Album out now: Lukas Graham "Good Times"

Three-time GRAMMY Award-nominated, multi-platinum artist Lukas Graham returns with his new album Good Times, a deeply personal project that sees the Danish singer-songwriter reconnect with the Irish heritage and musical traditions that formed the soundtrack to his childhood.

Known around the world for turning intimate life experiences into universally resonant songs, Lukas once again puts storytelling at the heart of his music. On Good Times, he draws inspiration from the sounds, memories and sense of community connected to his Irish roots, while reflecting on friendship, loss, love and the moments that ultimately shape a life.

At the emotional centre of the album is its focus track, “Before You Go”, a song Lukas wrote many years ago for his close friend Thomas.

Thomas was chronically ill, and Lukas and their group of friends knew that his life would likely be shorter than theirs. Determined to make the most of their time together, Lukas invited Thomas on tour, allowing the two friends to share some of the extraordinary experiences that came with Lukas' rapidly growing career.

When Lukas first played “Before You Go” for Thomas, his friend told him he didn't like it. Lukas subsequently promised that he would neither release nor perform the song while Thomas was alive.

As Thomas' health deteriorated, however, he sent Lukas a message admitting that he had grown to love the song and asking him to perform it at his funeral. Lukas kept his promise. Thomas' funeral became the first time “Before You Go” was ever performed in public, and Lukas has since carried his friend's memory with him by performing the song at every show.

The deeply personal story continues the remarkable songwriting tradition that has made Lukas Graham one of Denmark's biggest international music exports.

His global breakthrough arrived with his 2016 self-titled album and its defining single “7 Years.” The track became the highest-selling single by a debut artist that year and has since accumulated an extraordinary 3 billion global streams and achieved 7x Platinum status.

The success propelled Lukas Graham onto stages around the world, resulting in sold-out tours, widespread acclaim from publications including The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Billboard, and performances at some of music's biggest events, including the GRAMMY Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. At the latter, Lukas Graham was also nominated for Best New Artist.

His ability to transform deeply personal experiences into global songs continued with “Love Someone,” from 2018's 3 (The Purple Album). The multi-platinum hit has now surpassed 1 billion streams worldwide and accumulated 18x Platinum certifications across multiple continents.

With Good Times and the moving “Before You Go,” Lukas Graham returns to the qualities that have always defined his music: honesty, family, friendship and the belief that the most personal stories can often become the most universal.