Maja Francis
{{Short description|Swedish pop singer}}
{{Infobox musical artist|website=https://www.majafrancis.com|birth_date=10 November 1985|label=Sweden Music|instruments=vocals}}
Maja Francis (Maja Francis Alderin){{cite web|url=https://swedeandsour.tumblr.com/post/115685037534/maja-francis-last-days-of-dancing|title=Maja Francis - Last Days of Dancing|work=Swede + Sour|date=6 April 2015|accessdate=3 July 2021}} is a Swedish singer best known for her work with First Aid Kit and her closing track on the Netflix series Love & Anarchy.
Biography
Francis grew up in Ängelholm, where her father owned a record store.{{cite web|title=Intervju: Med Maja Francis i rymden|url=http://beingblogged.se/2015/08/intervju-med-maja-francis-i-rymden/|date=13 August 2015|author=Popmuzik}} She is the granddaughter of Scandinavian singer Thory Bernhards. Maja Francis attended Mega Musik Gymnasieskola in Helsingborg.{{cite web|url=https://www.tmrwmagazine.com/features/legacy/journey-maja-francis-far|first=Tanyel|last=Gumushen|date=21 November 2017|title=Winter may have struck in all of its icy glory, but Maja Francis is here to be 'Saved By The Summer'|accessdate=9 May 2021|website=tmrw Magazine}}
Career
Francis debuted the single "Last Days of Dancing" in 2015.{{cite web|title=All Things Go Music|url=https://www.allthingsgomusic.com/maja-francis-last-days-of-dancing/#/maja-francis-last-days-of-dancing/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607014138/https://www.allthingsgomusic.com/maja-francis-last-days-of-dancing/|archivedate=7 June 2015}} "a surprisingly thoughtful piece of well-crafted fantasy pop for your June playlist" On August 14, 2015, she released the single "Space Invades My Mind" with Veronica Maggio.{{cite news|newspaper=The Guardian|date=12 November 2015|first=Michael|last=Cragg|title=Scandiravia! Who are the new Nordic pop stars?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/12/scandiravia-who-are-the-new-nordic-pop-stars}} On the same day, Francis played on Way Out West's club spinoff Stay Out West, where Maggio visited to perform the single with Francis.{{cite web|website=Poplight|title=Way out West 2015: Maja Francis lyfte ljummen inledning|url=http://poplight.se/2015/08/14/way-out-west-2015-maja-francis-lyfte-ljummen-inledning/|accessdate=11 January 2016|first=Anna-Sopfia|last=Pehrson|date=14 August 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004131928/http://poplight.se/2015/08/14/way-out-west-2015-maja-francis-lyfte-ljummen-inledning/|archivedate=4 October 2015}} In January 2016, her debut EP Come Companion was released.{{cite news|title=Maja Francis|url=http://e-pages.dk/gaffa/2016-01-SE/|newspaper=Gaffa|date=January 2016|page=35|accessdate=9 May 2021}} "Simple classic pop where the emotions alternately hover high among the clouds and alternately crawl in the gutter."{{cite web|url=https://www.nylon.com/articles/maja-francis-come-companion-music-video|title=Maja Francis Opens Her Pastel-Drenched World Up In This New Music Video|first=Hayden|last=Manders|date=8 June 2016|website=Nylon|accessdate=3 July 2021}} "There's an air of youthful abandon in Maja Francis' new music video for her soaring optimistic song 'Come Companion.'" Then in 2017 she appeared with First Aid Kit guesting on their Who By Fire tribute concert to Leonard Cohen where she sang Famous Blue Raincoat and joined in with the So Long, Marianne finale.{{cite web|url=https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?id=26683|first=Zena|last=Grieg|date=5 May 2021|title=First Aid Kit – Who By Fire|accessdate=15 May 2021|website=Penny Black Music}} a dramatic and contemporary-sounding 'Famous Blue Raincoat' with compelling vocals from the singer Maja Francis{{cite web|url=https://spectrumculture.com/2021/03/25/first-aid-kit-who-by-fire-review/|title=First Aid Kit: Who By Fire|date=25 March 2021|first=Will|last=Penfold|accessdate=14 May 2021|website=Spectrum Culture}} "Famous Blue Raincoat" is dramatic and contemporary-sounding and has an outstanding vocal from Maja Francis; what surprises again and again is that singers with something like the opposite of Cohen's voice and delivery can make his lyrics live so vividly.
