In Norway’s Emma Steinbakken, there can be found a moment of crystalline simplicity. “I do pop music,” says the 17yearold rising singer, with a disarming directness. “The truth is very important to me and I want to show people that. I write how I feel, with very straightforward lyrics. I don’t drop hints.”

In her lyrics, you fast discover Emma’s sharply observant eye, her startling comprehension of her emotions and environs. She writes of herself and of her friends but, in turn, reflects us all. Emma points out that “reading a lot of dark or sad poetry has helped me to describe my feelings and put words to them. I often ask myself how I feel and why. I talk a lot to myself about how my friends feel and how I feel about how my friends feel.”