Aurora (singer)
Aurora Aksnes (Norwegian pronunciation: [æʉ̯ˈɾùːɾɑ ˈɑ̂ksˌneːs]) (born 15 June 1996),[2][3] known mononymously as Aurora (stylised in all caps),[4] is a Norwegian singer, songwriter and record producer. Born in Stavanger and raised in the towns of Høle and Os, she began writing her first songs and learning dance at the age of six. After some of her songs were uploaded online and became popular in Norway, she signed a recording contract with Petroleum Records, Decca and Glassnote Records[5] in 2014. Aurora gained recognition with her debut extended play (EP), Running with the Wolves (2015), which contained the sleeper hit "Runaway". Later that year, she provided the backing track for the John Lewis Christmas advert, singing a cover of the Oasis song "Half the World Away".
"AURORA" redirects here. For other uses, see Aurora (disambiguation).
Aurora
Aurora Aksnes
- Singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- voice actress
- Vocals
- piano
2012–present
Aurora's debut studio album, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend (2016) received generally positive reviews, charting in various European countries and earning platinum certification two times in Norway. Her second EP Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) (2018) was the first part of a two-part album, while the second part was her second studio album, A Different Kind of Human (Step 2) (2019). Her third studio album The Gods We Can Touch was released on 21 January 2022.
Her music is primarily electropop, folk, and art pop with vocals referred to as "ethereal". She only played piano at the beginning of her career, but later involved herself in percussion and other aspects of music production. In addition to her solo work, Aurora has collaborated with and co-written songs for other artists, including Askjell, Sub Urban, Sondre Lerche, Tom Odell and the Chemical Brothers. She has also contributed to soundtracks for several films, television series and video game franchises, including Girls, Frozen II, Wolfwalkers, Netflix's live-action One Piece series, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Sky: Children of the Light, and Assassin's Creed.
Philanthropy[edit]
Aurora has been involved in several philanthropic causes. In October 2020, she performed her song "Warrior" for volunteers of the Clean Sounds Movement, and called on fellow singers Billie Eilish and Sigrid to do the same.[147] She also participated in several music festivals online, such as Vi er Live (in demonstration against racism and the murder of George Floyd), SOS Rainforest (supporting indigenous communities and jungles of Africa, Asia, and South America), and Exist For Love Sessions (to promote various emerging artists).[157][158][159][160][161] In November 2021, Aurora headlined a non-profit charity event during COP26 to donate funds for Brian Eno's "EarthPercent" charity.[148]
Studio albums
