Music & Arts

3 of Our Favorite José González Tunes

With nearly 3.4 million listeners each month on Spotify, José González is a favorite worldwide.

The indie folk singer-songwriter born and raised in Gothenburg, Sweden and known for his soothing voice and guitar has released three albums, each of which reached the Top 10 in Sweden. He’s also struck a chord in Australia and the United Kingdom, and his third album, “Vestiges & Claws” was his first to hit U.S. charts, peaking at No. 72. You may recognize his music from the “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” soundtrack or him from appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

González started his career in music in a hardcore punk band called Back Against the Wall, later debuting his solo release in 2003. Today he continues to write and produce music as a solo artist and with Junip¸ a Swedish folk rock duo with Tobias Winterkorn.

Here are three of our favorites from the musical sensation that is José González.

“Stay Alive”

“Stay Alive” has more than 10 million views on YouTube. The song first aired in 2013 on the Soundtrack for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and plays during the end credits. González also contributed five songs to the soundtrack as a solos artist and with Junip.

“Heartbeats”

This cover, originally by The Knife, is one of González’s most recognized songs. It debuted on his studio album “Veneer” in 2003 and later peaked at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart in 2006 when he released it as a single.

“Crosses”

“Crosses” was written by González and appeared on his first EP and then his first studio album “Veneer.” Crosses also was used for the soundtrack in a 2015 video game called “Life is Strange.”