WATCH: Can this viral Swedish fika hit create world peace?
Two Swedes behind a viral anthem which may just become the simultaneously most annoying and awesome Swedish global hit of the year have told The Local they are overwhelmed by the reactions.
Is Swedish fika the key to world peace? That's what Oskar Kongshöj and Gustaf Mardelius – the duo behind Go Royal Productions – suggest in this tongue-in-cheek take on a serious topic.
“Every day we see war and brutality, criminality,” starts the song, calling on world leaders such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Tsai Ing Wen to sit down and… enjoy a fika.
With lines such as “replace your gun with a cinnamon bun”, “stop building walls eat chocolate balls” and “no time for war if you take a påtår” (påtår = a Swedish word which means having a second cup of coffee) it has quickly gained a fan base racking up millions of views on social media.
For those of you who have never heard of Swedish fika, it is the practice of having a cup of coffee and something sweet, either in your spare time or as a short break during office hours. The concept has gained world fame in recent years and has more or less joined the club of over-hyped Scandinavian cliches (lagom and hygge, we're looking at you). But we recommend watching the video below anyway.
READ ALSO: Here's what happened when this Swede introduced fika at her London office
“The idea behind the song is to highlight a serious and important issue and mix it with a bit of comedy and music. Things that are strange and unfamiliar often seem scary, but we as humans have to get better at overcoming our fears which are often based only on ignorance or uncertainty,” Kongshöj told The Local.
The video was first published earlier this year, but really went viral this week after it was shared by social media content platform 9GAG.
“We are completely overwhelmed by the reactions! We knew that many are fond of fika, but would not have dreamed of this lovely response. Apparently we are not alone in thinking that the world would look much better if everyone just sat down and talked to each other,” said Kongshöj.
“Gustaf and I also have a soft spot for funny and sometimes somewhat bad rhymes, which meant that the song ended up including a lot of that,” he admitted.
Here's the Spotify version:
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Is Swedish fika the key to world peace? That's what Oskar Kongshöj and Gustaf Mardelius – the duo behind Go Royal Productions – suggest in this tongue-in-cheek take on a serious topic.
“Every day we see war and brutality, criminality,” starts the song, calling on world leaders such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Tsai Ing Wen to sit down and… enjoy a fika.
With lines such as “replace your gun with a cinnamon bun”, “stop building walls eat chocolate balls” and “no time for war if you take a påtår” (påtår = a Swedish word which means having a second cup of coffee) it has quickly gained a fan base racking up millions of views on social media.
For those of you who have never heard of Swedish fika, it is the practice of having a cup of coffee and something sweet, either in your spare time or as a short break during office hours. The concept has gained world fame in recent years and has more or less joined the club of over-hyped Scandinavian cliches (lagom and hygge, we're looking at you). But we recommend watching the video below anyway.
READ ALSO: Here's what happened when this Swede introduced fika at her London office
“The idea behind the song is to highlight a serious and important issue and mix it with a bit of comedy and music. Things that are strange and unfamiliar often seem scary, but we as humans have to get better at overcoming our fears which are often based only on ignorance or uncertainty,” Kongshöj told The Local.
The video was first published earlier this year, but really went viral this week after it was shared by social media content platform 9GAG.
“We are completely overwhelmed by the reactions! We knew that many are fond of fika, but would not have dreamed of this lovely response. Apparently we are not alone in thinking that the world would look much better if everyone just sat down and talked to each other,” said Kongshöj.
“Gustaf and I also have a soft spot for funny and sometimes somewhat bad rhymes, which meant that the song ended up including a lot of that,” he admitted.
Here's the Spotify version:
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