funniest comedian" peoples choice award in 2012.
What do you do when you have created three hit TV shows, broken box-office records, produced a hit record and sold more DVDs than anyone else in your home country? If you are Kristian Valen, the sky’s the limit!
“I never thought I would make it this far and be able to work with the big artists that I have and live the blessed life that I am living now”
“If somebody had told me 15 years ago I’d be where I am today, I would never in a million years have believed them! I started out with nothing but an idea. Since nobody in the business believed in me, to get going I had to borrow money from my dad, who was unemployed at the time. I set up my own shows for two nights at the local theatre and prayed for weeks that people would come and enjoy it. The rest is, as they say, history!”
Kristian sold 120,000 tickets, even though the press slaughtered him. “I know as an artist I’m supposed to say that it never bothers me when the press gives me really bad reviews, but of course it does! You just have to accept that you can’t please everyone. Whenever I make something, I don’t even bother trying to impress everyone.”
“Rather than worrying about whether something is “correct” or not, I sit down and think, ‘What would I like to see?’ Art should be enjoyed, not analyzed! If it makes you feel something, then it’s worked.
For me, it’s all about the audience. Without them, I’d be nothing. That’s why once I’ve made something and put it out there, I always give my all to the audience, who have used their spare time and money to see my show. Sometimes people ask me if I get a thrill out of proving the critics or haters wrong. Sometimes I wish I could say yes, but to be honest, I just focus on the positive and the people who enjoy it, because life is too short.”
The Early Days
Kristian was born in the Norwegian town of Stavanger. The day he was born, his father Inge won the National Soccer League Championship, so soccer was on the cards for Kristian. He played the game for most of his youth and was Stavanger youth team’s highest goal scorer for three years, resulting in him being hailed as a top soccer talent in Norway. A famous coach called him an “artist on the stage and an artist on the soccer field”.
When he was 17, he quit soccer for good after disagreeing with the style of play the new coach tried to impose on him and the team. Kristian didn’t want to play boring, defensive soccer, he wanted to play attacking, entertaining soccer.
Kristian quickly tired of school because he didn’t see the value of learning something that you will never use. “I hated school from the second grade, but loved the recess. I was also dismissed from class many times because I asked the teachers ‘too many difficult questions’, especially in religion classes.”
Somehow, Kristian also managed to flunk music and creative arts courses!
In the Army
In 1992, Kristian joined the army. “I guess it was fate… I always dreamed about following in my mom’s footsteps and becoming a surgeon. But I hated school, so when the army came along and told me about field surgery and being a medic without 300 years of school first, I jumped at the chance. I don’t want to talk about what we did or what I saw while in uniform, but I regret nothing and I am glad it all happened the way it did now looking back. I learned a lot about life, camaraderie and never to judge a book by its cover. The guy who looked like the meanest mofo in training could be the weakest link under fire. I met a lot of good people and got to both sweat and freeze my behind off.”
The Early Radio Days
After the army, Kristian found himself being the highest rated radio host on the west coast of Norway, on a radio station called Radio-1. This gave him an opportunity to work on his impersonations and characters. “If some sports star wouldn’t take the time for an interview, I just impersonated them and made things up. That got the attention of Norway’s national soccer manager after hearing he had said something about big breasts in a radio interview.” Of course, it was just Kristian making jokes and impersonating him after Norway lost a game. After the media headlines about this “impostor” on the radio, Kristian was asked to perform 20 minutes as a warm up for two of Norway’s biggest entertainers. Kristian took the opportunity, and became the talk of the town.
Moving to the Big and Small Screen
TV producers said that Kristian’s show wasn´t right for the airwaves, but he proved them wrong by writing, producing and starring in his own comedy show, Valen & De (Valen and Them), which became the highest-rated program in TV-Norge´s history. When Valen TV was released on DVD, it became Norway´s biggest-selling DVD of all time. And when Kristian decided to create a one-man stage show, he overcame all doubters to sell millions of dollars worth of tickets – and to release another hit DVD of the production.
