Saturday, November 09, 2024

The 1990s Swedish hip-hop classic 'Juligen'

While my co-bloggers are hunting for the newest Christmas releases, I'm gathering Noël nuggets that we've never featured before. First off, 'Juligen' ('Christmas Again') from 1991 by Sweden's first successful Swedish language rap act, Just D.

Being anti-Christmas has been a theme for decades, and Just D do it justice. 'Juligen' takes a swipe at contrived family get-togethers, passing the time with glögg, aka mulled wine with whiskey and rum.

"Christmas is for children, but even as a child, it was a nightmare even then to be woken up at 5 am."

Cue more swipes at creepy family members and boring presents, and the clichés of Swedes getting drunk and stumbling home. The musical happiness of 'Juligen' is a great contrast to the lyrics, and all those samples are from Swedish songs, which was unique back in 1991. Most countries have television shows or films that they always watch during the holidays, and in Sweden, it's the localised version of 'From All of Us to All of You', an animated special from the house of mouse. At this point, the tradition is not going over well due to many outdated stereotypes and remains decisive.

And what's Christmas without decisive traditions? Pass the glögg!

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