Album Review: ‘Unforgettable’ by Marcus & Martinus

The album opens with its title track, which has garnered millions of streams since it won Melodifestivalen in early March. A solid pop track, produced by seasoned producers and songwriters Jimmy Joker and Joy Debb, it talks about a girl who is dangerous, yet ‘unforgettable’. The entire track is set to a catchy beat and features several beat drops throughout. Especially the post-chorus leaves room for a little dance break, while Martinus repeats how “she’s unforgettable”. 

‘Unforgettable’ is not the only song the twins attempted to represent Sweden with at Eurovision. In 2023, they came second with the song ‘Air’ – which also features on this album. It has the same songwriters and producers, making the two songs sound like a part of the same story. ‘Air’ is a little more of an innocent love song, with Martinus singing that “we’ll never give up as long as we got each other” in the pre-chorus. Similar to ‘Unforgettable’, the track features a beat drop in the post-chorus however, this one is less robotic sounding and rather more polished, with claps and drums noticeable in the background. 

In between these two singles, the track ‘Love Flow’ can be found. This song was not written by the twins themselves, but instead bought from Norwegian songwriters who wrote not only an English version but also a Korean one, which is called ‘Want’ and is sung by Taemin. There has been a little controversy surrounding the two versions of the song and even though Marcus & Martinus do own the rights to ‘Love Flow’, they credit Taemin on their social media platforms. Regardless, the twins’ version is another perfect pop track. The bridge stands out a lot, as it features a robotic beat – similar to ‘Unforgettable’ – and distorted vocals. After the bridge, the first verse repeats before the beat drops one more time for the final chorus and post-chorus.  

The fourth track on the album is ‘Follow Me’, which opens with an extremely catchy summer beat that continues throughout. The instrumentals are way more prevalent in this one compared to the previous songs, making use of drums and guitars to really highlight that summer feeling. It is another love song and has quite a repetitive chorus, with the twins continuously singing the words “You should follow me” in what can be described as very laid-back, lo-fi vocals. 

The song is followed by ‘Give Me Your Love’, which fits within the same theme. It is a collaboration with Austrian DJ MEDUN, and opens with a short instrumental introduction overlayed with vocals that start out quiet but become louder right up until the first verse starts. The verses in this song are sung by Martinus, switching to Marcus for the pre-choruses, and both sing the choruses. Like ‘Follow Me’, the chorus of ‘Give Me Your Love’ is mostly a repetition of the song’s title. In the second verse, Martinus sings “Girl, you’re making me insane” which ties back to the lyrics of the title track ‘Unforgettable’. So far, all five songs on the album talk about being or falling in love and wanting to be with the girl you have laid your eyes on. 

This changes in the track ‘Talk’, which is actually a break-up piano ballad. While many of the songs on this album were released, or at least written, earlier, this one sounds a lot more mature and even manages to highlight some beautiful lyricism. “The stars leave me blind when I look in your eyes” is sung in the pre-chorus for example. The track talks about still being in love with your partner and wanting to talk over whatever happened between the two of you. From the second verse onwards, the beat of a drum sounds in the background, making the song build up prettily. “I’ll leave the light on, in case you come home” they sing, highlighting the hope that the relationship is not entirely over yet. 

Another track in which the lyrics stand out a lot is ‘When All the Lights Go Out’, which was originally released in May 2022. The track opens with the line “Imagine a world where no one knows my name” and talks about how constantly being in the spotlight and chasing your dreams within the music industry can be quite sad and lonely. The first verse is quite slow, but the signature pop beat enters from the pre-chorus onwards. In the chorus, the boys wonder “Who’s gonna be there to wipe the tears I cry?”. While the music is very upbeat, the lyrics are definitely the saddest on the album and showcase how there is more to the twins than just positivity and love songs. 

Another song Marcus & Martinus released back in 2022 is their cover of ‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak. This is the only fully piano-based track on the album, and while it is not their own song, the twins did manage to spin it to fit their body of work. It’s haunting in the way the piano goes together with their deep vocals and really stands out on the album highlighting their vocal abilities. 

The ninth track on the album is a final new song called ‘Die For You’, which is the only song besides ‘Love Flow’ and the cover of ‘Wicked Game’ that the artists did not co-write. It goes back to the beginning of the album with its intense beat and sensual love theme. In the first verse, the girl the song is about is described as a “devil in disguise”, again returning to the idea that love and the person you are in love with can be something dangerous. For this track again the beat drops in the post-chorus, where high-pitched vocals overlayed with effects repeat the words “I would die for you”. 

For ‘We Are Not the Same’, Marcus & Martinus collaborated with Canadian rapper bbno$, making it the only song on the album that fits the trap genre. The song opens with the first chorus sung by Marcus, referencing Drake’s ‘Know Yourself’ in the lyric “Runnin’ through the city with my woes”. The track then moves into the first verse, making it clear that this song too is about a complicated relationship in which the other person “loves the mind games”, with the singer stating that he is not so much interested in the girl herself as her looks. The second verse exists of bbno$’s rap, talking – or bragging – about girls and being rich. In the live version of the song, the second verse is replaced by Martinus’ version of this rap – with lots of fans wishing they would release this on streaming services as well. 

The final track on the album is the single ‘247356’ which must be read as 24/7, 365 (days a year). Another poppy love song, featuring lots of repetition and filler, with the twins singing “La-la-la-la, boom boom, bao” throughout the track while a catchy beat plays. It is a fun song to end the album with, but it does not really stand out lyrically or instrumentally. However, it does fit the vibe of the record and is a playful way to close it all. 

All in all, the twins have managed to create a solid pop album perfect for the summer with lots of catchy tunes. Major stand-outs are the break-up ballad ‘Talk’, the personal ‘When All the Lights Go Out’ and the trap-infused ‘We Are Not the Same’. Marcus & Martinus will be embarking on the second part of their EU tour in 2025, which is named after their single with bbno$. While not all of these songs are lyrical masterpieces, the fact that the twins are amazing performers will definitely make up for that during the coming live shows.