After winning the Swedish contest, he went on to win the title at the MGP Nordic competition in which participants from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland competed.
After 1 year from winning the MGP Nordic title, he took part in Metro Music Challenge again with his own composition "Life" coming second. Producer Johan Åberg seeing the potential started a musical cooperation. After the song "Boys Don't Cry" was leaked on the Internet, a number of international record company affiliates contacted him with Universal Records Sweden eventually signing him in September 2010.
He toured the United States, Britain and Continental Europe. He is also well known for his cover of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" after Perez Hilton posted the video on her website. Munther has also participated in SVT's Bobster program entitled Humorgalan as part of charity for UNICEF in May 2010. There he sang "My Generation" together with Peter Johansson, Rock-Olga and others. Ulrik has also been involved in SVTB's Sommarlov hosted by Malin Olsson. He has also appeared in Allsång på Skansen and Lotta på Liseberg festivals in Summer 2011.
On 24 August 2011, he released his self-titled debut album Ulrik Munther that went straight to #1 on the Swedish Album Charts on its week of release. The album was recorded in Stockholm, and part in his own home. He appears with Caroline Costa in a single entitled "Je t'ai menti" which is the French version of "Kill for Lies". Released on 19 December 2011, it entered the French Singles Chart in February 2012. On 21 December 2012, the music video for his single "San Francisco Says Hello" came out on YouTube which was filmed in San Francisco earlier that the month. It also received more attention when Perez Hilton posted it on his Twitter page three weeks later.
In 2012, Ulrik Munther participated in the second semifinal of Melodifestivalen 2012 with the song "Soldiers". He was among the two winners of the night, managing to get to the contest's final, that took place on 10 March 2012 at the Globe Arena in Stockholm. Loreen with her song "Euphoria" won not only the Melodifestivalen but the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 as well. Munther and "Soldiers" finished 3rd overall in the Melodifestivalen behind Loreen and runner-up Danny Saucedo.
In 2013, Ulrik Munther participated in the 4th semi-final Melodifestivalen 2013 on 23 February 2013 in Malmö, Sweden singing the song "Tell the World I'm Here" co-written by Munther with songwriters Thomas G:son and Peter Boström. Munther again finished 3rd overall in the Melodifestivalen behind Robin Stjernberg and Yohio.
On October 27, 2014 released Ulrik the single "I do not know how to do." A song that arose in cooperation with Jonas Gardell. A music video was launched at the same time. He also assisted in the gala "Together for cancer," and performed his single "I do not know how to do" the same day.
In 2015 he won the Swedish Guldbagge Award for Best Actor in the movie ''The Here After'' (Efterskalv). Magnus Van Horn’s movie (Poland/Sweden/France) follows the fate of troubled 17-year-old John (Ulrik Munther) after he is released from a detention facility into the custody of his father in a rural Swedish community that cannot forgive his terrible crime. It’s an absorbing study of three generations of male rage and emotional disconnection.
In 2016 Ulrik is actively involved in the aid project 'SOS Barnbyar Sverige' (SOS Children's Villages Sweden).
'En resa för livet' (A Journey of Life) is a musical television documentary series in which viewers follow four Swedish songwriters and artists dedicated their life's journey into one of the world's poor areas. Andreas Carlsson, Lotta Engberg, Ulrik Munther and Kristin Amparo traveled to Rustenburg in South Africa. For two weeks, they met children living in vulnerable environments whilst actively participated in the SOS Children's Village work.
Ulrik Munther released together with friends the single 'Until We Meet Again' in January 2016. 'Dig A Little Deeper', Ulrik's solo single, was out at the same time.
Artists and distributor Sony Music will donate their royalties and proceeds to SOS Children's Villages. 'En resa för livet' was sent in spring 2016 by Swedish TV4.
In 2018, Ulrik ended his record label and manager, moved from Stockholm to Gothenburg to write, produce and release his music on his own. A bold and courageous decision but something that was crucial to Ulrik feeling happy and creatively satisfied.
The first hit that was independent was the single Before which was released in March 2018. The song has proven to be a statement that Ulrik manages to stand on his own legs and that as an artist you can succeed even without major record label giants flapping your neck.
Before was followed up in April by the EP Are you alright? and a smaller tour of the same name was made in Sweden and Norway. Last summer, some gigs were made, including a successful one at the Frizon Festival with his eminent band under the leadership of the chaplain Isak Nygren.
Ulrik does a few gigs this summer and chose GF as one of them. We are very happy about this. Welcome to the Gulbrannafestivalen, Ulrik Munther!
