Astrid S: Joyride — Going Independent After the Universal Split
In 2025, one of Norway’s most-streamed pop stars walked away from the major-label system. After her original contract with Universal Music ended, Astrid S — the Rennebu-born singer behind “Hurts So Good” — did not sign with another major. She launched her own record label, Joyride, and signed a distribution deal with the Gladstone Music Group. Then she promptly scored her third Norwegian number one.
It was a statement of intent. In an era when Scandinavian pop stars are routinely absorbed into the major-label machine, Astrid S bet on herself — and the bet is paying off.
A Decade in the Machine
To understand the split, you have to understand what she was leaving. Astrid Smeplass broke through in 2016 with the self-titled debut EP and the smash “Hurts So Good,” hailed at the time as “Norway’s next great pop export.” Her debut album Leave It Beautiful followed in 2020 via Universal Music Norway, built with Swedish hitmakers Jack & Coke and songwriters whose credits stretched from Rihanna to Ed Sheeran. The album framed her as a sleek, relatable Scandipop star — and it worked, feeding a catalogue that has since amassed billions of streams and earned her a Spellemann award and an MTV award.
Her second album, Joyride — released 24 May 2024 through Universal and Island Records — was a more personal project: a road-trip record inspired by childhood car journeys with her father, shaped with producers including JT Daly, Oliver Lundström and Matias Téllez, and fronted by singles “Two Hands,” “First to Go,” “Oh Emma” and “Hot Fever Dream.” It was, in retrospect, the closing chapter of the Universal era.
The Break
The 2025 split was clean and contractual: her original deal simply ended, and she chose not to renew. Under her own Joyride imprint — distributed through Gladstone Music Group rather than a major — she now controls her releases, her masters going forward, and the economics of her own catalogue. For an artist with her streaming numbers, the arithmetic of independence is compelling: the margins that once went to the label now stay with the artist who built the audience.
She is not the first Norwegian star to make this move — Dagny built her own Little Daggers imprint after parting with Republic Records — but Astrid S is the biggest Scandinavian pop name to attempt it at this scale, and the industry is watching.
The Number One That Proved the Point
The timing could not have been better. The split news preceded her appearance on the 15th series of Hver gang vi møtes (Every Time We Meet), the beloved Norwegian TV format where artists reinterpret each other’s songs. Astrid’s take on Carola’s “Det regnar i Stockholm” — reworked in Norwegian as “Det regner i Oslo” — became her third number-one single on the Norwegian chart.
The run was staggering: alongside the chart-topper, her performances from the show delivered a further number one, two top-10 hits, and top-40 positions for every other release, culminating in the EP Hver Gang Vi Møtes 2025 debuting at number 2 on the Norwegian albums chart. She had gone independent — and immediately delivered the most commercially dominant stretch of her career.
The Songwriter’s Résumé
What often gets lost in the independence story is how formidable Astrid S is as a writer. In 2021, similarities were noted between the French Montana track “How You King?” and her song “Jump” — and she retroactively received proper co-songwriter attribution and compensation, a quiet victory for songwriter rights that most artists never talk about publicly. Her collaboration history reads like a Scandipop hall of fame: JP Cooper, Shawn Mendes, NOTD, Brett Young (with whom she traded verses on “I Do”), and her fellow Norwegian Dagny.
That writing strength is the real engine of the Joyride bet. A label provides marketing muscle; it cannot provide songs. Astrid S has the songs — billions of streams’ worth of them — which is why the split from Universal looks less like a risk and more like a founder buying out her own company.
The National Stage
On 2 July 2025, Astrid S sang Norway’s national anthem ahead of the Women’s Euros football match between Switzerland and Norway — the kind of ceremonial booking that signals an artist’s standing in the national culture. A year earlier she had been playing Cinderella in the Norwegian remake Tre nøtter til Askepott, releasing “Når Snøen Smelter” as her first original song in Norwegian. The through-line is an artist steadily deepening her Norwegian identity even as her audience stays global.
