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Lukas Graham

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Lukas Graham
Lukas Forchhammer (left) and Thomas Edinger (right) at the minor stage during Stavernfestivalen in July 2016
Lukas Forchhammer (left) and Thomas Edinger (right) at the minor stage during Stavernfestivalen in July 2016
Background information
OriginCopenhagen, Denmark
Genres
Years active2011–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Websitelukasgraham.com

Lukas Graham is a Danish pop band consisting of lead vocalist Lukas Forchhammer[1] and drummer Mark Falgren.[2] The band released their self-titled debut album, Lukas Graham, with record labels Copenhagen Records and Then We Take the World in 2012.[3][4] The album peaked at number one on the Danish charts.[5] Their self-titled second album was released in 2015[6] and earned international attention with singles like "Mama Said" and "7 Years", the latter of which topped the singles charts in many major music markets. The band's self-titled international debut album was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Records on 1 April 2016.[7][8]

The band's third album, 3 (The Purple Album), was released in 2018. The album's lead single, "Love Someone", topped the Danish singles chart, while the second single, "Not a Damn Thing Changed", rose to number two. Their fourth album, 4 (The Pink Album), was released in 2023. Two of its singles, "Lie" and "Share That Love", ended up being certified two-times platinum in Denmark. Their fifth and most recent album, Good Times, was released in 2026. All three albums, like their self-titled predecessors, debuted at number one in Denmark.

Career

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2011–2012: Career beginnings

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The band formed in Denmark in 2011 and initially uploaded homemade videos of the songs "Drunk in the Morning" and "Criminal Mind".[2][9] The songs were also shared on Facebook and accrued several hundred thousand views.[10] The band signed a record deal in late 2011 with the Danish record label Copenhagen Records which is owned by Universal Music Denmark.[3] In a later interview, Lukas Graham revealed that the band already had a contract with Copenhagen Records and the self-made videos were the label's idea to create an underground buzz.

Lukas Graham performing in Copenhagen, 2011

Prior to officially releasing any music, the band had sold 17,000 tickets for an upcoming tour.[9]

Their first release, Lukas Graham, which is available only in Europe and selected other nations,[1] became certified seven-times platinum in Denmark.[11] Their first release also featured four charting songs: "Drunk in the Morning", "Criminal Mind", "Better Than Yourself (Criminal Mind Pt 2)" and "Ordinary Things".[12] Over the course of 2012, Lukas Graham played 107 concerts throughout Europe, selling 40,000 tickets in Denmark alone. They sold 80,000 albums and 150,000 singles while also earning 5 million YouTube views and 27 million streams. Their tour took them across Europe to countries like England, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, France, and Spain.[1]

2013–2014: Continued touring and Warner Bros. Records deal

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Lukas Graham performing at Traumzeit-Festival in 2013

In 2013, the band continued to tour throughout Europe.[13][14] In the summer of 2013, the band was added to the bill of the Grøn Koncert (Green Concert) tour which is held in support of muscular dystrophy research.[15] In October 2013, Lukas Graham won the European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) for their international tours in Europe.[16]

In the fall of 2013, the band signed to Warner Bros. Records. The record company signed them with the intent of bringing their music to the United States. Starting in early 2014, the band spent extended periods of time in Los Angeles writing and recording what would become their U.S. debut.[17][18] The band is still represented by Copenhagen Records in the Nordics, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and France[19] and is managed by Then We Take the World.[20] In March 2014, Forchhammer himself contributed vocals to Hedegaard's Danish number-one single "Happy Home".[21] Later in 2014, the band released their first single "Mama Said" off their upcoming album.[22]

2015–present: Worldwide debut, "7 Years" and international success

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Forchhammer performing at Stavernfestivalen 2016

The band released their next record (often referred to as the "Blue Album") with Copenhagen Records and Then We Take The World solely in Denmark and several other mostly European nations in 2015. It peaked at number one in Denmark and made it onto several other Euro charts.[23] It featured the singles "Mama Said", "Strip No More" and "7 Years", the last of which peaked at number one on the charts for Denmark, Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Sweden.[24] The band made their United States television debut performing "7 Years" on a 10 December 2015 episode of Conan[25][26] and the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 list.[27] In March 2016, Lukas Graham performed "7 Years" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[28] The band has also performed the song on Late Night with Seth Meyers,[29] The Ellen DeGeneres Show,[30] The Late Late Show with James Corden,[31] and Good Morning America.[32]

