Norwegian pop star puts TS in the Eurovision spotlight

Posted on 26 May 2021 by Pippa McClounan

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The music video for Fallen Angel – Norway’s entry in Eurovision Song Contest – presents the story behind the artist from his childhood until today.

“To grow up with something that makes you feel a little bit different than everybody else, can be challenging. When we were planning the video for Fallen Angel, this was the story I wanted to present, based on experiences from my own childhood, to inspire kids and youths that relates to that situation and those feelings. I grew up with Tourette Syndrome and was named “Tics” due to my involuntarily sounds and twitches in my face. I decided to embrace the name, and the character TIX was born. In Norway, a big part of the population knows me as the one I’ve grown to be, and I believe it is important to tell my background story and show them that there is always light in the end of the tunnel. Even an ugly duckling can become a swan.”

Andreas Haukeland

TIX is indisputably Norway's biggest pop artist - he’s got the most streams, most number 1 hits, is the most debated and the most loved. But it hasn’t always been this way...

The story of Andreas Haukeland, the boy behind the sunglasses and fake fur, began with an outsider. A diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome with uncontrollable tics earned him the nickname "TIX" in middle school, and he was far from the center of the party... if invited at all.

Music became both an escape from loneliness and a way to feel included for young Andreas. He created an alternative personality with fur, headbands, and sunglasses as a shield against the outside world, an armour that he could hide his tics behind. His alter-ego was a fearless superhero standing up for those in need. At first, his goal was modest - to be seen and accepted. However, when he first started releasing music it quickly became clear that TIX had hit a nerve with the Norwegian people, and his ambitions grew in step with the success. TIX really became a name to watch out for when his first album "Dømt og Berømt" (2016) spent an incredible 79 weeks on the Norwegian hit chart - a ‘pop-monster’ had been created.

At the same time, he established himself as an international songwriter and in 2018 he co-wrote the world hit 'Sweet but Psycho' with Ava Max, which has more than 1 billion streams and international multi-platinum certifications across the USA, UK, Australia, Germany and France. At the beginning of 2020, he had as many as 11 singles in the Norwegian top 200 simultaneously, a headliner show in Oslo that sold out in 26 seconds and in the same six months, he was also a judge on Idol Norway.

2020 was a turning point for TIX. With the whole of Norway behind him, he decided to reveal the man behind the sunglasses for the first time. He released the songs "Jeg Vil Ikke Leve" and "Tusen Tårer" in quick succession and both songs, in their own way, dealt with mental health, loneliness and feelings Andreas had carried since childhood. His vulnerability was immediately embraced by the fans, and TIX became a hero of sorts for many formerly excluded people in Norway.

With the Norwegian Eurovision contribution ‘Fallen Angel’, TIX debut his first song in English, with his now trademark stories of loneliness and exclusion. In the run-up to Eurovision, the song has created big waves in Norway, and put mental health firmly on the agenda. The fur, the headband and the sunglasses have become a potent symbol of community and inclusion as TIX now turns his head towards Europe. TIX was awarded “Artist of The Year” at the Norwegian Grammy’s for 2020.

Watch the music video here

Press release courtesy of Trine Hartz and NRK - Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation

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