Kygo

Solo Artist

Photo: The Come Up Show from Canada · CC BY 2.0
Active 2012-present
Origin Bergen, Norway
Albums 5
Tracks 77
Most frequent collaborator Petey Martin · 10 tracks
Genres ElectronicEDMDanceTropical houseDeep house
Complete Artist
99%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 76 of 77 tracks

Did Kygo write his own songs?

Yes, on nearly all of them, but almost always with co-writers. Kygo, real name Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, produces his tracks and holds a writing credit on around 98% of them, though he rarely writes alone. He co-wrote hits like 'Firestone,' 'Stole the Show,' and 'Stranger Things' with the guest vocalists and songwriters he features. The main exception is 'Higher Love,' a cover he remixed rather than wrote.

By the Numbers

5
Studio Albums
77
Tracks Credited
99%
Self-Written
14
Years Active
207
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 76 / 77 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 77 tracks: how many Kygo wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Kygo has a writing credit99%
6%
92%
1%
Sole author5tracks6%
Co-written71tracks92%
Outside writers1tracks1%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Kygo's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 77 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)99%
Composer (music)99%
Producer100%
Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Kygo's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 99%
100%
100%
94%
100%
100%
2016Cloud Nine
2017Kids in Love
2020Golden Hour
2022Thrill of the Chase
2024Kygo
Early · 98% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2010s
Cloud Nine, Kids in Love
98%
2020s
Golden Hour, Thrill of the Chase +1 more

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Kygo sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Kygo
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Katseye0%
BLACKPINK13%
Rihanna44%
One Direction57%
Selena Gomez71%
Ariana Grande80%
Shakira91%
99%Kygo
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Firestone
Cloud Nine
Written by Kygo, Conrad Sewell, Martijn Konignenburg
Co-wrote
Stole the Show
Cloud Nine
Written by Kygo, Kyle Kelso, Michael Harwood, Marli Harwood, Parson James
Co-wrote
Nothing Left
Cloud Nine
Written by Kygo, Will Heard
Co-wrote
Stay
Cloud Nine
Written by Kygo, Maty Noyes, William Wiik Larsen
Co-wrote
It Ain't Me
Kids in Love
Written by Kygo, Selena Gomez, Brian Lee, Ali Tamposi, Andrew Watt, Andrew Wotman
Co-wrote
First Time
Kids in Love
Written by Kygo, Ellie Goulding, Fanny Hultman, Jenson Vaugn, Sara Hjellström
Co-wrote
Higher Love
Golden Hour
Written by Steve Winwood, William Jennings
Outside writers
Lose Somebody
Golden Hour
Written by Kygo, Philip Plested, Ryan Tedder, Jacob Torrey, Morten Ristorp Jensen, Alexander Delicata, Alysa Vanderheym
Co-wrote