He has followed that up with two more hit TV comedy shows, Valen TV and Valens Frokost TV (Valens Breakfast TV), both of which topped TV Norge´s ratings and resulted in more hit DVDs. He has also taken his comedy skills to the stage, with the smash hit shows Fartoy Valen (Valen M/S), Musical Chaos and Faster than His Own Shadow. All in all, Kristian´s shows have grossed over US$30 million – and this in a country of 4.8 million people.
He acted in the film Living the Dream, cast as a bad-boy gigolo against actress Sean Young (Blade Runner, David Lynch´s Dune) and his performance has the Hollywood dream machine asking for more. But Kristian also had his eye on another prize: Fulfilling a life-long dream to write and perform his own music.
Releasing Music
With the release of Listen When Alone, Kristian not only realized this dream, he also set another standard when the album went gold within five days of its release. Now passed platinum, and having spawned multiple hit singles, Listen When Alone is both a labor of love and a diary of Kristian´s personal experiences. “I knew that I had to make this record,” Kristian says. “Even though everyone said it couldn´t be done, I knew that there were people out there who would not only buy the album, but would relate to the music on a personal level. And once I realized that the traditional music industry didn’t understand what I wanted to do, I decided to do it on my own.”
On the Celebrity Status
Kristian has never seen himself as a celebrity and still has problems when that word comes up. “I grew up with my dad being on the national soccer team, so to me it was normal that people came up to him and wanted photos and autographs. It is very different with some of today’s reality TV-show celebs, who might find themselves all alone when they are no longer on TV, since that is the only reason they’re known and they’re quickly replaced with the next guy.”
“I have seen how a life in the spotlight can take its toll on marriage and family, and I see now why my mom and dad broke up when I was only 10. Maybe I see myself in my dad’s place trying to show my mom how much he loved her, but yet without taking the time to show his soccer fans how much they meant to him, he might have felt that he was letting down the people that made him.”
“Sometimes it can be hard when you are out with your family, who you haven’t seen in a year, and you get interrupted by strangers who want to say hello or take a photo. But I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do, so I guess my work always comes first and my family have been very open and understanding about this since I left home to tour when I was about 16.”
“The most stupid thing I hear from people who are lucky enough to have an audience and the interest of the press, is when they say they hate the attention and that they can never be alone. They seem to have forgotten that without the people and their appreciation, they are nothing”.
Status Quo
Kristian is currently living in Los Angeles working on different projects, but will not reveal anything yet. “I am just like everybody else. I have good and bad days. When I’m having a good day, I tend to be creative and write comedy, and when I am down, I tend to write music. I’m in a very fortunate spot now without any agent or contracts, so I’m free to go or do whatever feels right,” he smiles.
But we know that he has been in the studio with world renowned artists, meeting with TV and film producers and doing auditions. We guess only time will tell what happens next.
I Will Get By
Kristian Valen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not knowing if I'm alive or dead
Was this all just a dream?
That I don't remember
I'm so glad I don't recall her curly hair
And her sweet little whispers in my ear
And all the nights we shared
When she laid me down
Down on my bed and looked into my eyes
And said, I'll never let you fall
I will get by
I keep watching the sky
I keep driving my car
I don't care how far
I don't really care
I will get by
I keep believing the lie
I don't really recall
Nothing at all
I swear
When I'm out at night and see lovers holding hands
I never think of our first dance
When she cried when I said
I'm falling in love over here
And the very first time that we made love
And how the moon used to shine on her face from abive
And how she held me tight
I don't remember
And that touching her and holding her tiny little hands in mine
And comforting her – when she felt small and scared
She will never see
The pain inside that it's causing me
Tell me my friend
Will this ever end?
The lyrics of Kristian Valen's song I Will Get By encompass themes of loss, denial, and coping with emotional turmoil. The opening lines immediately convey a sense of disorientation and confusion, as the singer wakes up uncertain about whether he is alive or dead. The reference to not remembering a curly-haired girl and her whispers in his ear hints at heartbreak and loss, as if he is trying to blank out memories of a past relationship. The line "I don't recall them at all" implies a deliberate effort to suppress the pain of the past, avoiding the memories of shared intimate moments altogether.