By the end of March 2016, "7 Years" had achieved around 225 million total listens on Spotify worldwide with 17.2 million listeners per month, making the band the 20th most popular artist on the service.[19] On 1 April 2016, the self-titled international debut was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Records. The US release of the album received new artwork, a reworked track listing, and a wider worldwide audience in countries including, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 in the UK and New Zealand, No. 1 in Australia and Canada, and No. 5 in Ireland.[33][34][35][36] The band also embarked on a two-month long tour throughout the United States and Canada at the end of March 2016.[37] Most dates on the tour sold out.[7][38] As of December 2023, "7 Years" has over 1.74 billion Spotify streams.[39]

Lukas Graham in 2016. Kasper Daugaard (far right) left the band in June of that year.

In May 2016, the fourth single from the Blue Album, "You're Not There", was released. A month later, in June 2016, keyboardist Kasper Daugaard left the band. He was temporarily replaced by the band's producer and former keyboardist Morten Ristorp.[40] In September 2016, the fifth and final single from the album, "Take the World by Storm", was released.

In December 2016, Lukas Graham was nominated for three Grammy Awards including Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "7 Years" and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.[41] "7 Years" was also nominated for Song of the Year at the 2016 BBC Music Awards where the band performed the song live on 12 December 2016.[42][43]

In 2017, Lukas Graham performed the song "Off to See the World", featured on the soundtrack of My Little Pony: The Movie.[44]

In September 2018, the band announced their third album 3 (The Purple Album), which was released on 26 October 2018 through Warner Bros. Records, and includes two singles: "Love Someone" and "Not a Damn Thing Changed".[45] To promote the album, at the start of 2019, the band went on the Purple Tour, which included shows in Copenhagen and Herning.[46] The two Copenhagen shows on the tour sold out in just nine minutes, after which the band added a third show in Copenhagen due to high demand.[47]

On 20 February 2019, Lukas Graham performed as a guest artist on the third season of I Can See Your Voice Thailand.[48] On 8 April 2019, Lukas Graham performed as a guest artist on the seventeenth season of American Idol during the second night of the "Top 20 Duets" episode. Forchhammer sang with contestants Eddie Island and Dimitrius Graham; both of which moved forward to the Top 14.[49] In August 2019, Lukas Graham joined Spotify's Billions Club, after "7 Years" had reached one billion streams on the platform.[50]

On 8 November 2019, Lukas Graham released an original Christmas song for the holidays, titled "Here (For Christmas)", which is about Forchhammer's late childhood friend, William.[51][52] In January 2020, the band announced that bassist Magnus Larsson had left the band to focus on family, during which time he was also getting ready to welcome his first child.[53]

Forchhammer in 2020

In November 2020, a documentary film about the band, titled 7 Years of Lukas Graham, was released in Denmark. Directed by Danish filmmaker René Sascha Johannsen, the documentary follows frontman Forchhammer and the band's journey through the course of seven years, and events including their rise to national and international fame, as well as juggling the pressure of fame, the creative burden stemming from the death of Forchhammer's father, and Forchhammer becoming a father himself.[54][55]

Throughout the courses of 2020 and 2021, the band collaborated with many artists including Wiz Khalifa, Branco, and R3hab, and released many standalone singles. One of those singles included "Scars", which was released at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Forchhammer said of the single, "Scars come in many shapes and forms. The physical ones are often the easiest to deal with, while psychological scars can be very hard to cope with because no one can see them so we have to actively share them. We need to talk about these things in order to heal."[56] "Scars", along with the band's 2021 singles "Happy for You" and "Call My Name", were certified gold in Denmark.

