Emerging pop starlet Elise Eriksen has released the music video for her soaring new single “Smile” from her upcoming debut EP, out this spring. The breathtakingly stark video was shot entirely by iPhone 12 on a frozen lake in Norway at -15°F and continues the hot streak of sparkling pop gems kicked off by Elise’s debut single “Less.” “This video captures the cold but beautiful atmosphere of Norway which is special to me considering it’s my home country,” says Elise. “The days we filmed, it was -15° and completely freezing but we somehow managed to get a piano onto the ice and shoot everything with an iPhone 12. Even though I thought my hands were going to fall off at one point while I was playing, seeing the finished video, and the idea that we’d all had in our head come to life, made it totally worth it. I’m super happy with how this one came out!” Co-written by Sasha Sloan (Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Anne-Marie, Katy Perry), “Smile” features Elise’s distinctive vocals over her own piano instrumental while speaking to putting on a façade and smiling even though you’re not okay. “Smile” follows the release of Elise’s debut single “Less” which has already racked up close to a million streams, was co-written by multi-platinum-selling songwriter Julia Michaels, and features both Shoffy and Blu DeTiger. The effortlessly cool video for “Less” reflects on growing apart in a relationship and shows Elise defying expectations to stand out alongside a cast of her best friends.
A sliver of timeless pop perfection, “Less” saw its shimmering, up-tempo beats and Elise’s radiant, jazz-infused vocals featured on key pop playlists worldwide, including Spotify’s global New Music Friday playlists, Fresh & Chill, Apple’s Pop Deluxe, and many more. Uplifting listeners through her own form of emotionally honest yet seemingly carefree pop, Elise and “Less” are featured on a large billboard in Los Angeles after the track received radio play around the world including multiple spins on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2 – the biggest radio stations in Europe. Taking shape after a moment of bold determination, Elise threw herself into reimagining an early version of “Less” using her encyclopedic knowledge of music history and first-hand experience of watching the world’s biggest stars after hearing her father, GRAMMY-winning producer Mikkel Eriksen, toying with it.
Originally from Norway, Elise moved to New York City soon after discovering her love for music and is now based in Los Angeles. Learning over the years what it takes to make a perfect pop song, Elise is the daughter of one half of uber-producers Stargate (Rihanna, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Coldplay) and grew up in the studio surrounded by the world’s top artists and songwriters. Embracing the uncompromising work ethic she grew up surrounded by, Elise devoted years to playing the piano and honing her craft before experimenting with writing songs of her own. Inspired by artists as eclectic as Stevie Nicks, Alicia Keys, Don Toliver, Pink Floyd, and Etta James, the seventeen-year-old’s dynamic musical imagination and sharp musical instincts reflect her endless creative curiosity and a deep commitment to her artistic growth. You can connect with Elise Eriksen via the following links:
TikTok | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | SoundCloud | iTunes/Apple Music | YouTube | Deezer
