Omar Rudberg

Omar Josué Rudberg (born González, 12 November 1998) is a Venezuelan-Swedish singer and actor. Before launching his solo career in 2018, he gained recognition and began his professional music career in 2013 as a member of the Swedish boy band FO&O. He is best known internationally for his starring role as Simon Eriksson in the Netflix series ''Young Royals'' (2021–2024).

Early life

Rudberg was born Omar Josué González on 12 November 1998 in Anaco, Venezuela. When he was six years old, he moved to Sweden with his mother, Wilnur, who married his Swedish stepfather, Thomas Rudberg, from whom he took his surname.

In June 2023, on the Swedish radio program ''Sommar i P1'', Rudberg discussed his early childhood in Venezuela, the difficulties he faced as an immigrant upon moving to Sweden, his struggles with identity and belonging, and the challenges he faced when bullied with racist and homophobic remarks, as well as for his love of performing. Rudberg also opened up about his connection to music, his experiences in the entertainment industry as a teenager, his foray into acting, and the importance of staying true to oneself amidst fame. Rudberg's ''Sommarprat'' received positive reviews for his insights and intimate storytelling.

In 2010, Rudberg participated in the fourth season of the talent show ''Talang'', the Swedish version of ''Got Talent''.

Career

2013–2017: FO&O

Rudberg began his professional music career in 2013 as a member of the Swedish boy band FO&O. FO&O performed together for four years. In that time, they won eight different music awards and were nominated for 12. They were awarded two Platinum and one Gold certifications, and got over 80 million streams on Spotify. FO&O participated in Melodifestivalen 2017, sold out several shows, and opened for Justin Bieber and One Direction. In 2017, the band announced that its members were going to focus on their separate solo projects.

2018–2020: Start of solo career

Rudberg started his solo music career in 2018 with the single "Que Pasa" featuring Lamix, followed by "La Mesa" featuring Elias Hurtig in August of the same year. In February 2019, he released the single "Om om och om igen" after participating with the song in Melodifestivalen 2019. The song became his first solo top 20 hit in Sweden on Sverigetopplistan. He also released the single "På min telephone toda la noche."

In 2020, he released the single "Dum," and "Dum – Playback Version" followed by the songs "Jag e nån annan" and "LÄPPAR." In November 2020, it was announced that Rudberg had been cast in the Netflix queer coming-of-age series ''Young Royals''. It was later revealed that Rudberg found out he got the role of Simon Eriksson on 20 August 2020. His role as Simon was his acting debut. Rudberg has mentioned that he "knew people were going to love this series" as soon as he read the script.

2021–2023: ''Young Royals'' and international recognition

2021

In July 2021, the first season of ''Young Royals'' debuted on Netflix. Rudberg quickly gained international recognition from his role in the series. Alongside the series, he released the EP "Omar Covers," featuring the covers of the songs his character Simon sings in the show. In 2021, Rudberg also released the single "Alla ba ouff" and its Spanish version "Yo dije ouff." In September 2021, it was announced that ''Young Royals'' had been renewed for a second season. In November 2021, he was featured on the cover of the Spanish magazine Xmag.

2022

In April, Rudberg collaborated with Benjamin Ingrosso and released the single "La Incondicional (From Benjamin's)". In May 2022, Rudberg released his first solo album ''OMR,'' which featured the single he released at the beginning of the same year "Mi casa su casa," and the song "Moving Like That" with which he participated in Melodifestivalen 2022 as well as "La Incondicional." In June 2022, he released the single "Nakna" with Victoria Nadine, followed by "Todo de ti (All That She Wants)" in July. In November 2022, the second season of ''Young Royals'' debuted on Netflix. Alongside the season, he released the single "Simon's Song", an original song written for the show and sung by Rudberg in the show.

