Girl in Red
Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 16 February 1999) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her indie pop project Girl in Red (stylized in all lowercase). Her first EPs Chapter 1 (2018) and Chapter 2 (2019) were recorded in her bedroom and feature songs about romance and mental health. Released independently through AWAL, her debut studio album If I Could Make It Go Quiet (2021) was a critical and commercial success, and won three Norwegian Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. She then signed to Columbia Records and released her first major-label album, I'm Doing It Again Baby!, to moderate success in 2024.
Girl in Red
Marie Ulven Ringheim
16 February 1999
Horten, Norway
- Singer
- songwriter
- music producer
- Vocals
- guitar
- piano
- synthesizer
2017–present
Girl in Red has been cited as a queer icon by Paper,[2] and "one of the most astute and exciting singer-songwriters working in the world of guitar music" by The New York Times.[3] She has sold over five million certified digital units in the United States according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4] She was awarded the Telenor Culture Prize in 2022 for her "artistic distinctiveness and explicit messages of boundless love".[5]
Early life[edit]
Marie Ulven Ringheim[6][7] was born in the town of Horten, Norway on 16 February 1999.[8] She grew up with her sisters and her divorced parents,[9] and described Horten as "quiet and kinda boring" in an interview with Triple J in October 2019.[10] Her mother worked with technology and her father worked as a policeman.[3] Her grandfather could play the guitar and piano; however, she grew up without instruments in the home.[11] While in high school, Ulven was curious about becoming a teacher before she was introduced to the guitar and songwriting at the age of 14.[2] Ulven received her first guitar as a Christmas gift from her grandfather in 2012, but didn't start playing it until 2013 after losing interest in fingerboarding.[10] She credits her grandfather for sparking her interest in music.[10] Ulven had taught herself piano, guitar and music production from the comfort of her bedroom.[12] She began by writing and releasing Norwegian music and planned to study music, but never concluded that she was going to become a musician.[2]
Career[edit]
2015–2017: SoundCloud and "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend"[edit]
After getting a Blue Yeti microphone from her father in 2015,[10] Ulven began writing and releasing Norwegian music to SoundCloud under the moniker of "Lydia X".[2][13] She stopped attending guitar lessons after six months once her teacher refused to acknowledge her interest in songwriting and producing.[10] Ulven coined the stagename "Girl in Red" after attempting to identify herself in a crowd to a friend via text.[14] Using the new moniker, she published her debut single "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" on SoundCloud in November 2016,[15] where it got about 5 thousand streams within five months.[16] Following the single's feature on the Norwegian music website NRK Urørt, "I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend" amassed thousands of streams and gained Ulven a large online following.[17]
Artistry and influences[edit]
The subject matters of Ulven's music range from romance and heartbreak to mental illness and the experience of being queer.[55] She named Taylor Swift as one of her biggest musical influences.[56]
Personal life[edit]
Ulven now resides in the Grünerløkka district of Oslo. She identifies as gay and queer.[57] She studied music production and songwriting at Westerdals Oslo School of Arts, Communication and Technology.[3] Ulven revealed in 2021 that she has been diagnosed with obsessive–compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.[58]
Headlining
Supporting
