{"id":117081,"date":"2025-08-28T22:50:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117081\/"},"modified":"2025-08-28T22:50:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T22:50:11","slug":"omar-rudberg-features-in-wonderlands-20th-anniversary-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117081\/","title":{"rendered":"Omar Rudberg Features in Wonderland’s 20th Anniversary Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Netflix superstardom ticked off, the Young Royals alum is vying for the crown in pop\u2019s history books\u2026and then some.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OmarOmar wears full look DSQUARED2. <\/p>\n

Omar Rudberg is toying with the idea of a new side hustle. \u201cIf I had the time\u2026\u201d the singer, songwriter, actor and beauty brand founder prefaces, \u201cit would be cool to open up a really chic caf\u00e9 or boutique somewhere.\u201d It wouldn\u2019t be some cookie-cutter establishment, but the it-spot in town. \u201cI would want everyone to go there and everyone to want to be there because it\u2019s the place,\u201d the Stockholm-based 26-year-old says. The problem is, despite the sprawling Northern Hemisphere days of his city \u2013 when we catch up over the summer \u2013 hours are still something Omar Rudberg\u2019s short on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our video call is wedged in the middle of a day devoted to chores. At the moment, he\u2019s relaxed \u2013 sat in his bedroom, sporting a white cami, his cherry-cola locks in an orderly tousle. However, laundry, the gym and packing await. Tomorrow he\u2019s bound for a gig at Gothenburg\u2019s Way Out West festival. Having the diary space to fill with shows and everything else that comes with his primary passion \u2013 making fully-loaded, arena-sized pop \u2013 is still a reality Omar\u2019s getting used to. Until last year, he was juggling pop stardom with a three-season run as the co-lead of Netflix\u2019s Swedish sleeper hit queer drama, Young Royals. \u201cI used to not really have the time to be in the studio that much,\u201d he explains. \u201cSo now I\u2019m just locked in.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show saw the turbulent, inter-class romance of Omar\u2019s Simon and Edvin Ryding\u2019s Wilhelm \u2013 a fictional Swedish Prince \u2013 beamed into the homes of teenagers the world over, decreeing international fame upon its leads in the process.There are now over 2M followers on Instagram and TikTok, respectively, following Omar\u2019s daily movements. He also has a sell-out genderless fragrance line, OMR Beauty, to his name. \u201cThe show was a huge part of my life,\u201d he reflects. \u201cNow that it\u2019s over, it feels like thousands of years ago, but at the same time, it feels like yesterday.\u201d However, \u201cMy biggest dream has always been to do music.\u201d It\u2019s how life in the public eye \u2013 in Sweden, at least \u2013 began for Omar, just seven years after he and his mum emigrated to the country from his Venezuelan birthplace, Anaco. As one quarter of teenage boyband FO&O, Omar opened for Justin Bieber for three Stockholm dates in 2013, releasing a string of singles and an album before the group\u2019s 2017 disbandment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OmarOmar wears jacket ARASCKA; jeans HOPE; ring CARTIER<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dream has always been to become the artist I aspire to be,\u201d Omar continues. \u201cTo do sick songs with sick artists. And tour\u2026 definitely tour.\u201d The past year has seen him ticking off those goals in the way he\u2019ll be firing through today\u2019s To-Do list later. Last October, he released EP \u201cEvery Night Fantasy\u201d, his solo major label debut. He followed up in February with cosmic gender fluidity anthem, \u201cI\u2019m Not A Boy\u201d, coinciding with his 18-date inaugural European tour. \u201cThat was the craziest experience I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d he beams. He wants to hit the road again, \u201cbut I can\u2019t talk about it yet\u2026\u201d His current international run of festival dates means he\u2019s still having essential face-to-face contact with fans, though. \u201cThat is what makes it all worth it. You get a high from that. And I know how it feels being a fan, being at a show and feeling so many things.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll be making a beeline for the pit when he\u2019s not onstage at Way Out West \u2013 specifically to see Charli xcx, MK.gee and Chappell Roan. \u201cAfter my show it\u2019s Chappell,\u201d he smiles, \u201cso I\u2019m definitely partying.\u201d When it comes to his own set, taking his next track for a spin \u2013 stark, vintage power ballad \u201cDying\u201d \u2013 is a top priority. \u201c[Fan reactions] are like candy for me,\u201d Omar says. Whenever he releases a song or perfume, he finds himself glued to TikToks of fans critiquing his wares.\u201cI could scroll through them all night.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Any negative opinions of \u201cDying\u201d are unlikely to sway his conviction for the track, however. When a demo was sent to him, \u201cI didn\u2019t even finish the whole song. I just stopped after the verse, and I sent a message to my team and said, \u2018How can this song not be out yet? I feel like I\u2019m listening to a huge song that\u2019s been out for years.\u2019 The piano, the chords, the lyrics, the melody. Everything was just big and huge.\u201d His team agreed. So, \u201cI made sure that it was mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OmarOmar wears coat FAYETTE\/NORLING; boots CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN<\/p>\n

