Mattias Hellberg
A chameleonic Swedish musician whose soulful voice and eclectic taste have made him a sought-after collaborator across rock, pop, and country scenes.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Swedish musician·Birthday: June 13·Generation X
Biography
Mattias Hellberg is the secret ingredient in a vast array of Swedish music. Less a frontman and more a musical journeyman, his career is defined by a rich, resonant voice and a refusal to be pigeonholed. He first turned heads as the dynamic singer for the rock band The Hellacopters side project 'The Soundtrack of Our Lives', but his true nature is that of a collaborator. He has lent his talents to artists as diverse as the melancholic country of The Cardigans' Nina Persson, the garage rock of The Hives' Randy Fitzsimmons, and the pop craftsmanship of Salem Al Fakir. Hellberg moves through genres with an effortless authenticity, building a respected, if under-the-radar, legacy as one of Sweden's most versatile musical voices.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Mattias was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mattias Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Mattias's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the lead vocalist for the influential Swedish rock band The Hellacopters' side project and later his own group, The Hellbergs.
- Contributed vocals and songwriting to multiple albums by Nina Persson of The Cardigans for her solo project A Camp.
- Has been a frequent studio and touring collaborator with a wide spectrum of prominent Swedish artists across rock, pop, and alternative genres.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of musician and producer Joakim Hellberg.
Hellberg provided backing vocals on The Hives' 2004 album 'Tyrannosaurus Hives'.
He has a parallel musical project that explores more country and folk-oriented sounds.
Beyond singing, he is also a skilled guitarist and harmonica player.
“I lend my voice to the song, not the other way around.”
