To be honest, Roxette was not that cool. Back in 1988, "The Look" was released, in 1989 the single became a hit. As singer Per Gessle in the video, the chin in time to the beat threw that the pony flew up his antoupierten hairstyle. How Marie Fredriksson put her head back while playing the guitar. Anyway: guitar solo! And then "Nanananana Nanananananana".
Of course, when you're young, lyrics that are reminiscent of lines from children's songs are, of course, not so good. But if you are honest again: Much more than Roxette did not stay from this time, the nineties. Dr. Alban shows up at some barn parties, what about Whigfield, no one knows, Fools Garden have unwittingly taken root with their "Lemon Tree" on a particularly remote turn of the brain - and Nirvana is indeed in a completely different league. Sure, there were the cranberries and Alanis Morrisette. One sings once in a while and thinks of Steffen from the 8b, who drove in front of a tree, to Nele, who opened a café on the market place. Or Ann-Kathrin, who breeds horses today with a man 20 years older. Only Roxette stayed.
With the listening of "The Look" comes back this feeling that accompanied this pop-rock duo from Sweden at that time. Between going and coming. Less longing, less projection, just a play of existence, together with the corresponding sensations. And there were so many.
Roxette were always there, no matter that the posters with Gessle and Fredriksson in the "Bravo" never looked so good. Of course, that was more about him than her. And on the rocker outfits. A lot of leather. Blazers too. And that one did not know exactly what this Swede should actually be. Only that Saltkrokan had to be there somewhere. The posters were then hung in the closet - and the songs mitschmettert at least ironically.
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But the music sounds almost better today than it used to. Because she has aged incredibly well. Roxette was a hit machine. The "Nanananana" in "The Look", the whistling in "Joyride", the piano at the beginning of "Fading Like a Flower". The dramatic "It must have been Love" from the "Pretty Woman" soundtrack when we all wanted to be Julia Roberts, who gets beautiful clothes and big hats. When we really had no idea what was going on, when the love was over . (And not what it means to be a sex worker.)
Man, what a good mood! "Hello, you fool, I love you!" And once we were in a bad mood, because Sarah had not written back to the letter book, then "Listen to your Heart" was created.
All that was good about Roxette was this woman. This saucool woman, with that love in her voice. With these erect, platinum-blonde hairs that do not deserve to be cut crew-cut to them. With those out-looking jawbones, when she opened her mouth wide to sing.
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Marie Fredriksson died: A life with RoxetteThis very special female figure, of which there was no second one. Even though Annie Lennox was already buzzing and Gianna Nannini was already raving or listening to Mama Ina Deter, Marie Fredriksson was much more tangible, because less shrill. Androgynous, sexy, but loud and often quiet. "Queen of Rain": Very light. Not silly, not serious, dressed for success.
As a couple, Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle were completely unsexual. That was so wonderfully liberating. Also, because you always found him a little stupid. He could blame him, for whom you always needed someone in your youth. And she made him bearable, him and the guilt.
And how she walks through the dump in the video for "The Look"! Sitting on the toilet or standing on the bed playing guitar. The stage: her. The studio: hers. The music: its natural - "Crash! Boom! Bang!"
The Roxette album with this title appeared in 1994, five years after the breakthrough with "The Look" and "Listen To Your Heart", they were still successful. Ten albums recorded as Roxette, 2016 the last. The two have sold more than 75 million records. At the top.
You can not remember any escapades or gossip in all this time. Just to this one, funny story: Without a US-American exchange students, we might never have met Marie Fredriksson. In 1984 she recorded her first album as a solo artist. She sang in Swedish and co-founded with Gessle, an old buddy from her punk band Strul, Roxette. The two had a few hits together in their homeland. But it was the US student who released the second Roxette album "Look Sharp!" took home and gave a radio station. So the Swedish duo got on the Billboard charts and finally in the whole world. It seems clear today that many students will pass on their music in the future as well. Albeit on a different medium and with different feelings.
In 2002, a brain tumor was diagnosed at Marie Fredriksson. In 2016, she announced her withdrawal from the music. She survived until 2019. "But it's over now." Fredriksson died at the age of 61 years of her cancer. There are scary hits that sang this wonderful voice.
