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Let's Hear That One More Time, In Icelandic

Ásgeir's debut album, <em>In The Silence</em>, was released in English this year.
Ásgeir's debut album, In The Silence, was released in English this year.

The first album by singer Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson, released in 2012, became the biggest selling debut ever in his native Iceland. This year the singer, known professionally as Ásgeir, released the album again in English, in hopes of connecting with an international audience. But as he tells NPR's Melissa Block, the originals seem to have an uncanny hold on people.

"People really love that Icelandic version," the 22-year-old singer songwriter says, noting that he and his band often hopscotch between languages in their live sets. "I can understand why — because it has this mystique about it and something different, you know? Something magical, that maybe gives the music something more than just understanding."

Hear more of the conversation, including how Ásgeir collaborated on the songs with his 74-year-old father, at the audio link.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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