Erling Haaland is making headlines away from football this week. While the Norway striker continues his country’s historic run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an old rap song he recorded as a teenager has climbed to No. 1 on Spotify in Norway. The song, called Kygo Jo, was originally released in 2016 when Haaland was just 15 years old. He recorded it with fellow Norway youth internationals Erik Botheim and Erik Tobias Sandberg under the group name Flow Kingz.
A decade later, the track has found a new audience after Norwegian DJ Kygo released a remix during Norway’s World Cup campaign. According to ESPN, Kygo had promised to remix the song if Haaland scored against Brazil in the Round of 16. Haaland then scored both goals in Norway’s 2-1 win, helping his country reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.
Erling Haaland’s old rap song returns
It started as a fun teenage project and has now become one of the biggest break hits in Norway. The original music video for Kygo Jo, uploaded to YouTube in 2016, shows a young Haaland and his friends performing the track in a homemade video.
The song stayed largely forgotten for years, but Norway’s impressive World Cup journey brought fresh attention to it. Interest grew even more when Kygo followed through on his promise and released a new remix after Haaland’s match-winning performance against Brazil.
{{/usCountry}}The song stayed largely forgotten for years, but Norway’s impressive World Cup journey brought fresh attention to it. Interest grew even more when Kygo followed through on his promise and released a new remix after Haaland’s match-winning performance against Brazil.
{{/usCountry}}The remix gained momentum on streaming platforms. ESPN reported that it rose to the top spot on Spotify’s Norway chart, giving Haaland an unexpected achievement outside football.
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A chart-topper during World Cup run
Haaland is already one of the biggest stars of the 2026 World Cup. The Manchester City forward has played a major role in Norway’s best-ever World Cup performance, leading the team into the quarterfinals and putting himself among the tournament’s leading scorers.
Now, he is also attracting attention in the music world. Fans have revisited the original video in large numbers, while the remix continues to gain listeners across Norway. The unusual crossover between football and music has added another layer to Haaland’s growing popularity during the tournament.
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Norway’s next challenge comes against England in the quarterfinals. If Haaland continues his strong form and Norway extends its dream run, the popularity of Kygo Jo could rise even further. For now, though, Haaland owns a No. 1 record that has nothing to do with goals, trophies or football statistics.