Really?? Really!

Jenny jumped in the front seat of the cab and we piled into the back seat. So, there we were. In Stockholm. In a taxi cab. With Jenny.

Yeah.

I was a bit stunned by the turn of events, so I was a tiny bit silent. Ok, a lot silent. The other two weren't saying much either. I finally peeped out some questions about Stockholm proper and a few questions about how interviews work. And suddenly, we were at the building.

This time, Jenny took the elevator and we ran up the stairs. Jenny sang and we ran. We could hear her voice echoing through the stairwell as we ran our way to the top.

That's a fun thing about being around Jenny. She is always singing or humming a little something. She was singing along with Alicia Key's Falling while we were in the taxi cab. Imagine that, would you? Fabulous.

So, the journalist was waiting in the office when we arrived. Jenny and the interviewer made their introductions. They moved into a glass office to do the interview. There was a woman who was interviewing Jenny and a man who was going to take the photos. The interview lasted for about thirty minutes or so and the photos about fifteen, I think.



The first interview taking place behind the glass.

We sat in what looked like a breakroom. It had a few tables and chairs. It had a coffee machine and a full working kitchen. There were newspapers on the table and an espresso machine. We sat at one of the tables and chatted while all this was happening.


Anja hanging out.


Jessi relaxing at the table.

Once the interview was over, Jenny asked us if we wanted some coffee but we said we were ok.

A second journalist showed up a little while after. This time, the glass office was taken up by someone else. The journalist set up office right next to us. He and Jenny sat at one table and we were just a few steps away at the second table.


The second interview.

What a boon to be able to see the process from the inside. I always wondered how it all worked and to get an inside view into the process was a very cool thing.

We sat back and listened to the questions and answers. The interview was about 30 minutes long or so. Once it was over, the journalist said he would send the finished product over in a few hours. I suspect we'll see this interview in the next few days.

First stop: Expressen

Yep, we stopped by the Expressen building before Jenny was going to sing for the XL show. Jenny gave the guard a heads up, yet the guard wasn't quite prepared. The guard called upstairs and we were given the go-ahead. Jessi went through the door, then it locked up on us. Anja was stuck in the middle of the revolving door, which was quite funny. I thought so. She probably thought otherwise.


The Expressen building.

We went back to the guard and she remotely unlocked a second door for us. One that opened like a normal door. Thankfully.

A man named Christian greeted us. He worked for Expressen and first thought we were the backing vocalists. Ha HA! Well, Jessi could surely pull it off...

We were told Jenny and company were running a little late, so we sat down to wait. Simon was already there, and he said a quick hello. Jenny came in just a few minutes and waved a fast hello. Terese and her friend Elin introduced themselves and sat down for a minute or two to chat with us.

Things were hectic and frantic at this point. Everyone had to go into the room to rehearse, so we waited on the couches.

It was exactly one o'clock and Christian was running around like crazy back and forth between different places. We were waiting for someone to tell us it was ok to go inside, but that ok never came to us. We likely should have asked but we waited there instead thinking someone would allow us in.


The Expressen staff loved their coffee machine. I think the entire staff stopped by at least once during the hour we were there. ;)


A sideways pic of some office cubicles.

We heard the performance of the two songs from the outside. We then saw Simon and Terese and Elin leave the room. They said a quick goodbye to us and left.


Behind that grey door is the very small Expressen XL Room. Jenny said the room was quite small. The one side of the room they were facing had cameras embedded in the wall.

Jenny came out a bit later and asked us if we were able to get in. When we said no, she looked a little confused. She then apologized and said she thought we were able to see something. She told us she was rushing because she had another interview and she was supposed to be there now!

She started down the hallway of Expressen's newsroom. We were still sitting when she said to us that we could come with her. We jumped up and joined her. We rushed down the halls and I took one last look at the enormous newsroom with all the journalists sitting at their computers looking at their papers in the bright light of the office.

Christian thanked Jenny and we jumped into the elevator. We were all carrying large bags and there were four of us. We barely fit in this tiny elevator but we made it. We asked Jenny how it went and she mentioned that she messed up some of the lyrics.

We jumped off the elevator and back through the revolving doors that didn't work for us the first time. This time, they worked perfectly.

Outside, a taxi cab was waiting. I asked Jessi, does she mean we're going to go with her??