Hjerteknuser (3:20)

“Hjerteknuser” (“Heartbreaker”) was written by Janove Ottesen, and is the second single from Kaizers Orchestra’s sixth studio album, Violeta Violeta Volume I. It was first mentioned in a series of press releases on the band’s website chronicling the recording sessions of the first and second albums in the trilogy. Mats Borch Bugge, a radio host for the Norwegian radio station P3, described the song as their “…biggest song ever. Kaizers reach their apex 10 years into their career.”

As part of an unprecedented promotional stunt, before releasing the single, Kaizers Orchestra released the official notation and lyrics to the song, inviting unsigned talent to record their own cover version of the song, promising the winner an official release of their version on their proprietary Kaizerecords label, as well as a run as a support act for Kaizers Orchestra concerts in 2011. Over a hundred different versions were uploaded onto Urørt, a website dedicated to showcasing unknown artists, which would be meticulously judged by Ottesen and Geir Zahl.

The contest winner, Moi, was announced on 27 October 2010; the same radio broadcast featured the world premiere of Kaizers Orchestra’s own version of “Hjerteknuser”. Subsequently, the runner-ups, rOlfFa and Asiago, were granted permission to release their own versions. This promotional campaign was later given an award for “Best Communication Strategy” at the award show Gulltaggen.