After the COVID-19 pandemic passed, in 2022, Lukas Graham went on their In the Round Tour in Denmark, in partnership with renewable-technology company Vestas.[57] The stage design was a 360-degree amphitheater-like stage, placed in the center of the venue, creating a more immersive and intimate experience.[58][59] The tour was powered entirely by transportable batteries contain green electricity, in contrast to carbon-emitting diesel generators. The band played six shows on the tour, with shows in Copenhagen, Aalborg, Sønderborg, Odense, and Aarhus.[57]

In November 2022, the band announced their fourth album 4 (The Pink Album), which was released on 20 January 2023 through Warner Bros. Records, which marked their first album since 2018's 3 (The Purple Album). The album was preceded by five singles: "Lie", "Share That Love", "All of It All", "Wish You Were Here", and "Home Movies".[60] To promote the album, the band went on the Pink Tour, where they played 32 venues across Europe, including in Denmark, as well as festivals during the summer.[61]

Lukas Graham performing in 2024

In 2025, Lukas Graham was revealed to be one of the opening acts on the North American leg of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour,[62] after frontman Forchhammer and Sheeran performed "7 Years" together, during one of Sheeran's four-night concerts in Copenhagen.[63]

In May 2026, Lukas Graham announced their fifth album Good Times, which was released on 14 August 2026.[64] Good Times differentiates from the band's usual music style, switching out the pop-soul genre for folk-pop, with Forchhammer wanting to reconnect with his Irish roots he took after his late father, Eugene Graham, who was born in the town of Donegal. Forchhammer said he recorded the album with "people my dad knew. People who had slept on a couch in my mom and dad's living room. It was very important to me that we got a hold of some of these musicians and got that cultural connection."[65] The album was preceded by four singles: "To Know a Girl",[66] "Second Chance",[65] the title track "Good Times",[67] and "Before You Go".[68]

Musical style

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Lukas Graham's music has been described as a pop-soul hybrid.[1] In a review of the band's new album, journalist Jon Pareles of The New York Times described their sound as the place "where pop meets R&B".[6] Patrick Ryan of USA Today wrote that the band's songs "effortlessly blend elements of hip hop and folk". Lyrically, the songs often deal with relatable experiences like growing up poor ("Mama Said") or drinking ("Drunk in the Morning").[7] The band's most popular song, "7 Years", describes growing up and aging at specific points in life (from seven years old to 60).[69]

Forchhammer grew up in the self-governing artistic community of Christiania.[7] The area is known for its creative atmosphere, relative poverty and crime. His experiences growing up in the community have shaped both the sound of his music and the lyrics he writes.[25][29]

During live performances, Lukas Graham is joined by a horn section named The Rusty Trombones.[70]

Band members

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Timeline

Discography

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Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee Result
2012 Danish Music Awards New Danish Name of the Year Lukas Graham Won
Audience Prize of the Year Nominated
Band of the Year Nominated
Male Artist of the Year Nominated
Newcomer of the Year Nominated
Songwriter of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Album Lukas Graham Nominated
2014 Music Moves Europe Award European Border Breakers Awards Lukas Graham Won[71]
2015 MTV Europe Music Awards Best Danish Act Lukas Graham Won
Best European Act Nominated
2016 MTV Video Music Awards Best New Artist Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best New Act Nominated
Best Push Act Nominated
Best Danish Act Nominated
Best Song "7 Years" Nominated
BBC Music Awards Song of the Year Nominated
LOS40 Music Awards International New Artist of the Year Lukas Graham Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer Song "7 Years" Nominated
2017 Grammy Awards Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Nominated
iHeartRadio Music Awards Best Lyrics Nominated
Best New Pop Artist Lukas Graham Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards Best New Artist Nominated
Billboard Music Awards Top New Artist Nominated
ASCAP Pop Awards Winning Song "7 Years" Won
2020 BMI Pop Awards Winning Song "Love Someone" Won

