Wonder Woman of the Week: Aurora

Happy Wednesday, everyone! This week's Wonder Woman is a singer who's entranced countless audiences with the vocals of a Nordic siren. Combining pop traditions with Nordic folk styles, this week's spotlight has blended ancient and modern into a musical act that has delivered the voices of the past in the present to create a new future for the industry. Aurora Aksnes was born in 1996 in Norway to parents were were a midwife and a garage door salesman. Later in her childhood, Aksnes' family moved to a remote town in northern Norway with few cars where the young girl developed a connection to the forest.

After finding an old electronic piano in her parents attic, Aurora Aksnes began playing piano at about the same time she began participating in competitive modern dance- performing at several folk festivals throughout her childhood throughout Norway. Success didn't come immediately though, as Aksnes reported her first job was washing a pizza place before she began her musical career. In high school, Aurora began recording music she personally wrote- even performing a song of her own composition for her high school graduation. When one of her classmates uploaded a copy of one of her privately recorded, self-written songs online- much to the artist's anger- the world listened. A music talent agency in Norway got in contact with the young girl in 2013 and had to approach her twice before Aurora agreed to a record deal.

Aurora's first two albums were a 2-part series titled Running with the Wolves and All My Demons Greeting Me as Friends. Both were breakout successes- attracting attention on BBC Radio in the UK. From there, Aurora's music funneled into the rest of the world, and her music began spreading throughout the international market. Following the success of the two albums, Aurora launched an international tour in 2016 before heading back to Europe to begin work on a third album. Over the next four years, Aurora released two more albums expanding on her previous work through two major sources of her musical inspiration- Leonard Cohen and Bjork. Aurora also harnesses the sounds of nature in her music in a tradition used for centuries in Nordic folk music and in the rapidly growing popularity of Nordic folk rock music. More important however may be the message the young artists aims to convey with her audiences. Aurora's music is intended to instill a message among listeners that sadness can be a health emotion to feel and that her music is intended to establish a sense of liberating sadness with a critical message of hope.

Outside of her music, Aurora is a public advocate for LGBTQ+ and women's rights and environmental activism. The young artist has also participated in several philanthropic activities including online concerts promotion social justice causes, music festivals promoting environmental activism, and international musical events spotlighting lesser known artists from often overlooked corners of the world. What makes Aurora a Wonder Woman is not just her unique vocal skills as a musician introducing the sounds of Nordic nature into electro-pop, but her powerful work in advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ Community, of women and girls, and of groups of people across the world often ignored by mainstream media.