Complete released works (2009 - 2016)
Singles
En vanlig dag - 2009 (Melodi Grand Prix Nordic junior singing competition)
Life - 2009
Boys Don't Cry - 2010
Born This Way (Lady Gaga cover) - 2011
Moments Ago - 2011
Sticks And Stones - 2011
Je t'ai menti (Kill For Lies) feat. Caroline Costa - 2011
The Box - 2011
Soldiers - 2012 (Melodi Grand Prix Nordic junior singing competition)
Fool - 2012
San Francisco Says Hello (T&M: Martin Ekman/Ulrik Munther) - 2012
Tell the World I'm Here - 2013
Requiem - 2013
Jag vet inte hur man gör - 2014
Nån gång - 2015
Dig A Little Deeper - 2016 (SOS Barnbyar Sverige: En resa för livet)
Until We Meet Again - 2016 (SOS Barnbyar) feat. Andreas Carlsson, Kristin Amparo and Lotta Engberg
Before - 2018
Say Goodbye - 2018
Albums
Ulrik Munther (2012)
Rooftop (2013)
Allt jag ville säga (2015)
Are You Alright? EP (2018)
Boys Don't Cry
Ulrik Munther Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something you can never rearange?
I have, I have.
Have you ever felt so sad you can hardly stand?
Lying on the ground head in your hands?
I have, I have.
I can feel it all down deep inside.
But oh, I want to let these feeling rise.
But boys don't cry.
But boys don't cry.
I know it will be fine
But boys don't cry.
Have you ever tried to smile and hide your pain,
Even though you're not okey.
I have, I have.
Have you ever been caught in the poring rain,
Wondering if anything can ever be the same, again.Yeah.
You try to bee proud of who you are,
But still you got to let those teardrops fall, away.
Oh wait,
But boys don't cry.
But Boys don't cry.
I know it will be fine
But boys don't cry.
Boys don't cry,
Boys don't cry,
Boys don't cry,
Boys don't cry.
Have you ever done something you can't change,
Something you can never rearange,
I have, I have.
Have you ever been so sad you can hardly stand,
Lying on the ground had in your hands?
I have, I have.
Boys don't cry,
Boys don't cry.
The lyrics of Ulrik Munther's song "Boys Don't Cry" describe the struggle of hiding one's emotions and pain in order to conform to society's expectations of masculinity. The song addresses the idea of hiding one's true feelings, despite them being hard to ignore. Munther describes his personal experience of doing something he can't change and feeling sad to the point of being unable to stand. He can feel these emotions deep inside him and wants to express them, yet he feels like he can't because "boys don't cry." He explains how he tries to "be proud of who [he is]" and hide his pain but knows that he must let the "teardrops fall away" in order to heal. However, he is still held back by the societal expectation that "boys don't cry."
The message of Munther's song is a significant commentary on toxic masculinity and the societal expectations that men are not allowed to express their emotions or be vulnerable. The repetition of the phrase "boys don't cry" throughout the song reinforces the notion that men must suppress their emotions and pain and conform to a stoic, unemotional ideal. Munther's lyrics invite listeners to challenge these societal expectations and encourage vulnerability and emotional honesty.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever done something you can't change?
Have you ever made a mistake or taken an irreversible action in life that cannot be rectified?
Something you can never rearange?
Something that can never be altered or modified even if one wishes to do so?
I have, I have.
The singer confirms that he has done something he cannot change and cannot rearange.
Have you ever felt so sad you can hardly stand?
Have you ever experienced immense emotional pain that renders unable to function normally or stand properly?
Lying on the ground head in your hands?
Being overwhelmed by sadness to the point of dropping to the ground and cradling your head.
I have, I have.
The singer confirms that he has indeed felt such immense sadness and hopelessness.
I can feel it all down deep inside.
The emotional pain is not on the surface but inside and deeply rooted.
But oh, I want to let these feeling rise.
Despite social norms that prevent him from expressing his emotions freely, he wants to let his true feelings come to the surface.
But boys don't cry.
Though the artist wants to express his emotions, he recognizes that societal expectations dictate that men are not allowed to be emotional.
I know it will be fine
The artist understands that things will eventually work out or get better even though he cannot show his emotions.
Have you ever tried to smile and hide your pain,
Have you ever put up a façade of happiness and internalized pain so that people couldn't tell what you were going through?
Even though you're not okey.
Even if everything isn't alright beneath the surface, one tries to maintain a cheerful disposition to avoid judgement.
Have you ever been caught in the poring rain,
Have you ever been caught in a torrential downpour, feeling miserable and unable to avoid the situation?
Wondering if anything can ever be the same, again.Yeah.
Questioning if life can ever be the same after experiencing tragedy or misfortune.
You try to bee proud of who you are,
One tries to be confident and proud of oneself despite society's expectations and/or personal struggles.
But still you got to let those teardrops fall, away.
Despite societal norms of emotional stoicism in men, it is important to let tears flow and process emotions healthily.
But boys don't cry.
Reiterating that societal expectations mandate that men are not allowed to express their emotions freely.
Boys don't cry,
Societal expectations that men should be emotionally stoic.
Boys don't cry.
Societal expectations that men should not cry and internalize their emotions.
Boys don't cry,
Societal messaging that expressing emotions is a sign of weakness in men.
Boys don't cry.
Reiterating the expectations and social pressures faced by men to suppress their emotions.
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.