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 Giese, Ditte (21 December 2012). "Lukas Graham: "Jeg aner ikke, hvordan jeg skal skrive en glad sang igen"". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 Winther, Emil (10 June 2012). "I aften spiller Graham gratis på hjemmebane". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  3. 1 2 Ramsdal, Peter (4 May 2012). "Syg Lukas Graham melder afbud til Spot". Gaffa (in Danish). Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  4. ↑ Treo, Thomas (30 October 2012). "Lukas Graham udgiver sang til død far". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Lukas Graham – Lukas Graham". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  6. 1 2 Pareles, Jon (30 March 2016). "Review: 'Lukas Graham' Lands Where Pop Meets R&B". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Ryan, Patrick (21 March 2016). "Lukas Graham channels grief into emotional '7 Years'". USA Today. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  8. ↑ DeVille, Chris (31 March 2016). "Lukas Graham Is The New Ed Sheeran Is The New Jason Mraz Is… the best song writer". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  9. 1 2 Lund, Simon (23 March 2012). "Christianitten i wifebeateren er lidt af en soulsensation". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Pallesen, Randi (10 July 2012). "Lukas Graham udgiver album i hele Europa". Gaffa (in Danish). Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Lukas Graham 'Lukas Graham' (CPH)". IFPI Denmark. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Lukas Graham". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Disch, Peter (4 April 2013). "Wie war's bei … Lukas Graham im Jazzhaus in Freiburg?". Badische Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  14. ↑ "Lukas Graham freuen sich auf ihre Deutschland-Tour". Focus (in German). 18 January 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "Lukas Graham er det sidste navn på Grøn Koncert-turnéen". Fyens Stiftstidende (in Danish). 7 May 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  16. ↑ "Lukas Graham vinder europæisk musikpris". Politiken (in Danish). 15 October 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  17. ↑ Johansen, Camilla Maria (13 June 2014). "TV: Lukas Graham: Sådan erobrer vi USA". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  18. ↑ Giese, Ditte (2 January 2014). "Lukas Graham: "Jamen, hvad fanden skal jeg bruge en million euro til?"". Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  19. 1 2 Dredge, Stuart (23 March 2016). "7 Years: how streaming fuelled the rapid rise of Lukas Graham". Musically. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Rosenstand Svidt, Ole (20 November 2015). "Lukas Graham vælter Aarhus: Veltrænet verdensklasse". BT (in Danish). Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "40 millioner har lyttet på YouTube: Nu udgiver Hedegaard sin første single" (in Danish). DR. 13 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  22. ↑ Rosenstand Svidt, Ole (20 June 2014). "Hør ny sang med Lukas Graham". Gaffa (in Danish). Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  23. ↑ "Lukas Graham – Lukas Graham [Blue Album]". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  24. ↑ "Lukas Graham – 7 Years". danishcharts.dk. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  25. 1 2 Silverton, Pete (25 January 2016). "Lukas Graham single '7 Years': A catchy song about growing up in a 'utopian community' in Denmark is a massive hit". The Independent. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  26. ↑ Lukas Graham (band), Conan O'Brien (host) (10 December 2015). Lukas Graham '7 Years' 12/10/15. Conan. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Lukas Graham – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  28. ↑ Brandle, Lars (30 March 2016). "Lukas Graham Performs '7 Years' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  29. 1 2 Taylor Bennett, Kim (5 February 2016). "Let's Get Drunk in the Morning and Take the World by Storm: An Interview with Lukas Graham". Noisey. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  30. ↑ "Lukas Graham Performs His Catchy Hit 7 Years on Ellen! Watch!". Perez Hilton. 4 April 2016. Archived from the original on 29 July 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  31. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (19 December 2016). "Australian Charts Clean Bandit Rockaby Is No 1 ARIA Single". Noise11. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  32. ↑ "Lukas Graham Performs Live on GMA". ABC News. 16 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  33. ↑ Savage, Mark (11 March 2016). "Lukas Graham top charts for fifth week". BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  34. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (10 April 2016). "Chris Stapleton Surges to No. 2 on Billboard 200, Lukas Graham, Weezer and Twenty88 Debut in Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  35. ↑ "Lukas Graham – Lukas Graham [Blue Album]". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  36. ↑ "Irish Charts". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  37. ↑ "Lukas Graham Announce Headline Tour as Hit Single '7 Years' Skyrockets on Charts". Broadway World. 9 February 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  38. ↑ Evatt, Nicole (12 April 2016). "Lukas Graham makes U.S. mark with '7 Years,' Double Door show". Daily Herald. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  39. ↑ Lukas Graham, April 2016, retrieved 13 December 2023