He\u2019s perhaps well-primed to spot a hit because his own childhood playlists were so concentrated in pop power players. \u201cI had a lot of eras in my life,\u201d he tells me. Lady Gaga was one, Whitney Houston another. \u201cRihanna definitely made my whole teenage life.\u201d And before he was opening up for Justin, Omar was simply a Belieber like much of his generation. \u201cJustin takes me back to those feelings and those young days,\u201d he says. He\u2019s currently hooked on his July seventh studio album, SWAG \u2013 \u201cLove, love, love.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The performance stripes of more recent pop breakthroughs have also turned Omar\u2019s head. He attended Tate McRae\u2019s Miss Possessive arena tour in June. The 22-year-old former professional dancer is her generation\u2019s flag-bearer for Y2K-indebted precision choreography (\u00e0 la Britney, Janet, J.Lo). \u201cHer dancers were just jaw-dropping,\u201d Omar says. \u201cI think dance in general is just so inspiring.\u201d It\u2019s the art form that most feeds his creativity when he\u2019s not listening to music.\u00a0 \u201cWhenever I can, I go to this dance showcase that is in a club here in Stockholm \u2013 twice, three times a year, maybe. I enjoy it so much. I just go and watch.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

When he\u2019s not taking in the Swedish capital\u2019s dance exploits, the pop history that seemingly courses through the city\u2019s waterways is also a wellspring of inspiration. \u201cThere\u2019s something about the melody here and the structure of a pop song that makes it pop,\u201d Omar muses. From ABBA, to synth-pop doyen Robyn and inescapable 21st century songwriter Max Martin (Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande) \u2013 the city rivals only London as a European capital of the genre. As an artist working there, can he put his finger on that Midas touch? \u201cIt\u2019s a hard question\u2026\u201d Maybe it\u2019s a product of escapism \u2013 \u201cEveryone\u2019s depressed here most of the time during the winter as it\u2019s so cold and dark,\u201d he ponders. On the flip side, \u201cThe summer here is incredible, so maybe that inspires everyone.\u201d Or \u201cMaybe it\u2019s the meatballs that everyone eats.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Omar<\/p>\n

\"Omar<\/p>\n

Left: Omar wears vest HOPE; trousers DIORMEN; boots DSQUARED2; earring SIF JAKOB. Right: Omar wears vest LINDA DEKHLA;trousers VERSACE; boots CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN; rings MURKY, ENNUI ATELIER.<\/p>\n

Whatever the secret ingredient is, it\u2019s evidently aiding the Swedish knack for Eurovision, too \u2013 the country ranks joint second in victories across the contest\u2019s almost 70-year history. The national selection process, Melodifestivalen \u2013 a televised, six-week-long, X Factor-style competition \u2013 was an entry point for Omar in the spectacle of performance. \u201cIt\u2019s almost culture in Sweden to watch it. It\u2019s just this cosy time in February, where winter is just horrific. When I was a kid, starting off, I took inspiration from the artists who were performing\u2026I loved their songs, and I sang their songs a lot. I dressed up like one of them.\u201d While now he looks for musical inspiration elsewhere, \u201cThat was when things started to spark a little bit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

FO&O would later make it to the Melodifestivalen final in 2017. However, these days, flying the flag for his country on the Eurovision stage isn\u2019t a possibility Omar\u2019s drawn to as a soloist. \u201cI will never say never. But I feel like [competing] gives me more anxiety than fun. I would love to guest [perform].\u201d Honouring facets of his cultural identity in his art takes other forms, like releasing versions of some of his tracks in his first language, Spanish. \u201cI feel like it\u2019s a part of me, singing in Spanish,\u201d he explains. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t want to lose that, even though I do pop most of the time. If it comes naturally and it works, then I will do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OmarOmar wears jacket & jeans ARASCKA; boots VAGABOND; necklace OLE LYNGGAARD; rings SEAMS<\/p>\n

Such an embrace of his instincts is defining the next chapter of Omar\u2019s story. While, for now, music comes first, eventually \u201cI definitely see myself acting,\u201d he says. Edvin recently graduated to the big screen with a role in Danny Boyle\u2019s 28 Years Later. \u201cI\u2019m just so happy for him. He\u2019s definitely on his way to becoming this huge star and I really want that for him. I get excited when I see him doing his thing and talking about his projects. I get some butterflies where I\u2019m like, \u2018Doing a movie would be incredible.\u2019 So we\u2019ll see. I feel like it\u2019s the right time, right movie \u2013 whenever it comes to me I\u2019ll know it\u2019s right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The only burning question that remains is \u2013 should he ever find the time to cut the ribbon on that it-spot-in-waiting, what would the signature offering be? Matcha? P\u00e2tisseries? He declines to divulge. However, the omission might actually be cause for optimism. \u201cActually, I do have an idea. So I\u2019m not going to say it because I don\u2019t want anyone to take it,\u201d he smiles. \u201cIt could happen.\u201d In the world of Omar Rudberg, the possibilities might just be endless.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"OmarOmar wears vest HOPE; earring SIF JAKOB; bracelets & ring CARTIER<\/p>\n

Photography by Jacob & Yas at BAD LAND
Styling by Anna Sundelin
Words by Andrew Wright
Hair by Adam Lukacs
Make-up by Christopher M\u00f8rch Husby
Set Design by Cristian Lind
Videography by Gustav Svante Larsson at xodotstudio<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With Netflix superstardom ticked off, the Young Royals alum is vying for the crown in pop\u2019s history books\u2026and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117082,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[236,88,75709],"class_list":["post-117081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-omar-rudberg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117081"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117081\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}