Discography 5 albums

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Kygo77 tracks
PM10Petey Martin, 10 tracks 5Sandro Cavazza, 5 tracks SC3Stuart Crichton, 3 tracks PP3Philip Plested, 3 tracks JL3Johan Lindbrandt, 3 tracks PM3Patrick Martin, 3 tracks MS3Mads Songve, 3 tracks JM2Julia Michaels, 2 tracks RT2Ryan Tedder, 2 tracks on OneRepublic's page SS2Sasha Sloan, 2 tracks VB2Valerie Broussard, 2 tracks NP2Nicholas Petricca, 2 tracks NF2Nick Furlong, 2 tracks RS2Robin Stjernberg, 2 tracks DL2Dean Lewis, 2 tracks AC2Adeliz Calderon, 2 tracks AJ2Andrew Jackson, 2 tracks ZZ2Zak Zilesnick, 2 tracks ZA2Zak Abel, 2 tracks KK1Kyle Kelso, 1 track MH1Michael Harwood, 1 track MH1Marli Harwood, 1 track PJ1Parson James, 1 track TO1Tom Odell, 1 track BY1Björn Yttling, 1 track MR1Mark Ralph, 1 track MW1Mark Williams, 1 track DF1Derek Fuhrmann, 1 track JB1James Bay, 1 track CS1Conrad Sewell, 1 track MK1Martijn Konignenburg, 1 track JL1John Legend, 1 track JV1James Vincent McMorrow, 1 track LR1Louisa Rose Allen, 1 track KR1Kevin Rudolf, 1 track S1Sia, 1 track IC1Ivan Corraliza, 1 track DR1David Rhodes, 1 track NS1Natalie Salter, 1 track MC1Matt Corby, 1 track MN1Maty Noyes, 1 track WW1William Wiik Larsen, 1 track WH1Will Heard, 1 track JM1Jimmy Messer, 1 track L1Labrinth, 1 track JT1Justin Tranter, 1 track AS1Angus Stone, 1 track JS1Julia Stone, 1 track JN1John Newman, 1 track JW1Jason Walker, 1 track DF1David Frank, 1 track ON1Oliver Nelson, 1 track BM1Bonnie McKee, 1 track JM1Jessie Malakouti, 1 track CS1Casey Smith, 1 track SW1Stephen Wrabel, 1 track EH1Erik Hassle, 1 track DP1Drew Pearson, 1 track LK1Linda Karlsson, 1 track SG1Sonny Gustafsson, 1 track MJ1Martin Johnson, 1 track KP1Kyle Puccia, 1 track PT1Pete Townshend, 1 track JA1James Abrahart, 1 track JP1Johnny Price, 1 track BR1Billy Raffoul, 1 track MP1Morten Pilegaard, 1 track JD1Jaramye Daniels, 1 track JJ1Justin Jesso, 1 track JH1Jamie Hartman, 1 track SG1Selena Gomez, 1 track BL1Brian Lee, 1 track AT1Ali Tamposi, 1 track AW1Andrew Watt, 1 track EG1Ellie Goulding, 1 track FH1Fanny Hultman, 1 track JV1Jenson Vaugn, 1 track SH1Sara Hjellström, 1 track H1Hitimpulse, 1 track NB1Noonie Bao, 1 track LL1Lena Leon, 1 track JT1Jacob Torrey, 1 track MR1Morten Ristorp Jensen, 1 track AD1Alexander Delicata, 1 track AV1Alysa Vanderheym, 1 track JN1Jamie N Commons, 1 track EC1Elias Caparis, 1 track KR1Kevin Rey, 1 track SW1Sean Waugaman, 1 track EM1Eli Maiman, 1 track BB1Benjamin Berger, 1 track RM1Ryan McMahon, 1 track ZZ1Zak Zilesnik, 1 track LM1Lawrie Martin, 1 track DK1Dermot Kennedy, 1 track TM1Tom Martin, 1 track BM1Brad Mair, 1 track AL1Archie Langley, 1 track JS1Jamie Scott, 1 track CA1Chloe Angelides, 1 track KP1Kim Petras, 1 track FH1Fran Hall, 1 track DL1Dr. Luke, 1 track AJ1Aaron Joseph, 1 track SS1Sam Sumser, 1 track SS1Sean Small, 1 track JY1Jaymes Young, 1 track LS1Lindsey Stirling, 1 track DJ1Daniel James, 1 track D1Dreamlab, 1 track SW1Steve Winwood, 1 track on Eric Clapton's page WJ1William Jennings, 1 track NM1Narada Michael Walden, 1 track on Journey's page SH1Scott Harris, 1 track ST1Samuel Tinnesz, 1 track JB1James Bairian, 1 track LC1Louis Castle, 1 track TG1The Gifted, 1 track PD1Patrick Droney, 1 track JJ1Joe Janiak, 1 track SD1Sean Douglas, 1 track DL1Dua Lipa, 1 track NH1Nick Hodgson, 1 track GO1Gez O'Connell, 1 track ZL1Zara Larsson, 1 track MS1Michael Stevenson, 1 track RH1Ryan Hennessy, 1 track JR1Jimmy Rainsford, 1 track JD1Jayson DeZuzio, 1 track JP1Jonny Price, 1 track WB1Woodson Black, 1 track JG1James Gillespie, 1 track ZW1Zoe Wees, 1 track TD1Timothy Deal, 1 track PP1Patrick Pyke Salmy, 1 track RM1Ricardo Muñoz, 1 track DN1Dagny Norvoll Sandvik, 1 track SH1Sam Harris, 1 track ES1Ethan Snoreck, 1 track JK1Jacob Kasher Hindlin, 1 track NL1Nick Long, 1 track HW1Henry Walter, 1 track AA1Amy Allen, 1 track PB1Pablo Bowman, 1 track C1Cirkut, 1 track DS1David Stewart, 1 track RY1Rami Yacoub, 1 track JA1Jessica Agombar, 1 track LF1Lukas Forchhammer, 1 track on Lukas Graham's page JJ1Joseph Janiak, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 206. PM Petey Martin · SC Stuart Crichton · PP Philip Plested · JL Johan Lindbrandt · PM Patrick Martin

