En gång i tiden (transl.Once Upon a Time) is the second studio album by Swedish singer Benjamin Ingrosso, released on 15 January 2021 by TEN Music Group. Ingrosso's first album in Swedish, he is credited as a co-producer on every song.[1][2] Dealing with themes of love, friendship, and childhood, Ingrosso described the album as an homage to 1990s pop,[3] with influences from Orup, Mauro Scocco, and Lisa Nilsson.[4][5] In mid-2020, Ingrosso was a contestant on the Swedish music reality series Så mycket bättre; two of his covers from the series are included on the track listing, including "Långsamt farväl", originally by Nilsson.[3] The lyrics of "Längst inne i mitt huvud" were taken from a poem by Swedish writer Barbro Lindgren.[2] "Flickan på min gata", written when Ingrosso was 12–13 years old,[4][6] was released as a single on 11 January 2021.[7]
En gång i tiden received mixed reviews from domestic music critics. In a review for Dagens Nyheter, the album's modern pop sound was praised, but criticism was aimed at the vocals' use of Auto-Tune and the lyrics' lack of emotion.[2] A reviewer for Nöjesguiden noted the memorable lyrics and nostalgic sound but found the album lacked a common theme.[5]Aftonbladet and Gaffa both highlighted Ingrosso's maturity in recording Swedish-language songs compared to his English-language debut in 2018, noting the more personal subject matter of their lyrics.[1][14] A two-star review from Borås Tidning praised Ingrosso's songwriting but felt that the album's tracks were "safe", unexciting, and not memorable.[13]
^ abLarsson, Ronny (21 December 2020). "Briljanta Benjamin" [Brilliant Benjamin]. QX (in Swedish). No. 304 (published January 2021). pp. 42–43. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