In December 2022, Rudberg appeared on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' with ''Young Royals'' costar Edvin Ryding. Later, it was announced that ''Young Royals'' had been renewed for a third and final season with Rudberg again reprising his role as Simon Eriksson. It was also announced that Rudberg had been cast as Dante in his first feature film, ''Karusell'', which was released in October 2023.

2023

In January 2023, he released the single "Call Me by Your Name" featuring Claudia Neuser. In March 2023, Rudberg released the single "I'm So Excited", which featured the live version of this song that Rudberg performed in February at the 2023 QX Gay Gala. Additionally in March, Rudberg released the EP ''Mi Casa Su Casa (Remixes)''.

Rudberg released the single "She Fell in Love In the Summer" in April 2023. In April, Rudberg was also named Best Dressed Man of the Year at Elle-galan, the annual gala for Swedish ''Elle''. In June 2023, Rudberg released the acoustic version of "She Fell In Love In The Summer". He was also featured by FDVM in their single "All In My Head". Also in June, Rudberg released the single "Happier".

In July 2023, Rudberg released the single "She Fell In Love In The Summer (Additional Versions)." In September 2023, Rudberg released "Happier (Remixes)." In October 2023, Rudberg released "Coast Side (Carousel Remix), which was used in ''Karusell's'' end credits. The film ''Karusell'' was released for theaters first in Sweden and then in other countries. Additionally in October, Rudberg released the single "Off My Mind (featuring Jubël)."

In November 2023, Rudberg updated his social media profiles to indicate that he was being represented by Jubel Agency, a Sweden-based agency for independent artists, and announced an upcoming live solo concert. In December 2023, Rudberg appeared on three episodes of the Swedish reality television show ''Så mycket bättre'' where he performed three new songs inspired by other guests' songs including "Om du inte fanns (Don't Wait)," "Höj ett glas (Fanfar)," and "Min första (I Will Always Be Your Soldier)." These songs were released as the EP ''Så mycket bättre 2023 – Tolkningarna.'' Also in 2023, ''Café'' magazine named Rudberg Sweden's best-dressed man.

2024–present

Alongside the release of the EP ''Så mycket bättre 2023 – Tolkningarna'', Rudberg released music videos in January 2024 that corresponded to the three songs as well as one full music video, all which featured a storyline with a sapphic couple.

On 17 February 2024, Rudberg performed his first solo live concert in Stockholm, Sweden in the Cirkus Arena to a sold-out venue of an estimated 1600-member audience who came from over 40 countries. This 90-minute concert included songs from his discography and featured a new song called Red Light. Jubël and Mapei made appearances in his concert.

In March 2024, Rudberg announced via his social media platforms that he had been invited to the 96th Academy Awards, and he appeared on the red carpet. Also in March, season 3 of ''Young Royals'' debuted on Netflix along with a documentary of the show's creation called ''Young Royals Forever''. Rudberg shared in interviews that he would soon be signing with a US record label as an additional label alongside TEN and updated his social media platforms to indicate that he was being represented by Elektra Records.

In early May 2024, Queerty made Rudberg one of their Pride50 honorees. In mid-May, Rudberg released the single "Red Light." In an interview with Musikindustrin, TEN Music Group shared that they had signed a direct license for Rudberg with Elektra Entertainment that allows Rudberg's music to be published worldwide outside of the Nordic countries. "Red Light" was the first of Rudberg's music to be released under this license agreement and became his first official international release and first release of 2024. His Elektra label debut was covered by ''Billboard'' magazine. In May, while performing in Furuvik Live, Rudberg sang two new songs, "Talk" and "Bye Bye."

Between May 2024 and June 2024 when Rudberg got an official website, his music started to be released under Atlantic Records with distribution to Nordic countries by ADA Nordic and some music being provided to YouTube by Elektra (NEK).