  40. ↑ Sjelhøj, Josephine (1 June 2016). "Lukas Graham member has left the band". CelebMix. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  41. ↑ Brown, August (6 December 2016). "Lukas Graham grows up and finds Grammy acclaim with "7 Years"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  42. ↑ Wilson, Samantha (12 December 2016). "Lukas Graham Kills It at 2016 BBC Music Awards With 7 Years". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  43. ↑ Blake, Liza (12 December 2016). "BBC Music Awards Adele, Coldplay, The 1975 Win Top Honors". Billboard. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  44. ↑ Harper, Blake (30 June 2017). "The Danish Anarchist Behind the Awesome Song In The 'My Little Pony' Trailer". Fatherly. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  45. ↑ "Lukas Graham Announces New Album". 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  46. ↑ "Her giver Lukas Graham koncerter i Danmark". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). 12 September 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  47. ↑ "Lukas Graham klar med tredje ekstrakoncert". Gaffa (in Danish). 31 October 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  48. ↑ "I Can See Your Voice ลูคัส เกรแฮม 20 กุมภาพันธ์ 2562". thai25.com (in Thai). Thai25. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  49. ↑ Preston, Hannah (8 April 2019). "American Idol All-Star Duets, Night 2: Julia Michaels, Lukas Graham, LovelyTheBand & More Join Contestants to Find Out Who Makes It to the Top 14". Newsweek. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  50. ↑ "Lukas Graham i vild rekord: 'Det er jo kæmpestort'". Gaffa (in Danish). 23 August 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  51. ↑ "Lukas Graham Releases New Original Holiday Song 'HERE (For Christmas)'". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  52. ↑ "2019 Christmas Music: Jonas Brothers, John Legend, Alessia Cara & More New Holiday Hits". Billboard. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  53. ↑ "Lukas Graham mister medlem". Gaffa (in Danish). 28 January 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2026.
  54. ↑ "Lukas Graham om ny dokumentar: "Jeg synes, jeg er mere røvhul end menneske i den film"". Heartbeats (in Danish). 1 November 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  55. ↑ "Filminstruktør fulgte Lukas Graham i syv år: "Det var som at være tilskuer til en drengedrøm"". Euroman (in Danish). 4 November 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  56. ↑ "Lukas Graham releases new track 'Scars' - CelebMix". celebmix.com. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  57. 1 2 "Lukas Graham to Launch First-Ever Green-Battery-Powered Concert Tour". Variety. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  58. ↑ "Forventer at sælge over 10.000 billetter: Stor tour med Lukas Graham kommer til Sønderborg". ugeavisen.dk (in Danish). 29 October 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  59. ↑ "Lukas Graham Annoncerer Stort Opsat Sommerkoncert På Roskilde Dyrskueplads". Soundvenue (in Danish). 24 June 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  60. ↑ "Lukas Graham to Drop Reflective '4 (The Pink Album)' in 2023". 22 November 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
  61. ↑ "Lukas Graham Annoncerer Tour I Europa". United Stage (in Danish). 19 April 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  62. ↑ "Ed Sheeran hyrer Lukas Graham". kendte.dk (in Danish). 23 September 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  63. ↑ "Ed Sheeran leaves fans gushing over stellar performance with Lukas Graham". jang.com. 1 September 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  64. ↑ "Lukas Graham klar med nyt album – udgiver single". Gaffa (in Danish). 22 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  65. 1 2 "Lukas Graham Announces 'Good Times' Album With 'Second Chance' Video". antimusic.com. 25 May 2026. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  66. ↑ "Hear Lukas Graham's New Single 'To Know A Girl'". antiMusic. 26 April 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  67. ↑ "Lukas Graham returns to his musical roots with new single, 'Good Times'". ABS-CBN. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  68. ↑ "Before You Go by Lukas Graham". 14 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
  69. ↑ Moraski, Lauren (4 April 2016). "If You Don't Know Lukas Graham Yet, You Should". HuffPost. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  70. ↑ Nygaard, Kristian Dam (29 January 2019). "Verdensklasse: Lukas Graham er klar til at erobre verden igen". B.T. (in Danish). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  71. ↑ "Große Gala für Europas Pop-Newcomer". Der Spiegel (in German). 15 January 2014. ISSN 2195-1349. Archived from the original on 10 July 2026. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
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