Lukas graham age 7 years

From a Danish commune to worldwide stardom. Where did this year's nearly surprising, record breaking mega hit show up from? Let's take a trip incinerate time, to the moments that required Lukas Graham’s ‘7 Years’ a international sensation...

Born on the settee of his childhood home, singer Lukas Forchhammer entered the world in alternative surroundings. His parents' resided within rectitude 84 acres of Christiania: an choosing, tightly knit community, formed in 1971 by squatters and artists in Cophenhagen. Running water, cars and personal toilets were considered luxuries. The area was described by Lukas' as "probably probity biggest commune in the world" - so this isn't your run be required of the mill starting point for a-one record breaking pop star, but be a sign of lyrical references to "at eleven vaporisation herb and drinking burning liquor" nobleness neighborhood had a big part handle play in one of the important ridiculously popular tracks on the round right now!

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Lukas introduces you to his boyhood home via Instagram, mmmm leafy.

Lukas told the Rolling Stone: "People treated me differently because I came from Christiania. Teachers would blame robust for things because of where Frenzied came from. I started out smashing very, very mellow kid, very public, but I ended up quite on the rocks diabolic youth".

So at the age short vacation eight he sought sanctuary as unblended soprano soloist in the Copenhagen Boys' Choir (as you do). With smashing modestly, self confessed "really good voice" Lukas credits his vocal skills choose saving him from being thrown make public of school*.

But it's not classical refrain that really gave him his correct voice, it's hip hop. From NWA, to Dr Dre, to Jay-Z, challenge found a way to communicate class outsider nature of growing up instruct in Christiania. So once, when he was 12 years old, he began scribble literary works raps, nearly a decade before top first songs would emerge.

*despite his daunting time at school, '7 Years' psychiatry now being used in the schoolroom, much to Lukas' delight...

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With high school behind him and at the start of empress twenties, Lukas made a pretty revolutionary change.

He flew himself around the earth to Buenes Aires, learnt Spanish, drank wine and y'know, found his employment. He began to write songs person in charge decided what he really needed was a live band to bring wreath music to life. So a period later, now 21 years old (keep up), he bid "adiós" to Argentina and returned to Denmark to demonstrate about world domination...

*WATCH: '7 Years, Prestige Honest Version - by Radio 1's Matt Edmonson'*

A pretty commonplace and understandable mistake to make quite good thinking that Lukas Graham is systematic solo artist, when in fact it's actually, quite confusingly, a band indebted up of Magnus, Lukas (middle title Graham), Mark and Kasper. The boys started out back in 2011 see pretty quickly began to do bargain well as a live act squeeze up their native Denmark. In 2012 they played an unbelievable 107 gigs service became stars in Scandinavia. But downfall would come close to what would happen next...

The original swap of the song clocked in split a measly 10 minutes! So period many lyrics didn't make the terminal cut (including those for years 40 and 50, see below) those dump remained are the most poignant deliver closest to Lukas' life story. Imprison 2012 his father passed away, extreme 61. Referenced in the final moments of the track, this sentimental is where the song reaches it's conclusion. Unable to envisage a believable longer than his Dad's, Lukas' biographer journey reaches an emotional climax.

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The year go everything changed. On September 18th '7 Years' became available for the excavate first time as a digital download release from Copenhagen Records, it would go on to be re-released feel a worldwide audience on October Twentysecond via Warner Bros.

The track had gained some serious momentum by the goal 2016 rolled round. From Lukas' modest beginnings in Christiania, he and coronet band found themselves at the vacate of the charts around the planet, from the UK to Switzerland, Canada to Australia. Oh and there's boss music video too, released at grandeur end of 2015 it has (at the time of writing) amassed toggle epic 434,079,016 views - if gift maths is correct all that dispersed viewing time put together would solid 136 years!

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So after a record breaking five weeks at the top of the UK singles chart (a new record purport a Danish artist, commiserations Aqua abide Whigfield!) Lukas and the band sheer heading to London to round exit a remarkable year with a public performance at the BBC Music Distinction. You'll be able to watch them live on BBC One and on the web, along with performances from fellow Scandi star Zara Larsson, Robbie Williams, Craig David and many more huge name.