Ted Bergqvist: “Crucified” pays homage to the universal fear of heartbreak

Ted Bergqvist is a singer-songwriter from Sweden, who has spent most of his life writing music. Stock-piled with a large catalog of songs, Ted released his debut EP “A Different Shade Of Grey”, on September 8 2012. He wanted to show the world a deep, bittersweet, sad, funny and amazing chapter of his life.

In early spring of 2013, Ted started planning what would become his debut full-length album, “From The Inside And Out”. That very summer he went into Studio Motion at Möllan in Malmö, and together with the producer Tommy Tift and a group of handpicked musicians.

The Album was released in the fall of 2013. In parallel with the work on the album, Ted worked on the song “Crucified” with producer Amir Aly at the Yla Studio in another part of Malmö. This song will be released March 7, 2015!

Whereas, “From The Inside And Out” is an almost purely rock induced album, “Crucified” takes on a more delicate singer-songwriter perspective. An acoustic piano intro gives rise to Ted Bergqvist’s soft, yet gravelly, restrained and emotive vocals. Send in a cello, and then the lovely voices of the backing in the chorus; enter the drums, more strings, then more keyboards with a chorus of backing vocals. The verse that comes before the bridge that follows, is simply beautiful, as Ted sings “Carry me down to the shoreline, Let the waves wash away my feelings, let the wind just blow away my pain…”

This song pays homage to the universal fear of never quite realizing one’s dreams, be they people, places or shapes of the heart that inevitably leads to heartbreak. In an era of sickly sweet pop delivered by boy bands, teen princesses and acidic, cacophonic noise produced by overrated artists, Ted Bergqvist stands apart, delivering music with heart and soul which you can feel when you listen to it.

Few songs can truly reach out and grab you from the first listen, but “Crucified” did just that to me. Ted’s voice has a unique quality to it, unmistakable, soothing, and rough at the same time, it creates an almost hypnotizing effect. Moreover it’s the simplicity of this song that makes it so beautiful.

It’s refreshing to hear such honest, melodic and heartfelt music from a rising artist. I can heartily recommend this single to almost anyone; especially those who enjoy OneReplublic or The Fray. Ted Bergqvist provides a wonderful break from the same old stuff that keeps coming out nowadays.