Sissel - Dropping USA Album

Sissel Kyrkjebø has decided to put her much discussed USA album -- believably the most expensive album recording in Norwegian history -- on ice.

LOSING MILLIONS: Sissel Kyrkjebø and manager Arne Svare have together spent $600,000 on the album project they're now putting on ice. Photo: Janne Møller-Hansen

Instead, she's recording a completely new album in Norway this summer with Norwegian songwriters.

Therefore, all signs point to the album, which was recorded in the USA in 1998 and took two years to complete, never reaching album buyers.

"The project is for the time being on ice," said Sissel's manager, Arne Svare to Verdens Gang.

Svare isn't hiding that Sissel isn't completely satisfied with the result.

"We feel that musically we didn't quite reach the mark," explained Svare, who together with Sissel has spent several million Norwegian Crowns from their own pockets in this much anticipated project. According to Svare that figure is about 4.5 million Norwegian Crowns ($600,000 US).

Former PolyGram Norway director Jørn Johnsen told VG earlier this year that the album would have a finished price of about 10-15 million Norwegian Crowns.

There have been large sums of money used on this album. Is this now money right out the window?

"Sissel doesn't regret at all the work she did in the USA," said Svare.

Norwegian studio

He confirmed that Sissel is now in the process of preparing a new album, and that she is going into a Norwegian studio to record this summer. From what VG has learned, high-profile Norwegian artists such as Silje Nergaard will be among the songwriters. Sissel is also in contact with Tor Erik Hermansen and the rest of the successful Stargate-trio in Trondhem. They have previously worked with artists such as Mariah Carey, Five and S Club 7.

Svare won't say there is no possibility that some of the material which was recorded for the international ablum will appear on the new one, either in its original version or in new versions.

"It was always part of the plan that Sissel would do some recording here at home. She is already in the process with songwriting and demo production. I can't say anything other than that the best songs will come in the end. How much of this will be the USA material only time will tell.

The USA album was originally meant as a followup to Sissel's last studio album, Innerst i sjelen, from 1994. The idea was to strike while the iron was hot after the Norwegian star's success on the soundtrack for Titanic and million-seller "Prince Igor" with rapper Warren G.

Arne Svare won't say when the new album will be ready and in record stores.

"The only thing I can say with certainty is that it will happen within the course of this millenium," joked Svare, with clear reference to the fact that it's been six years since Sissel last released a studio album.

"It's not true that Sissel is not working hard on her career. Sissel's career is long-term. She is not a pop act that will explode," remarked Svare to VG earlier this year. Then it had been two years since she began working on the album which has now been put on ice, in all likelihood dropped.

Verdens Gang and The Sissel Website -- 13. April 2000

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