In early June 2024, Rudberg performed a solo live concert in Gröna Lund Amusement Park in Stockholm, Sweden. In mid-June, Rudberg performed at the School's Out event in Söderhamn, Sweden. In June, Rudberg partnered with Cover Nation for Pride month to sing a cover of Madonna's song " Sorry," which he performed atop the Nordiska Kompaniet rooftop in Stockholm. He also participated in PROUD SOUND, a days-long writing camp in the UK for queer artists. On 25 June, Rudberg announced via his social media platforms that he would be performing his first European-US tour as a solo artist starting in October 2024 with shows planned in London, France, the Netherlands, Germany, New York, and Los Angeles. On 28 June, Rudberg released two new singles, "Talk" and "Bye Bye" under the Elektra Records label and received a mention in ''Rolling Stone'' and ''Teen Vogue''. He also released a music video for "Talk," featuring himself and Swedish actor and dancer Ruben Karsberg in a queer, flirty storyline set in Stockholm that showcased Rudberg and Karsberg performing alongside four other male dancers.

In early July 2024, Rudberg participated in Allsång på Skansen in Stockholm where he sang "Red Light" and a cover ABBA's "Mamma Mia." In July, Rockbjörnen 2024 made Rudberg an official nominee after fans wrote his name and music into the festival's online nomination form. He was nominated Årets Manliga Artist, Årets Svenska Låt (for his song "Red Light"), and Årets Fans, as well as the festival's newly instituted Grönan Live Act of the Year.

In August 2024, Rudberg was featured in ''Variety'' Magazine and ''WWD'', among other media sources, for being invited to attend Variety's Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles, California. He attended the event, which celebrated young actors who have had an impact in movies and shows over the last year, and appeared on the event's red carpet. On 24 August, Rudberg performed in the Trädgården Festival in Kristianstad, Sweden. On 29 August, Rudberg performed at Kulturkalaset in Gothenburg, Sweden. Audience members came from around the world to see him perform, including fans from Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and the US.

On 1 September 2024, Rudberg performed in his first international festival in the Heide Park Festival in Soltau, Germany. On 5 September, Rudberg attended the Kristallen Gala in Stockholm, Sweden, alongside ''Young Royals'' cast member Frida Argento and was mentioned in ''Damernas Värld'' magazine as being one of the best dressed attendees. On 18 September 2024, Rudberg attended the Rockbjörnen 2024 event in which he was the most nominated artist. He won two of the four awards he was nominated for: Grönan Live Act of the Year and Årets Svenska Låt (Swedish Song of the Year) for Red Light. On 20 September 2024, Rudberg released the single "Sabotage." Rudberg's Swedish label TEN also announced that Rudberg would release an EP entitled ''Every Night Fantasy'' on 18 October 2024 that would include the already released singles "Red Light," "Talk," and "Bye Bye." Soon after, Rudberg shared a pre-save link for the EP on his social media platforms.

On 11 October, Rudberg attended the You+ Music Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, where he was a panelist for the You+ Learn session "Hur hittar man fanns?" Rudberg released the EP ''Every Night Fantasy'' on 18 October 2024. This was the fourth EP of Rudberg's solo career and his debut EP under Atlantic Records. On 21 October 2024, Rudberg kickstarted his first European-US tour (titled Omar Rudberg's Fall Tour 2024) as a solo artist with the first stop on the tour in London, England. His sold-out performance took place at the Heaven nightclub before a packed venue of 1200 fans from around the world and featured a new set list that included seven songs from his newly released EP ''Every Night Fantasy''. On 23 October, Rudberg performed the second show of his sold-out Fall Tour 2024 in Paris, France at Badaboum to a packed audience of more than 550 fans from France and around the world. On 24 October, Rudberg performed the third show of his Fall Tour 2024 in Amsterdam, Netherlands in Melkweg. Rudberg concluded the European leg of his Fall Tour 2024 on 25 October at Club Bahnhof Ehrenfeld (Cbe) in Cologne, Germany. On 28 October, Rudberg performed his first concert on a US stage as a solo artist and kicked off the US American leg of his Fall Tour 2024 to a sold-out show in the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City. On 30 October, ''LE MILE'' magazine published an interview and fashion shoot with Rudberg in their Fall/Winter 2024 edition.

