In August 1998, he released his first album, Mitt Sjätte Sinne (My Sixth Sense), with help from Ayo, PeeWee, and Sleepy, among others, parts of a loosely held together collective called Natural Bond. The album got mixed reviews but sold well, if not exceptional. But the coming year, Petter's star rose when he began receiving immense attention from media and better gigs than any other MC in Sweden. When the second album, Bananrepubliken (The Banana Republic), was released in 1999, Petter was already a big star. This album was more up-tempo, sold better than any other Swedish hip-hop album before, and got good press. While being heavily influenced by American prototypes, Petter managed to put the lyrics in an understandable Swedish context, thus distinguishing him from many of his contemporaries. The songs also had a good down-to-earth and sing- (or rather rap-) along quality.
From the position he held after the second album, he was able to get backing from BMG to start his own label, Bananrepubliken, where he signed a mix of old friends and new discoveries like Eye-N-I, Feven, and Ayo. Though by 2001, Petter was not unique in doing what he did anymore, he was still by far the biggest star of hip-hop in Sweden, and the one person who had done the most to make it a mainstream genre.
He has released 15 albums: Mitt sjätte sinne, Banarepubliken, Petter, Ronin, P, God Damn It, En Räddare i Nöden, Samlar Ut Den, Början på Allt, Mitt Folk, Skeppsholmen, Lev Nu, 9818 and Dö Sen.
2) Petter Nordqvist is a 20 year old DJ and producer from Stockholm in Sweden who is fast forging his own unique niche in the musical spectrum. Petter has won himself fans from all corners, and a more solidly diverse young talent you’d struggle to find. Petter’s music wears its diverse influences on its sleeve, fusing together techno, electro, dub, ambient, acid, breaks and deep house in his own unique style. Sasha is a confirmed follower, recently reviving and remixing ‘These Days’ for his ‘Involver’ compilation, but Petter’s tracks are equally at home in the more offbeat sets of the likes of Laurent Garnier, Josh Wink, Trevor Jackson and The Hacker. The young Swede is also gaining a bit of a reputation for his own live and DJ sets, an equally unique hybrid of electro-tinged dubbed-out house and techno.
April
Petter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
vart här förut,
men aldrig sett det lika verkligt som nu.
Det här är mitt liv,
har gjort mina val,
jag har byggt upp en mur som jag trodde stod kvar.
Men saker förändras
och saker försämras
men jag saknar dig så, kan inte riktigt förstå,
varför jag gjorde som jag gjorde och bara vandrade på.
Men du säger det var nödvändigt för å komma vidare,
starta på nått nytt, bygga upp nånting finare,
jag dricker allt mer för det blir lättare med vinaren
men lögnerna finns kvar i min själ, jag måste syna det.
Jag ville vidare, komma någonstans i mitt liv,
bryta mönster bara ta mig förbi,
men som en bakvänd (?) allt jag tar i blir skit,
har inga svar, men det är så vardagen blir.
Borta från ögat men ständigt i hjärtat,
och vägen tillbaka är mer än bara smärtsamt,
vill inget annat,
vill inget hellre, för sanningen är den;
jag har faktiskt aldrig mått sämre.
Min trygghet, rutiner och känsla.
Allting försvinner och besluten blir dom sämsta.
Sitter ensam,
all denna väntan
som om jag var sist i ledet men drömmer om å va längst fram.
The lyrics of Petter's song April depict a sense of feeling trapped and lost. The lyrics are about one's choices and the consequences that come with it as the person looks for a way out of the situation they have found themselves in. The verse 'Ställd mot väggen, vart här förut' means 'Backed against the wall, been here before' suggests that the person is experiencing the same problem that they have experienced before, but this time, it feels more real. The person has built a wall to protect themselves, but they are starting to see that the wall is not enough.
The song describes the person's struggle to come to terms with their situation and the feeling of losing control. They have realized that everything they have built, including their wall, is crumbling, and they are now left with confusion and pain. The lyrics 'jag har faktiskt aldrig mått sämre' means 'I've never felt worse' highlight the person's anguish as they try to make sense of their life.
Overall, the lyrics of Petter's April highlight the challenges of life and the consequences of one's choices. The song speaks to anyone who has ever felt lost, trapped, or unsure of themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Ställd mot väggen,
Feeling trapped and cornered
vart här förut,
Familiar with this feeling
men aldrig sett det lika verkligt som nu.
But it's hitting harder this time
Det här är mitt liv,
Realizing the gravity of his situation
har gjort mina val,
Acknowledging that he's responsible for his current situation
jag har byggt upp en mur som jag trodde stod kvar.
Admitting to putting up walls to protect himself
Men saker förändras
But things change
och saker försämras
And things can get worse
och i slutet av dagen ligger jag vaken och sömnlös,
Losing sleep over his problems
men jag saknar dig så, kan inte riktigt förstå,
Missing someone and struggling to comprehend why he pushed them away
varför jag gjorde som jag gjorde och bara vandrade på.
Regretting his actions and not knowing how to move forward
Men du säger det var nödvändigt för å komma vidare,
But being told it was necessary for his growth
starta på nått nytt, bygga upp nånting finare,
To start anew and build something better
jag dricker allt mer för det blir lättare med vinaren
Resorting to alcohol to cope
men lögnerna finns kvar i min själ, jag måste syna det.
Recognizing the lies he tells himself and the need to confront them
Jag ville vidare, komma någonstans i mitt liv,
Wanting to move forward in his life
bryta mönster bara ta mig förbi,
Breaking free from old patterns
men som en bakvänd (?) allt jag tar i blir skit,
Feeling like everything he touches turns to crap
har inga svar, men det är så vardagen blir.
Having no answers and feeling stuck in his daily life
Borta från ögat men ständigt i hjärtat,
Being out of sight but never out of mind
och vägen tillbaka är mer än bara smärtsamt,
The road to recovery is painful
vill inget annat,
Wanting nothing else
vill inget hellre, för sanningen är den;
Wanting it more than anything else, because the truth is
jag har faktiskt aldrig mått sämre.
He's never felt worse
Min trygghet, rutiner och känsla.
Realizing he's lost his sense of security and routine
Allting försvinner och besluten blir dom sämsta.
Everything is slipping away, and his decisions are getting worse as a result
Sitter ensam,
Feeling alone
all denna väntan
Waiting for something to change
som om jag var sist i ledet men drömmer om å va längst fram.
Feeling like he's last in line but still dreaming of getting ahead
Writer(s): Vincent Fred Pontare, Magnus Lidehall, Petter Alexis Askergren Copyright: Alexis Publishing, Universal Music Publishing AB
Contributed by Logan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.