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Expressen

Type	daily newspaper
Format	tabloid
Owner	Bonnier AB
Editor-in-chief	Thomas Mattsson
Founded	1944
Political alignment	independent liberal
Headquarters	Gjörwellsgatan 30, Stockholm
Circulation	270,900 (2010)[1]
Official website	www.expressen.se

Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side.

Through mergers, the Gothenburg edition of Expressen is titled GT (originally Göteborgs-Tidningen) and the Malmö edition is titled Kvällsposten, but the three share half of the content. Expressen (with GT and Kvällsposten) maintains a centre-right political profile, describing its editorial position as "independent liberal", while the competitor Aftonbladet is social-democratic. Ownership of Expressen (and Sweden's largest morning newspaper Dagens Nyheter) is controlled by the Bonnier family, while Aftonbladet is owned jointly by Swedish trade unions and the Norwegian publishing family Schibsted.

The first edition was released on 16 November 1944. A main feature that day was an interview with the crew members of a British bomber who were successful in sinking the German ship Tirpitz. Editor in chief is Thomas Mattsson.

[edit] Kvällsposten

Kvällsposten is an edition of Expressen, distributed in southern Sweden. Its editorial offices are in Malmö. Editor in Chief is Lars Mohlin.

[edit] GT

Göteborgs-Tidningen or GT was a tabloid newspaper founded in Göteborg in 1902 and distributed in Western Sweden. GT was owned by Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning, but in 1973 acquired by Göteborgs-Posten. In 1998, Bonnier AB bought the newspaper and since then it has become a local edition of Expressen.

GT's headquarters are found at Kungstorget 2, Göteborg. Editor in chief is Thomas Mattsson.^[2][3]

See also[link]

• List of Swedish newspapers

References[link]

External links[link]

• Expressen, official website
• GT, official website
• Kvällsposten, official website

This Swedish newspaper-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Amy Macdonald
Amy Macdonald at Rix FM Festival in Stockholm
Background information
Birth name	Amy Macdonald
Born	(1987-08-25) 25 August 1987 (age 24)
Origin	Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Genres	Rock, Soft rock, Folk rock, Indie folk
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, musician
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Vertigo, Mercury, Melodramatic Records
Website	www.amymacdonald.co.uk

Amy Macdonald (born 25 August 1987 in Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire) is a Scottish recording artist. Macdonald rose to fame in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life (2007) and its fourth single, "This Is the Life". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide, and charted inside the top ten in another eleven countries worldwide.

The success of the single achieved Macdonald success in the American music market, where she was a guest on shows such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson in 2008, where she performed two singles from the album, leading her album, This Is the Life to reach ninety-two on the Billboard 200. In the European Union, This Is the Life reached number one in six European countries, including the United Kingdom, Denmark and the main European album charts. This is the Life has sold three million copies worldwide.

"Don't Tell Me That It's Over" was released in March 2010 as the lead off single from Macdonald's second studio album, A Curious Thing which was released on March 8, 2010.^[1] Five singles have since been released from A Curious Thing. The album's lead single, "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" was released worldwide on March 1, 2010 and this was followed by the release of a second single "Spark" on May 10, 2010. Further singles were released, with the third being "This Pretty Face" which was successful in European countries such as Germany, where MacDonald holds a strong fanbase. A further two singles were released, "Love Love" and "Your Time Will Come" which were both released in late 2010. Worldwide, A Curious Thing, the album has sold 1,000,000 copies worldwide.

Macdonald's third album, Life in a Beautiful Light, is to be released on 11 June 2012.^[2]

Early life[link]

Macdonald attended Bishopbriggs High School.^[3] She is a self-taught musician,^[4] playing her father's guitar after being inspired by Travis at the T in the Park Festival in 2000, where she heard Travis' song "Turn" and wanted to play it herself.^[5] She started playing in pubs and coffee houses around Glasgow at 15,^[6] including the Brunswick Cellars on Sauchiehall Street.^[7]

Career[link]

Breakthrough[link]

Amy Macdonald on stage at T On The Fringe After Party at The Caves, Edinburgh.

Macdonald sent a demo CD in response to an advertisement placed in the NME^[6] by a new production company set up by songwriters Pete Wilkinson and Sarah Erasmus.^[8]

In an interview with HitQuarters, Wilkinson said he was "literally aghast" at her songwriting abilities when first he heard Macdonald play the songs "This is the Life" and "Mr Rock n Roll".

I said, “Amy, who wrote those songs?” And she said, “I did.” I said, “No, you didn't,” giggling, hoping she really did. She said, “I bloody well did!” I told her she was extraordinarily talented, and the moment she sang those songs I remembered her voice and the hooks, which out of 500 [demos submitted] was a very good sign.

—Pete Wilkinson, ^[8]

Wilkinson then spent around eight or nine months recording demos with Amy at his home studio with a view to securing a record deal for his new client. In 2007, Macdonald signed a contract with Vertigo.

Macdonald received her first major press coverage when she questioned whether the 2007 winner of The X Factor, Leon Jackson, was suffering from tonsillitis, referring to it as "lazyitis". Macdonald had tonsillitis at the same time but still performed at Glasgow and at the BBC's Hogmanay Live show the same night.^[9]

[edit] This Is the Life (2007–2009)

Amy Macdonald, 2009

In 2007, Macdonald released her debut album, titled This Is the Life. The album sold 3 million copies, and reached #1 in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Denmark.^[10][11] The first single from the album, "Poison Prince", was only a limited release. The second single, "Mr. Rock and Roll", became Macdonald's first top 40 song charting at #12 in the United Kingdom. However the third single, "L.A.", missed the top 40 at #48, but managed #5 in the Scottish singles chart.