The song's refrain "I will get by" suggests a mantra by which the singer is forcing himself to stay positive and hopeful, despite the emotional injuries inflicted upon him. The steadfastness in moving forward and wanting to forget is encapsulated in the line "I keep driving my car, I don't care how far". The underlying tone of the song is melancholic, as the singer attempts to keep the pain inside hidden from others, unable to let go of a past love. The final lines of the song "Tell me my friend, will this ever end?" express a plea for lamentation and the hope of moving beyond the pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Once again I wake up in the middle of my bed
Starting the day without any sense of clarity on whether I've even been alive, or just existing.
Not knowing if I'm alive or dead
Living in a state of confusion and lack of purpose.
Was this all just a dream?
Questioning the reality of my existence and the events surrounding it.
That I don't remember
The struggle in recollecting my past, particularly the memories involving the person I was intimate with.
I'm so glad I don't recall her curly hair
Relief in not having to constantly flashback to past images of the person I was with.
And her sweet little whispers in my ear
Remembrance of the person's soft, caring voice.
And all the nights we shared
Recollecting all the intimate moments with my ex-partner.
I don't recall them at all
The struggle in suppressing any positive memories of the relationship.
When she laid me down
The moment when my partner displayed care and comfort towards me.
Down on my bed and looked into my eyes
The personal attention my partner gave me during moments of vulnerability.
And said, I'll never let you fall
The promise of support and protection from my partner, which now seems like a distant past.
I will get by
Persisting through the struggles and hardships that have come with the end of this relationship.
I keep watching the sky
Looking towards the future with hope and optimism.
I keep driving my car
Moving forward with my life, regardless of the memories that linger.
I don't care how far
Unconcerned with the distance I may need to travel to attain closure.
I don't really care
Indifferent to the emotional pain that comes with the end of the relationship.
I keep believing the lie
Holding onto a false reality in which the relationship meant something more than it actually did.
I don't really recall
Choosing to erase the positive memories of the relationship in order to move on.
Nothing at all
The pain and hurt caused by the relationship is something I would prefer to forget completely.
I swear
The little faith that remains within me, that one day the pain will subside.
When I'm out at night and see lovers holding hands
The reminder of my loneliness and the lack of support and love in my life.
I never think of our first dance
The struggle in forgetting the happy memories of the relationship.
When she cried when I said
Recalling both the good and bad times in the relationship.
I'm falling in love over here
My admission of love to my partner, and her reaction towards it.
And the very first time that we made love
The initial moments of physical intimacy in the relationship.
And how the moon used to shine on her face from above
Sweet and romantic memories of specific moments with my partner.
And how she held me tight
Fleeting moments of love and affection with my ex-partner.
And comforting her – when she felt small and scared
The feeling of protection and reassurance I provided my partner in times of emotional distress.
She will never see
The pain of losing someone who mattered so much, and the regret of losing them.
The pain inside that it's causing me
The anguish caused by the end of the relationship, and the desperation to move forward.
Tell me my friend
The plea for guidance and comfort in a time of turmoil.
Will this ever end?
The hope for the pain of the breakup to eventually subside, and to move on from it.
Contributed by Layla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dollyrugaas7529
Takk for at du lage musikk igjen! 👍🏻🥰
@oohaga1
Bare en ting å si Kristian, du er en verdensmann👍🎉🥰
@danyyell90
Pretty good song. Thank you so much
@Northern_Project
Kul låt og tøft at du tør prøve noe nytt Kristian 🔥🔥🔥❤️
@tonypoptamasofficial
Heilt konge, Kristian! ❤️👍
@eirikolsen8841
Har nå hørt mye bedre ifra deg Valen, men den var jo ikke så gæli da! Grattis på bursdagen din feir med måte!
@gjeewaytee
klarer ikke legge fra meg Ozzy når eg hører deg synge🤣 Uansett bra sang og god beat
@heatherfeather3051
I luv u.. Be Good!!
@heine33117
Hvilken karakter er dette ?
@Denis-pg7qu
"Promo sm"