Salem Al Fakir

Fakir worked across singer-songwriter, composer, singer, record producer and songwriter and 1 further recorded occupations. The registers place that work in pop music. This article rests on 99 catalogued compositions, 16 issued recordings and 11 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Birth Name — Lars Salem Al Fakir • Born — 27 October 1981 • Birthplace — Huddinge, Sweden • Alias — * Lagola • Damien Adore • Genre — * Pop • dance • EDM • soul • jazz • Occupation — * Musician • singer • songwriter • record producer • Instrument — * Vocals • piano • guitar • bass • keyboard • drums • violin • Years Active — 2006–present • Website — vargasandlagola.com

Salem Al Fakir's father Nabil is of Syrian origin and originated from Damascus, whereas his mother, Inger, is from Sweden. Salem is the fourth of six siblings (Aminah, Ayman, Nassim, Salem, Sami and Fares). He learned to play violin at the age of four and subsequently toured Russia as a solo violinist at the age of fourteen, but returned to Sweden to study jazz piano. As a student he attended the Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm. In the autumn of 2006, Al Fakir released his first EP Dream Girl. He is most famous for his chart topping albums This Is Who I Am (2007), Astronaut (2009) and Ignore This (2010). At the Swedish Grammy Awards in 2008 he won big – taking home four awards and being nominated in seven categories. • Illustration — Al Fakir performing in 2007 He took part in Melodifestivalen 2010, the Swedish national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2010, with "Keep On Walking" and finished in second place.

After his solo career, Al Fakir became more focused on the songwriting. Beginning to collaborate with Avicii on "Silhouettes" in 2012. Among the first co-writes with Vincent Pontare are Avicii's 2013 Billboard Hot 100 single "Hey Brother" and "Younger" by Seinabo Sey. At the 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards, Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Magnus Lidehäll were awarded Composer of the Year after writing for Veronica Maggio's album Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig and the Petter album Början på allt, and work with artists like Galantis. In 2014 he wrote numerous songs on Mapei's album Hey Hey and Avicii's "The Days" and "Divine Sorrow" (with Wyclef Jean). Al Fakir followed up with another successful year in 2015 co-writing most songs on Seinabo Sey's highly acclaimed debut album Pretend and songs for Madonna's Rebel Heart album. Vargas & Lagola have co-written some of the biggest hits by Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso – "More Than You Know", "Sun Is Shining", "Dreamer" and more - taken from their 2017 album More Than You Know. The duo have also contributed to two songs on Swedish rock band Ghost's Billboard 200-charting and Grammy Award-nominated album Prequelle, including the album's second single "Dance Macabre" which topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart. In 2018, the same moment as Vargas & Lagola blazed onto the alternative pop scene with the hit single "Roads", they shared the no.1 spot as Sweden's most streamed songwriters for songs including Avicii – "Without You (feat. Sandro Cavazza)" and "Waiting For Love". After working closely with Avicii for several years, Al Fakir and Pontare played a key role in finishing up the 2019 posthumous Avicii album TIM and are featured artists on three of the album songs. On 5 December 2019, Vargas & Lagola performed at Avicii's Tribute Concert in Stockholm. Vargas & Lagola's debut album The Butterfly Effect was released in January 2020.

• Year — Album — Peak positions • SWE • 2006 — Dream Girl (EP) — — • 2007 — This Is Who I Am — 1 • 2009 — Astronaut — 7 • 2010 — Ignore This — 1

• Single — Year — Peak positions — Album • SWE • "Dream Girl" — 2006 — 25 — This Is Who I Am • "Good Song" — 36 • "This Is Who I Am" — 2007 — 43 • "It's True" (with Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso) — 38 • "It's Only You, Part 2" — 2008 — 41 — Astronaut • "Astronaut" — 2009 — 34 • "Roxy" — — • "Keep On Walking" — 2010 — 3 — Ignore This • "4 O'Clock" — 49 • "Split My Personality" — — • "I'm So Happy" (featuring Josephine Bornebusch) — 2011 — —

• Single — Year — Peak positions — Certification — Album • SWE • "Silhouettes" (Avicii) — 2012 — 11 — * GLF: 3× Platinum * ARIA: Gold * BPI: Silver — Non-album single • "You Make Me" (Avicii) — 2013 — 1 — * GLF: 4× Platinum * ARIA: Platinum * FIMI: Gold * IFPI NOR: 2× Platinum * BPI: Gold * RIAA: Gold — True • "Something New" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) — 2014 — 20 — *GLF: 2× Platinum * FIMI: Gold — More Than You Know • "On My Way" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) — 2015 — 18 — * GLF: 2× Platinum • "Sun Is Shining" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) — 1 — *GLF: 4× Platinum * FIMI: Gold * ZPAV: Gold • "Renegade" (Axwell Λ Ingrosso) — 2017 — —