She took a break after her pair of 2018 EPs, Cry Baby parts 1 and 2, saying later that "My relationship with music was kind of toxic after releasing my Cry Baby EPs in 2018… so I needed a break."{{cite web|url=https://jajajamusic.com/2020/12/premiere-spotlight-interview-maja-francis/|first=Francine|last=Gorman|title=Premiere & Spotlight Interview: Maja Francis - Ja Ja Ja|website=Jajajamusic|date=15 December 2020}} She returned in December 2019, again with First Aid Kit, singing It Must Have Been Love as their tribute to Marie Fredriksson.{{cite web|title=First Aid Kit and Maja Francis pay tribute to Roxette with "It Must Have Been Love" cover: Watch|url=https://consequence.net/2019/12/first-aid-kit-maja-francis-roxette-it-must-have-been-love-watch/|first=Robin|last=Bacior|date=12 December 2019|website=Consequence}} She released her cover of Kate Bush's This Woman's Work in July 2020. In the same year, she recorded her single 'Anxious Angel' as the final track of the Netflix series Kärlek & Anarki (Love & Anarchy).{{cite web|url=https://www.umusicpub.com/se/FilmAndTv/2020/Love-Anarchy.aspx|title=Maja Francis, Amason, GRANT & more in 'Love & Anarchy'|date=9 November 2020|author=Universal Music Publishing|accessdate=14 May 2021}} The CD from First Aid Kit's Who By Fire tribute was released in 2021. Also in 2021, she appeared on a special edition of Jills veranda,{{cite web|url=https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/helenewigrenprbeyond/pressreleases/maja-francis-gaestar-jill-johnson-i-programmet-jill-i-lilla-hult-paa-svt-och-slaepper-singel-lyssna-haer-3022619|title=Maja Francis visits Jill Johnson in the program "Jill i Lilla Hult" on SVT and releases single. Listen to me!|date=23 July 2020|first=Helene|last=Wigren|website=PR&BEYOND|accessdate=4 August 2021}} and later in the year released her first album A Pink Soft Mess.{{cite web|title=Maja Francis: Musiken blev som en destruktiv kärleksrelation|date=16 February 2021|url=https://www.dn.se/kultur/maja-francis-musiken-blev-som-en-destruktiv-karleksrelation/|accessdate=21 November 2021|work=Dagens Nyheter|language=sv}}{{cite web|date=15 October 2021|first=Jason M.|last=Burns|title=Maja Francis — A Pink Soft Mess|url=https://americanahighways.org/2021/10/15/interview-maja-francis-and-the-comfort-of-the-anxious-angel/|website=Americana Highways|accessdate=21 November 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://glidemagazine.com/266240/maja-francis-paints-evocative-pop-pictures-on-a-pink-soft-mess-album-review/|first=Gary|last=Schwind|date=1 November 2021|accessdate=21 November 2021|title=Maja Francis Paints Evocative Pop Pictures on 'A Pink Soft Mess'|website=Glide Magazine}}
For New Year 2023, Francis performed Running Up That Hill on SVT's Årets quiz (This Year's Quiz).{{cite web|url=https://www.svtplay.se/video/8Wv6ZrM/arets-quiz/arets-quiz|title=Årets quiz|website=SVT Play|date=1 January 2023|accessdate=22 September 2024}} Later in the year she performed Heart of Gold with Jill Johnson on På spåret.{{cite news|newspaper=Helsingborgs Dagblad|url= https://www.hd.se/2023-10-13/maja-francis-jag-ar-en-late-pa-sparet-bloomer|title=Maja Francis: 'Jag är en late-På spåret-bloomer'|date=13 October 2023|first=Julia|last=Moegelin}} Her 2024 collaborations include Anna Ternheim with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra at Berwald Hall.{{cite web|url=https://www.berwaldhallen.se/en/concert/maja-francis-anna-ternheims-nashville-engelsk-indragare-songs-and-stories-from-the-home-of-coun/|title=Maja Francis' & Anna Ternheim's Nashville (2023/2024) – Berwaldhallen|accessdate=31 January 2024|quote=Anna Ternheim and Maja Francis connected during the 2022 edition of popular TV programme Så mycket bättre, finding common experiences in their musical lives.}} In April 2024 she performed SOS at SVT's En fest för ABBA held at Cirkus (Stockholm).{{cite web|url= https://www.svtplay.se/video/jE4B5G5/en-fest-for-abba|title=En fest för ABBA{{!}}SVT Play|date=6 April 2024|website=Sveriges Television|accessdate=18 April 2024}}
Francis has a record contract with Universal Music Group under its Sweden Music label{{cite web|url=https://www.umusicpub.com/se/Digital-Music-Library/search/Maja%20Francis/artist|title=Music Search|website=Universal Music Publishing Group ¦ Scandinavia|accessdate=4 August 2021}}{{cite web|url = http://www.luger.se/maja-francis|accessdate= 12 January 2016|title=Maja Francis|website=luger.se}} and is listed in Sweden by RMV Grammafon.{{cite web|url=https://rmvgrammofon.com/artists/|title=RMV Grammafon Artists|accessdate=4 August 2021}}
Discography
=Albums=
- A Pink Soft Mess (2021), recorded and produced by Johannes Runemark and David Wikber.{{cite web|url=https://americana-uk.com/video-maja-francis-feat-first-aid-kit-mama|title=Video: Maja Francis Feat. First Aid Kit 'Mama'|date=22 October 2021|first=Andrew|last=Frolish|website=Americana UK|accessdate=12 April 2025}} Nominated for the 2022 by:Larm Nordic Music Prize{{cite web|url= https://bylarm.no/articles/nordic-music-prize-2022-nominees|title= Nordic Music Prize 2022 Nominees|accessdate=5 September 2022}} "Maja Francis has created her own little sparkling pink galaxy in the Swedish pop universe."
- Hello Cowboy (2024)
=Live Album=
- Live at Way Out West (October 13, 2023)
=EP=
- Come Companion (January 13, 2016)
- Cry Baby (Pt 1) (2018)
- Cry Baby (Pt 2) (2018)
=Singles=
=Charted singles=
=With First Aid Kit=
- 2019 cover of Roxette's It Must Have Been Love as their tribute to Marie Fredriksson
- 2021 release of 2017 Leonard Cohen tribute concert Who By Fire where she sang Famous Blue Raincoat
Notes
{{notelist}}