On 4 November 2024, Rudberg announced February 2025 dates for his ''Every Night Fantasy'' Tour, which listed 18 concerts in cities across 11 different European countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Rudberg also completed his Fall Tour 2024 on 4 November, performing the final show of the US American leg of the tour in the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, California.

OMR Beauty

In November 2023, Rudberg launched his own beauty product company called OMR Beauty. It debuted with one product, a signature unisex scent called Intro. In February 2024, before Rudberg's first solo live concert, it was announced that Rudberg would be at Lyko's flagship store in central Stockholm, and people could purchase Intro and meet him. Hundreds of attendees showed up for the event. Soon after, Lyko added Intro to their official website as a fragrance that they sell off the shelf.

In May 2024, Rudberg announced that he had collaborated with his ''Young Royals'' co-star Edvin Ryding to create a second unisex scent called Duo, which would be available for purchase on the OMR Beauty website for a limited time. In June 2024, Rudberg and Ryding co-launched Duo through a multi-tiered social media campaign via OMR Beauty. The scent was made available for purchase and delivery to a limited number of countries.

In July 2024, Rudberg and OMR Beauty announced the launch of the company's third product, a cap with the company name embroidered on it.

In October 2024, Rudberg launched Brunch, the third unisex scent made by his company OMR Beauty, and the company's fourth product. The perfume oil was made available in limited quantities on the company's website. On 30 October 2024, OMR Beauty announced the upcoming launch of two more perfume oils, Lunch and Dinner, to round out a collection called Occasions, which included Brunch. On 7 November 2024, OMR Beauty released all three perfume oils for ordering on their website to select countries around the world. The products were launched with a short campaign ad that featured Rudberg, Hugo Hultgren, and Swedish model Megan Kennedy Grundén.

Personal life

In June 2019, speaking to Swedish LGBTQ+ magazine ''QX'', Rudberg said: "I don't have a 'label'. As a person, I'm very open-minded. I dare not put a title. It feels so damn scary. Sometimes I hang out with guys, sometimes with girls. It varies. I don't know if it's because of my age, that I'm still young. I feel lost, not in a bad way, but just lost in life." In August 2021, he once again expressed his wish to not label his sexuality, saying that he falls in love with the person regardless of the person's gender. In a March 2024 farewell post on Instagram following the conclusion of ''Young Royals'', Rudberg said: "When I was a little kid I knew that something was different about me. I had feelings I always tried to push away from a very young age. I had feelings for a boy I always ignored because I was afraid. I felt like I was the only one in the whole world that felt this way. I was drowning myself in denial. Telling myself that it'll pass and that one day I'll be like everyone else. I will be 'normal'. ..Let's keep fighting for our rights to love. Our rights to exist. And let's keep being loud about it. If little Omar only knew."

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Song credits

Rudberg is listed in the credits for the songs in the following table. Attributed credits can include Composer, Lyricist, Vocals, and Songwriter or combinations of these roles as indicated.

Videography

Live Events – 2021–present

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudberg, Omar
1998 births
Living people
English-language singers from Sweden
LGBTQ male actors
People from Kungsbacka Municipality
Spanish-language singers of Sweden
Swedish-language singers
Swedish LGBTQ actors
Swedish LGBTQ singers
Swedish male television actors
Talang (Swedish TV series) contestants
Venezuelan emigrants to Sweden
Venezuelan LGBTQ actors
Venezuelan LGBTQ singers
Venezuelan male television actors
21st-century Swedish LGBTQ people
21st-century Swedish male actors
21st-century Swedish male singers
21st-century Venezuelan LGBTQ people
21st-century Venezuelan male actors
21st-century Venezuelan male singers
Male actors from Halland County
Spanish-language singers of Venezuela
English-language singers from Venezuela
People from Anaco
Musicians from Halland County