• Year — Artist — Title — Album • | 2012 — Avicii — "Silhouettes" — Non-album single • 2013 — Avicii — "You Make Me" — True • "Hey Brother" • 2014 — Galantis — "Smile" — Galantis (EP) • "Help" • Mapei — "Blame It On Me" — Hey Hey • "As 1" • "Second to None" • "Step Up" • Wyclef Jean — "Divine Sorrow" (featuring Avicii) — Non-album single • Avicii — "The Days" — The Days/Nights • 2015 — Madonna — "HeartBreakCity" — Rebel Heart • "Wash All Over Me" • "Messiah" • "Rebel Heart" • Galantis — "Kill 'Em with the Love" — Pharmacy • "Call If You Need Me" • Avicii — "Waiting For Love" — Stories • Seinabo Sey — "Younger" — Pretend • "Poetic" • "Hard Time" • "Easy" • "Words" • "Sorry" • "Still" • "Ruin" • "Burial" • "Pistols At Dawn" • | 2016 — MishCatt — "Another Dimension" — Highlighter • 2017 — | Johnossi — "On A Roll" — Blood Jungle • Avicii — "Friend Of Mine" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) — Avīci (01) • "Without You" (featuring Sandro Cavazza) • Toby Randall — "Hold Me Down" — ONE. • Axwell Λ Ingrosso — "More Than You Know" — More Than You Know • "Something New" • "This Time" • "Renegade" • "Sun Is Shining" • "On My Way" • "Dreamer" • Axwell — "Barricade" • 2018 — Seinabo Sey — "I Love You" — I'm a Dream • "Never Get Used To" • "I Owe You Nothing" • "Breathe" • "Good In You" • Ghost — "Dance Macabre" — Prequelle • "Life Eternal" • MagnusTheMagnus — "It Don't Impress Me" (featuring Madi Banja) — rowspan="2" Non-album single • "Calling" (featuring KIDDO) • David Guetta — "Light Headed" (with Sia) — 7 • RØMANS — "Glitter & Gold" — Non-album single • Salvatore Ganacci — "Kill A Soundboy" (featuring Nailah Blackman) — Non-album single • 2019 — Gryffin — "You Remind Me" (featuring Stanaj) — Gravity • Frank Walker & Astrid S — "Only When It Rains" — Non-album single • PRETTYMUCH — "Eyes Off You" — Phases - EP • Avicii — "Peace Of Mind" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) — TIM • "Tough Love" (featuring Agnes, Vargas & Lagola) • "Excuse Me Mr Sir" (featuring Vargas & Lagola) • Otto Knows — "About You" — Non-album single • Ghost — "Kiss The Go-Goat" — Seven Inches of Satanic Panic • "Mary On A Cross" • Agnes — "Intro" — Nothing Can Compare • "I Trance" • "Not Dangerous" • "Interlude (What Is Wrong)" • "Limelight" • "Interlude (I Like To Sing)" • "Nothing Can Compare" • Mapei — "Ether" — Sensory Overload • 2020 — Galantis — "Steel" — Church • "Unless It Hurts" • "Never Felt A Love Like This" (with Hook n Sling featuring Dotan) • Agnes — "Goodlife" — Non-album single • Lady Gaga — "Sine from Above" (with Elton John) — Chromatica • 2022 — Ghost — "Twenties" — Impera • 2025 — "Peacefield" "Satanized" — Skeletá

• Year — Artist — Title — Album • 2013 — Veronica Maggio — "Sergels torg" — Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig • "Jag lovar" • "Hela huset" (featuring Håkan Hellström) • "Va kvar" • "Låtsas som det regnar" • "Hädanefter" • "Dallas" • "Bas gillar hörn" • "I min bil" • Petter — "Mighty" (featuring Newkid) — Början på allt • "Början på allt" (featuring Eye N'I) • "April" • "Håll om mig" (featuring Daniel Adams-Ray) • "Tills döden skiljer oss åt" • "King" (featuring Lilla Namo) • "Maj" • "Arbete" • "Alla vet" (featuring Agnes) • "Fristad" • "Juni" • "Sitter på en dröm" • "Minnen del II" • "Släpp mig fri" • 2016 — Veronica Maggio — "Den första är alltid gratis" — Den första är alltid gratis • "Vi mot världen" • "Pang pang" • 2018 — Petter — "Kliv på!" (featuring Eye N'I) — Lev nu • "Lev nu dö sen" (featuring Vargas & Lagola)

Salem Al Fakir was born on 27 October 1981 in Botkyrka parish. Fakir held the nationality of Sweden. Recorded sibling: Nassim Al Fakir and Aminah Al Fakir. Fakir worked as singer-songwriter, composer, singer and record producer, and the authority record catalogues a further 2 occupations under the same name, among them songwriter and lyricist. Fakir was active from 2006. The fields Fakir worked in include pop music. Fakir played the guitar, the voice, the violin and the piano. Fakir worked in Swedish.

• Year — Awards — Category — Nomination — Outcome — Ref. • 2007 — The Swedish MPA Awards — Best Newcomer — Himself — rowspan="8" • The Monica Zetterlund Scholarship — Young and Promising Artist — Himself • SKAP Anniversary Award — - — Himself • 2008 — Expressen Kultur - Spelmannen — - — Himself • Swedish Grammy Awards — Composer of the Year — Himself • Male artist of the Year — Himself • Producer of the Year — Himself • Newcomer of the Year — Himself • Song of The Year — "Good Song" — rowspan="9" • Album of The Year — "This Is Who I Am" • Lyricist of the Year — Himself • P3 Guld — Best Male Artist — Himself • Best New Artist — Himself • 2010 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Composer of the Year — Himself • Male Artist of the Year — Himself • 2011 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Song of the Year — "Keep On Walking" • Male Artist of the Year — Himself • 2014 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Composer of the Year — Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) • The Swedish MPA Awards — International Success of the Year — Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) • 2015 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Best Children's Album — Himself (with Glada Hudik-Teatern & Pontus De Wolfe) • Composer of the Year — Himself (with Vincent Pontare & Magnus Lidehäll) — rowspan="4" • The Swedish MPA Awards — International Success of the Year — Himself (with Vincent Pontare) • | 2016 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Composer of the Year — Himself (with Vincent Pontare, Magnus Lidehäll & Seinabo Sey) • | 2018 — Swedish Grammy Awards — Composer of the Year — Vargas & Lagola