Smerz
Norwegian electronic music duo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Smerz is a Norwegian electronic music duo consisting of Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt.[1] The duo splits their time between Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark.[2] Their music has been described as "deadpan, vividly detailed electro-pop pulsating with personality, sensuality and dry humor."[3] Their name comes from the German word herzschmerz, meaning "heartache".[4]
Smerz | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Labels | XL Recordings, Escho, Shopping |
| Members | Catharina Stoltenberg Henriette Motzfeldt |
| Website | smerz |
History
Catharina Stoltenberg and Henriette Motzfeldt met at high school in Oslo and moved to Copenhagen in 2011.[5] In Copenhagen, Motzfeldt studied composition at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, where she was classmates with several artists who would form part of a broader Danish alternative pop scene, including Erika de Casier, ML Buch, Astrid Sonne, and Fine Glindvad.[6]
Catharina Stoltenberg is the daughter of Norwegian politician Jens Stoltenberg, who served as Prime Minister of Norway twice between 2000 and 2013.[7][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.[8]
Smerz have been hosting a monthly radio show on NTS Radio since 2017.[9]
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 Festival in Denmark, and Volksbühne in Berlin.[10] On their 2025 fall tour of the United States, singer Sky Ferreira joined the duo for a surprise duet in Los Angeles.[3]
In April 2026, the duo signed an open letter calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 due to Israel's participation amid its genocide in Gaza.[11]
They opened for Lorde on the Ultrasound World Tour on 14 and 15 May 2026 in Los Angeles,[12] and will open again in Pula, Croatia on 18 August 2026.[13]
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Believer | 2021 | XL Recordings |
| Big City Life | 2025 | Escho |
Remix albums
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Big city life EDITS | 2025 | Escho |
EPs
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Okey | 2016 | Escho, HardUp |
| Okey | 2017 | XL Recordings |
| Have fun | 2018 | XL Recordings |
| Allina | 2024 | Shopping Records |
| Easy EP | 2026 | Escho |
Mixtapes
| Title | Year | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| Før og etter | 2021 | Shopping[14] |
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 | August Barron / ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[15] |
| Debutante | 2022 | August Barron / ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[16] |
| Allina | 2024 | August Barron / ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[17] |
| Uptown Girl | 2024 | August Barron / ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[18] |
| Real Housewife | 2025 | August Barron / ALL-IN Studio | Soundtrack for runway show[19] |
Sampled on
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 |
