Paulina Loutchko, a member of Kent The Fans, will attend all six reunion concerts.
There is a sense of security in their music because it has been a big part of one's life for many years. I have met many of my closest friends through them.
What is your finest Kent memory?
A tour premiere in Helsinki in 2012 was special because it was very unexpected, so good and well done. Then you really felt "wow, this is my favorite band". Then the "last" show has a special place. I saw all 28 shows in the last round.
What is your favorite song?
One of my favorites is "Beskyddaren" from "Hagnesta Hill".
Why do you think so many people like Kent?
Even though Kent always sounds like Kent, they have constantly developed their sound. There is an album that suits every person.
Mom's Tip
Joline Wahlström, 19 years old, will attend the concerts on Friday and Tuesday:
How did you discover Kent?
I started listening to them in 2020 after my mom showed me "Socker" and "Kräm". After that, I was completely hooked and Kent has been number one on all my "Spotify wrapped" since then.
What does the music mean to you?
It's the music I can listen to regardless of how I'm feeling. Their songs manage to reflect situations and emotions in one's own life. Regardless of where you are and how you feel, their music can always match it.
What is your best Kent memory?
The time before I was going to take my graduation exam and listened a lot to "Mannen i den vita hatten". I could relate so much to that song and just felt that everything would work out in the end, it did for Jocke too.
What is your favorite song right now?
You can't ask a Kent fan that! But today I've listened a lot to "Det kanske kommer en förändring". Later in the evening when I want to get ready to go out, it's "Glasäpplen".
"Argued with Myself"
Tom Sjöstedt, chef and restaurateur at Lilla Ego in Stockholm, and jury member in "Sweden's Master Chef". Will attend "privately" on Saturday and with work on Sunday's concert:
When did you discover Kent?
1995 when they released their first single "När det blåser på månen". Then the album came and I was hooked. It was the music itself that did it, the melodies and the guitars, the sound. It was incredible.
Why did you name your restaurant Lilla Ego?
We were two chefs who all thought we had big egos and then it felt incredibly fitting with that name. That it was also part of a Kent song was a little fun, you could play on it.
You have a playlist at the restaurant with 105 Kent songs – do you and your staff never get tired of the music?
The fun thing is that they're all becoming Kent fans. None of them liked Kent when they started, but now they're humming the songs. So there's something for everyone, apparently.
Will you attend the concerts?
Yes, absolutely. You've really argued with yourself about this reunion and it was very difficult in the beginning, but now I've landed in it and accepted it.
I assume your favorite song has shifted over the years?
It's not possible to have a favorite song, really, but I'm very weak for "Gravitation" and "Musik non stop".
All in the Choir Cried
Carolina Wallin Pérez sang with Kent during their farewell tour and has released an album with her own Kent interpretations. This spring, she will do a jubilee tour for the album, something she decided on before it became clear that Kent would reunite.
How many Kent concerts will you sing at now?
All six. We're ready.
What does their music mean to you?
A lot, I released my album in 2009, it was lovingly received and has made a big impact on my career. I always say that the lyrics are the primary thing, they're the central thing. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes a little more complicated. It's also a bit of nostalgia – I was a big fan when I was in high school.
Tell me about your finest Kent memory?
The most powerful was in 2015 at Bråvalla when I sang with them. There were a lot of people, 50,000 people, and my little short mom was standing right at the front by the barrier. It was both powerful and nice. On the farewell tour, the last concert, we played a song we never played otherwise, "December", it was fragile and nice and everyone in the choir cried.
What is your favorite Kent song?
"Utan dina andetag" has meant the most to me, many people get in touch and say it's important, they have it at their weddings, sometimes I've sung it at funerals too. You can interpret it in different ways, it can be sad or happy. But it's a song to an important person – I've sung it at a funeral for a nine-month-old baby.
"A Glimmer of Light in Difficult Times"
Ulf Kristersson (M), Prime Minister, will attend one of Kent's concerts – which one is still a secret:
There are different opinions about reunions, but I really look forward to seeing and hearing Kent live again. I've followed them since the start in our common old hometown Eskilstuna in 1995. Kent's music has since then been a companion, from my old Sony Walkman on my jogging route, via various mp3 players to iPhone and Airpods – and now back to vinyl.
What does their music mean to you?
A part of Kent's music is often said to contain elements of Swedish melancholy, the band's reunion nine years later is also a glimmer of light in these difficult times.
What is your favorite Kent song?
All Kent fans have their own list of Kent's best songs. Now the question remains whether I and all the other 230,000 who will attend one of the concerts will get to hear just my favorite Kent song: "VinterNoll2".
Note: Ulf Kristersson answered TT's questions via email.
