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WATCH: Can this viral Swedish fika hit create world peace?

Two Swedes behind a viral anthem which may just become the simultaneously most annoying and awesome Swedish global hit of the year have told The Local they are overwhelmed by the reactions.

WATCH: Can this viral Swedish fika hit create world peace?
Oskar Kongshöj and Gustaf Mardelius. Photo: Screenshot from the video by Go Royal Productions

Is Swedish fika the key to world peace? That's what Oskar Kongshöj and Gustaf Mardelius – the duo behind Go Royal Productions – suggest in this tongue-in-cheek take on a serious topic.

“Every day we see war and brutality, criminality,” starts the song, calling on world leaders such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Tsai Ing Wen to sit down and… enjoy a fika.

With lines such as “replace your gun with a cinnamon bun”, “stop building walls eat chocolate balls” and “no time for war if you take a påtår” (påtår = a Swedish word which means having a second cup of coffee) it has quickly gained a fan base racking up millions of views on social media.

For those of you who have never heard of Swedish fika, it is the practice of having a cup of coffee and something sweet, either in your spare time or as a short break during office hours. The concept has gained world fame in recent years and has more or less joined the club of over-hyped Scandinavian cliches (lagom and hygge, we're looking at you). But we recommend watching the video below anyway.

READ ALSO: Here's what happened when this Swede introduced fika at her London office

“The idea behind the song is to highlight a serious and important issue and mix it with a bit of comedy and music. Things that are strange and unfamiliar often seem scary, but we as humans have to get better at overcoming our fears which are often based only on ignorance or uncertainty,” Kongshöj told The Local.

The video was first published earlier this year, but really went viral this week after it was shared by social media content platform 9GAG.

“We are completely overwhelmed by the reactions! We knew that many are fond of fika, but would not have dreamed of this lovely response. Apparently we are not alone in thinking that the world would look much better if everyone just sat down and talked to each other,” said Kongshöj.

“Gustaf and I also have a soft spot for funny and sometimes somewhat bad rhymes, which meant that the song ended up including a lot of that,” he admitted.

Here's the Spotify version:

AMBASSADOR

Trump’s ambassador to Denmark leaves country as president’s term ends

After three years as United States Ambassador to Denmark, Carla Sands has stepped down from the post and left Copenhagen.

Trump’s ambassador to Denmark leaves country as president’s term ends
Outgoing United States Ambassador to Denmark Carla Sands. Photo: Philip Davali/Ritzau Scanpix

The now-former ambassador confirmed she had taken leave of the Danish capital via Twitter.

US president Donald Trump’s term ends on Wednesday, with President-elect Joe Biden to be inaugurated at 6pm Danish time.

“It's been a privilege serving the Trump Administration for over 3 years as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. I’ve enjoyed promoting USA-Denmark-Faroe Islands-Greenland relations,” Sands tweeted.

“I have departed Copenhagen,” she added in a follow-up tweet.

In a video included in the tweets, Sands mentions her highlights of her time as ambassador. These include the re-opening of the US consulate in Greenland capital Nuuk alongside US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Sands, who took over as ambassador in 2017 after being appointed by Trump, is likely to be remembered as the incumbent at the time of Trump’s overtures towards purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Danish kingdom.

After Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed Trump’s suggestion that the United States could buy the Arctic territory from Denmark, the US president promptly cancelled an official visit to Denmark scheduled for September 2019.

Sands met with the Danish government on several occasions in an attempt to take the heat out of a potential diplomatic dispute.

READ ALSO: Danes pour scorn on Trump after state visit postponement

More recently, Sands was criticised for tweeting an incorrect claim that her own vote had not been counted in the country's general election.

The ambassador posted on her personal Twitter account a screenshot which she claimed showed her absentee ballot in the state of Pennsylvania had not been registered. She also made several other posts on the site following the US election in support of Trump's baseless claims of election fraud.

Several other Twitter users – as well as the New York Times – looked up Sands' vote on the Pennsylvania state government website and found it was in fact registered.

READ ALSO: US ambassador to Denmark makes incorrect Twitter claim about own vote

After a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC on January 6th, Sands was officially contacted by foreign minister Jeppe Kofod. The minister called for Trump to concede defeat in the election and ensure a peaceful transition of power.

Newspaper Berlingske reported that this was the first time in history that a Danish foreign minister had officially protested over internal affairs in the United States.

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