What Independence Means Now
The Joyride experiment is really a test of a thesis: that a mid-career pop star with a loyal audience, a deep catalogue and direct distribution no longer needs a major label’s permission structure. Astrid S spent nearly a decade inside that structure, learned how it works, and left with the one thing the label could not keep — the relationship with her listeners.
If the Hver gang vi møtes chart run is any indication, the machine she built is running just fine without the major. The joyride, it turns out, was only just beginning.
Astrid S: Career Timeline
The road to the Astrid S Joyride independent label ran through a decade inside the major-label machine — here is how she got out.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Born 29 October 1996 in Rennebu as Astrid Smeplass |
| 2013 | Competes in Norwegian Idol, finishing fifth |
| 2016 | Debut EP Astrid S; “Hurts So Good” — hailed as “Norway’s next great pop export” |
| 2020 | Debut album Leave It Beautiful via Universal Music Norway, built with Swedish hitmakers Jack & Coke |
| 2021 | Receives retroactive co-songwriter credit and compensation on French Montana’s “How You King?” over similarities to her song “Jump” |
| 2024 | Second album Joyride, released 24 May 2024 through Universal and Island Records — the closing chapter of the Universal era |
| 2025 | Universal contract ends; she launches her own Joyride label with distribution through Gladstone Music Group |
| 2025 | Hver gang vi møtes: “Det regner i Oslo” becomes her third Norwegian number one; the show run delivers another number one, two top-10 hits and an EP debuting at number 2 |
| 2 July 2025 | Sings Norway’s national anthem before the Women’s Euros match between Switzerland and Norway |
Key Facts & Numbers
- Three Norwegian number ones: crowned by “Det regner i Oslo” in 2025 — her first chart-topper as an independent artist
- Streams: a catalogue running into the billions, built over a decade at Universal
- Awards: a Spellemann award and an MTV award
- The split: her original Universal contract simply ended in 2025 — she chose not to renew and launched Joyride
- Distribution: Gladstone Music Group, not a major label
- What she keeps: control of her releases and her masters going forward
What’s Next in the Independence Era
The Hver gang vi møtes chart run was the proof of concept: an independent Astrid S can out-perform her major-label years commercially. The next test is the first full album cycle under the Joyride imprint — new music released on her own schedule, with the label margins staying with the artist who built the audience. Collaborations remain likely (her history spans JP Cooper, Shawn Mendes, NOTD and Brett Young), and her deepening Norwegian identity — from “Når Snøen Smelter” to the national anthem — suggests the next chapter will be her most personal yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Astrid S leave Universal?
Her original contract simply ended in 2025, and she chose not to renew. Rather than signing with another major, she launched her own label, Joyride — betting that an artist with her streaming numbers and catalogue no longer needs a major’s permission structure.
What is Joyride?
Both her 2024 album title and, since 2025, her own record label — the vehicle for her independent career after the Universal split.
Who distributes Astrid S’s music now?
The Gladstone Music Group, under a distribution deal — a deliberately lighter arrangement than a major-label contract.
What was Astrid S’s third number one?
“Det regner i Oslo” — her Norwegian reworking of Carola’s “Det regnar i Stockholm” for the 15th series of Hver gang vi møtes in 2025.
Is Astrid S still making music in 2026?
Yes — she entered 2026 as an independent artist with her strongest-ever commercial run behind her and new releases expected under the Joyride imprint.
What does going independent mean for her masters?
She now controls her releases and her masters going forward. For an artist with billions of streams, the economics are compelling: the margins that once went to the label now stay with the artist who built the audience.
Is going independent common for Norwegian pop stars?
It is becoming more common, though Astrid S is the biggest Scandinavian pop name to attempt it at this scale. Dagny built her own Little Daggers imprint after parting with Republic Records, and the streaming era has generally lowered the barrier: distribution deals (like Astrid’s with Gladstone Music Group) give artists global reach without surrendering ownership. The bet only works with a loyal audience and a strong catalogue — which is exactly what Astrid S spent a decade building.
Sources & Further Reading
Read next: TIX: How Andreas Haukeland Turned Tourette’s Into His Message | Maria Mena: Two Decades of Brutal Honesty in Norwegian Pop
