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Written by William Wiik Larsen, Nico Sereba, and Vincent Dery

Produced by Will IDAP

Released April 2014 by 5 Star Entertainment

Pros

• Intriguing layered musical production anchored by African rhythms
• Uplifting, supportive words in the lyrics
• Vocals that seem to cross Sting with Akon

Cons

• No major missteps here

Listening to "Am I Wrong," the international pop breakthrough hit from Norwegian duo Nico & Vinz, you may suddenly realize how much African influences have been missing in recent top 40 pop hits.

 The song is suffused with African rhythms and a lead vocal that sounds like a cross between Sting and Akon.  Nico Sereba and Vincent "Vinz" Dery have parental roots in the African nations of Ivory Coast and Ghana.  "Am I Wrong" is simultaneously very familiar and a breath of fresh air.  That combination frequently can add up to a breakout smash pop hit. This may well be where the top pop hits of summer 2014 begin.

"Am I Wrong" intriguingly layers a drum line accented on the one with guitar, a repeated horn surge, and a wordless vocal line.  The effect draws the listener in with a solid musical hook before the first words begin.  The drums cut out for a guitar based bridge that even inserts a bit of rock influenced strumming along with the occasional background "yeah yeah yeah yeah" chorus.  "Am I Wrong" is more musically complex than the typical top 40 pop hit, but it does nothing to alienate listeners.

Lyrically "Am I Wrong" is a song that celebrates standing up for oneself and choosing your own path.

Those choices may come in love relationships or any point in life in which choices must be made. This song is simple for singing along even if it doesn't have a clearly hook-filled chorus.  "Am I Wrong" will draw you in to listening more closely to the words. You may soon find yourself proclaiming, "That's just how I feel" along with Nico & Vinz.

Nico & Vinz first released "Am I Wrong" at home in Norway a year ago.  They performed the song live last December at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert.  At that point the pair were still performing under the name Envy.  In January 2014 they announced the name change to Nico & Vinz.  "Am I Wrong" has been a top 5 pop smash across Scandinavia in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and at home in Norway. In addition it has become a major hit in Germany and Austria.  Through a contract signed with Warner Bros., the music of Nico & Vinz has been brought across the Atlantic where it has a quick start at mainstream pop radio.

Vinz has addressed the cultural influences on the duo's music by saying, "“We are Norwegian and African. It is important for us to inspire. We sing about things we’ve been going through and about finding ourselves. To us it’s important to have a message, and the goal for us is to inspire people to find happiness.” The accompanying music video for "Am I Wrong" was filmed in Botswana.  It was put together in a deliberate effort to present a positive side of Africa when the image of the continent is too often mired in negative news stories.  Norway's Nico & Vinz have combined for a sound that is outside of the typical mainstream pop box while still remaining accessible enough to appeal to the broadest possible audience.  Nico & Vinz are one of the hottest new pop acts of 2014.