The fourth and most successful single, "This Is the Life", charted at #28 in the UK, but was #1 in five other European countries. The single was awarded Platinum in Germany and Belgium and Gold in Spain and Switzerland. The fifth single, "Run", gave Macdonald her second lowest chart position in the UK at #75. However, "Run" charted at #36 in Germany. The sixth and final single was the re-release of "Poison Prince", but charted at #148 in the UK, Macdonald's lowest chart position.

The album's track "Youth of Today" was chosen as the first single featured on Bebo/iTunes' "Free Single of the Week" program.^[12]

She appeared as a musical performing guest on British and foreign shows including The Album Chart Show, Loose Women, Friday Night Project, Taratata (France), and This Morning. She won the best newcomer award at the Silver Clef Awards.^[13]

[edit] A Curious Thing (2010–2011)

Macdonald outside the 02 Academy in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2010

Macdonald began writing songs for her second album in spring 2009, in a brief break from her touring commitments. For the first time she began poring through her old notebooks, looking at song ideas, unlike her debut which consists mainly of songs that she wrote straight away.^[14] Many of the tracks were inspired by real-life personalities or events from her everyday life. Contrary to some reports, she did not write "Spark" for murdered toddler James Bulger after watching a TV programme on his murder.^[15] "What Happiness Means To Me" is dedicated to her footballer fiancé Steve Lovell,^[16] while "An Ordinary Life" is inspired by the "Z-list celebs" she saw flocking around Scots-born Hollywood actor Gerard Butler at a party he held in Glasgow late 2009 to mark the opening of his film Law Abiding Citizen.^[14] There is also a track about Michael Jackson and one dedicated to her late grandparents.^[16] The tracks were recorded at Weller's BlackBarn Studios in Surrey.^[17]

Macdonald started working on her second album in the year of 2009.^[18] She said "Some of the sounds are just amazing and we've managed to persuade one of my favourite artists to whack some stuff down on them, but you'll have to wait and see."^[19] The second album, titled A Curious Thing, was released on 8 March 2010.^[20]

It was preceded by the release of the first single, "Don't Tell Me That It's Over", a week earlier on 1 March 2010. The single was released to UK radio on 11 January. Amy performed the new single on the Simon Mayo Show on BBC Radio 2 on the same day.^[21] "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" has been released to radio in countries like UK, Switzerland, Germany and France.^[22] The album's second single "Spark" was released on May 10, 2010^[23] on digital download format. Macdonald also confirmed that she would tour the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe in 2010.^[24]

The album's third single "This Pretty Face" was released on July 19, 2010. Also, Macdonald confirmed she would embark on a tour, entitled The Love Love Tour. Amy MacDonald is one of a number of artists who appear with Ray Davies in his 2010 album See My Friends. She sings with him on "Dead End Street".

[edit] Life in a Beautiful Light (2011–present)

In May 2011, it was confirmed by the Bournemouth Echo that Amy had already started 'planning to start work on her third album at the end of this year'.^[25] On 13 April 2012, Macdonald's official website confirmed the title of the album was Life in a Beautiful Light, and will be released on 11 June 2012.^[2] One song has been confirmed so far, entitled "Slow it Down", which was first played on the morning of 13 April on Zoe Ball's Radio 2 show, and released on Macdonald's Official YouTube account on 13 April.^[26]

Popularity in the United States[link]

MacDonald has moderate success in the United States music market. She has appeared on several US talk shows such as The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2008), where she performed "Mr. Rock and Roll" and also The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2008) where she performed her hit single, "This Is the Life".^[27]

Her debut album, This is the Life, reached #92 on the US Billboard 200.^[28] The single, "This is the Life" reached #25 on the US Billboard Triple-A Hot 100 singles charts.^[29]

Artistry[link]

Musical style[link]

Reviewers have described Amy as softly spoken but with a booming singing voice.^[30] Her vocal range is contralto.^[31]

Macdonald cites Travis as her biggest influence.^[32] Other influences include The Killers^[33] and the Libertines.^[34]

Personal life[link]

In 2008, Macdonald became engaged to football striker Steve Lovell.^[11][35]

Awards and nominations[link]

Macdonald won Best Newcomer at the 2008 Tartan Clef Awards^[36] and Best Newcomer at the 2008 Silver Clef Awards.^[37] In December 2008 she was voted "Scottish person of the year" by The Daily Record.^[38]

Macdonald performed, along with U2, at the German 2009 Echo Awards, where she won an award in the category "Best International Newcomer".^[39][40] She also won Best International Album and Best International Song at the 2009 Swiss Music Awards.^[41]

In 2010 Macdonald won "best album" for A Curious Thing, at the annual Tartan Clef awards on 20 November in Glasgow.^[42] Also, Macdonald won "best international album Rock/Pop" with A Curious Thing at the Swiss music awards in March 2011.^[43] Furthermore, Macdonald won "best international Rock/Pop Female" at the Echo Awards, beating celebrities such as: Adele, P!nk, Rihanna and Katy Perry.^[44]

Discography[link]

• This Is the Life (2007)
• A Curious Thing (2010)
• Life in a Beautiful Light (2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amy Macdonald

• Amy Macdonald Official site
  • Macdonald's pages on: YouTube MySpace Bebo Facebook
• Amy MacDonald video interview at Hydro Connect Festival August 2008
• T In The Park 2007 Interview at STV
• "This Is the Life" Review at Insider Guides
• Amy Macdonald Tour Review
• Interview with manager Pete Wilkinson about Macdonald's discovery and development, HitQuarters June 2009