Tove Styrke’s progg band ‘Året var’ is a Trojan horse

There is something slightly impure about a band inspired by Sweden’s 1970s progg movement allowing one of the major record companies to release its first album. The movement’s criticism of big capital turning popular culture into a commercial product was central to its identity.

But Tove Styrke and Sanna Sikborn Erixson’s project Året var can instead be viewed as a Trojan horse. Sony, the multinational entertainment giant, has financed the production and promotion of songs titled “Nämndeman: om medelklassens dilemma” and “Marknadens ekonomi”. There is, the review suggests, something satisfying about using that machinery to carry openly political pop.

The duo has spoken in Dagens Nyheter about Nationalteatern and Hoola Bandoola Band. A more recent comparison is Doktor Kosmos, who likewise combined theatrical, slogan-driven political music with cool alternative pop and rock. The album opens with the mid-tempo “Är du nöjd nu?”, whose slow crescendo toward an epic rhythm recalls The War on Drugs. “Pärlan (Äta, spy, byta keps)” brings a krautrock drive and spoken vocals reminiscent of the English art-rock band Dry Cleaning.

Celebrity guests add to the project’s theatrical character. Lotta Lundgren makes her rock debut by narrating a text about expensive butter and high antidepressant use in 2026. Actor Ulla Skoog, who has a background in Fria Proteatern, also appears. Among the 15 tracks, however, the review finds considerable filler. Several ballads offer attractive synth atmospheres and strong harmonies, including “Om 100 år”, but a more disciplined track selection and consistently higher energy would have made the debut more powerful. The reviewer names “Nämndeman: om medelklassens dilemma” as the best track and says Året var could eventually fill a demand for pop with clearly political lyrics.