Icelandic duo VÆB are having one of those rare breakout runs that feels less like a slow build and more like a full-on launch. Fresh off the viral and critical impact of Eurovision standout ‘RÓA’, the brothers Matthias David Matthiasson and Halfdan Helgi Matthiasson are now stepping into a new era with debut album VÆBOUT and lead single ‘Gimme More’, and it all feels very intentionally turned up to maximum.
‘Gimme More’ is playful from the outset, but not in a throwaway way. What started life as a tongue-in-cheek parody of an early-2000s Icelandic boyband concept has been reworked into something far more self-aware and sonically ambitious. The duo keep the original melodic DNA intact but speed it up, twist the production, and land somewhere between electro-swing energy and modern hyper-pop polish. It shouldn’t quite work on paper, but in practice it absolutely does.
There’s a real sense of personality driving everything VÆB do. Part of that comes from their background, raised in a musical household, trained on trumpet and drums respectively, and clearly unafraid of leaning into both musicianship and chaos. That balance shows up here in the way ‘Gimme More’ moves: tightly constructed, but never overly serious about itself. It’s catchy, a bit eccentric, and fully aware of how to push a hook without sanding off its edges.
Their rise over the past year has been hard to ignore. ‘RÓA’ didn’t just win Iceland’s Söngvakeppnin, it dominated it, before becoming one of the most streamed and Shazamed Eurovision entries of its cycle. Since then, their live shows across the UK and Europe have only reinforced the sense that this isn’t just a studio project built for streaming, but a proper live act with a growing, highly engaged fanbase.
What makes VÆBOUT feel interesting is that it doesn’t seem to be chasing a single lane. Between earlier releases like ‘Þetta reddast’ and ‘GAMERBOI’, collaborations in gaming culture, and now this electro-swing-pop curveball, VÆB are clearly building a world rather than just a rollout. ‘Gimme More’ sits right in the middle of that, fun, slightly unpredictable, but still very controlled in its ambition.
If VÆBOUT is the statement of intent, then ‘Gimme More’ is the invitation in. And it’s a pretty hard one to ignore.