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Kygo writes all of his own music and works with guest vocalists who co-write the lyrics for their parts. His posthumous collaboration with Whitney Houston on 'Higher Love' stands out as one of the most unusual credit arrangements in his catalog, Gaye and Townsend don't appear, but Houston's performance carries the legacy of an old soul deep cut.

Quick Facts

  • Streaming recordFirst artist ever to reach one billion Spotify streams, hitting the mark in late 2015
  • OlympicsFirst house producer to perform at an Olympics closing ceremony, at Rio 2016
  • Tropical houseA leading pioneer of the tropical house sound
  • Breakthrough'Firestone' (2014), with Conrad Sewell, launched him internationally
  • Higher LoveHis remix of Whitney Houston's 'Higher Love' has passed 900 million Spotify streams

Creative Fingerprint

A producer who co-writes with his singers: Kygo builds his tropical house tracks and co-writes almost all of them alongside the guest vocalists and songwriters he features, from Conrad Sewell to Ryan Tedder.

The Story

Kygo (Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll) is a Norwegian DJ and record producer who popularized the 'tropical house' subgenre. Known for lush, emotionally resonant productions, he became one of Spotify's fastest-ever streams-to-one-billion artists.

Awards & Recognition

First artist to reach one billion Spotify streams, in late 2015, and two billion by mid-2016
First house music producer to perform at an Olympics closing ceremony, at the 2016 Rio Olympics
A leading pioneer of the tropical house genre
His remix of Whitney Houston's 'Higher Love' has been streamed over 900 million times on Spotify

Frequently Asked Questions Kygo

Did Kygo write his own songs?
Yes, on nearly all of them, but almost always with co-writers. Kygo, real name Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, produces his tracks and holds a writing credit on around 98% of them, though he rarely writes alone. He co-wrote hits like 'Firestone,' 'Stole the Show,' and 'Stranger Things' with the guest vocalists and songwriters he features. The main exception is 'Higher Love,' a cover he remixed rather than wrote.
Who wrote 'Firestone'?
'Firestone' (2014) was co-written by Kygo with Conrad Sewell, who sang it, and Martijn Konijnenburg. It was Kygo's international breakthrough and helped define the tropical house sound.
Who wrote 'Higher Love'?
'Higher Love' was written by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings, not by Kygo. His 2019 version is a remix of Whitney Houston's cover of the song, using her vocals, so the writing credit stays with the original writers.
What is tropical house?
Tropical house is a mellow, melodic style of house music built on airy synths, marimba and steel-drum sounds, and a relaxed tempo. Kygo is one of its most successful pioneers.
What was Kygo's Spotify record?
In late 2015 he became the fastest artist ever to reach one billion streams on Spotify, and he passed two billion by mid-2016.
How many albums has Kygo released?
This catalogue covers his 4 studio albums: Cloud Nine (2016), Kids in Love (2017), Golden Hour (2020), and Thrill of the Chase (2022).
Who has Kygo collaborated with?
A wide range of vocalists, including Conrad Sewell, Ellie Goulding, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, and Dua Lipa, plus the late Whitney Houston on 'Higher Love.'
Did Kygo perform at the Olympics?
Yes. He performed at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first house music producer to do so.
What is Kygo's real name?
Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll. He is a Norwegian DJ and producer, and he is credited under his real name in his songs' writing credits.
What is Kygo's most popular song?
'Firestone,' 'Stole the Show,' and his 'Higher Love' remix are among his most-streamed. 'Higher Love,' featuring Whitney Houston, has passed 900 million Spotify streams.

Sources

AllMusic - Kygo discography MusicBrainz - Kygo Discogs - Kygo Wikipedia: Kygo