Play (Swedish group)

Play

Company type	Musical group
Industry	Music
Founded	2000
Founder	Laila Bagge (talent search organizer)
Headquarters	Sweden
Products	Music albums, singles

Play was a Swedish all-female pop ensemble established in 2000, originally consisting of Faye Hamlin, Anna Sundstrand, Anaïs Lameche, and Rosie Munter. Following Hamlin's exit in late 2003, Janet Leon joined the group as the principal vocalist. After nearly one million albums sold, the band declared an "indefinite hiatus" in 2005. In 2009, Play reunited with members Lameche, Hamlin, and newcomer Sanne Karlsson. Hamlin departed once more in 2010 and was succeeded by Emelie Norenberg. The group ultimately disbanded for the second time in 2011.

2000–2002: Formation and Us Against the World

Play originated in 2000 through a talent search orchestrated by Laila Bagge. The founding members were Anna Sundstrand, Anaïs Lameche, Faye Hamlin, and Rosie Munter. Their first single, "Us Against the World," debuted in Sweden in September 2001, climbing to number 14 on the Sverigetopplistan chart and achieving Gold status. The track entered the U.S. market in January 2002, where it reached number 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart and remained there for 65 weeks. Their inaugural album, released as Us Against the World in Sweden and titled Play in the United States, launched respectively in late 2001 and mid-2002. The follow-up single "Cinderella" was also introduced in 2002.

The group embarked on extensive touring across the U.S., supporting acts such as Aaron Carter and Destiny's Child while collaborating with the apparel brand Limited Too. Their song "M.A.S.T.E.R. part 2," featuring Lil' Fizz from B2K, was included in the movie The Master of Disguise. Additionally, "Us Against the World" appeared on the soundtracks for both Holiday in the Sun and the television series Lizzie McGuire. Play performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade riding atop a Build-a-Bear float. Their debut album reached number seventy-four on the Billboard 200 chart and earned gold certification for sales exceeding half a million copies.

2003–2004: Replay and second lineup

Returning to the studio, Play recorded their sophomore album titled Replay. Prior to its release, a DVD called Playin' Around was issued, containing music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, concert clips, and studio sessions. Released on June 10, 2003, Replay presented a more sophisticated sound incorporating R&B elements. On release day, Play promoted the album with various appearances including a guest spot on Live with Regis and Kelly. During this period, Hamlin took on lead vocal duties. The album debuted at number sixty-seven on the charts and stayed within the top 200 for seven weeks. The lead single "I Must Not Chase the Boys" entered MTV's TRL top ten and was featured on Carson Daly's radio program as well as a Nickelodeon promo for My Life As a Teenage Robot. In 2003, Play toured extensively and participated in several Nickelodeon specials. The second single was a rendition of Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again."

In October 2003, sixteen-year-old lead vocalist Hamlin departed to pursue higher education but continued to make appearances through December, including starring in the music video for "It's a Hard Knock Life" featured on the re-release of the Annie DVD. On December 15th, Play officially announced Hamlin's exit and welcomed new member Janet Leon, who assumed lead singer responsibilities alongside Lameche.

2004–2005: Don't Stop the Music, Play Around the Christmas Tree and group hiatus

In 2004, Play collaborated with everGirl, a Nickelodeon doll and fashion line, by recording its theme song along with an accompanying video.

Their third American album, titled Don't Stop the Music, was released on 9 March 2004 and aimed at a younger demographic. The lead single, "Every Little Step," included a feature from Aaron Carter, followed by the everGirl theme track. The album's title song was originally performed by Swedish artist Robyn. Despite these efforts, this release became one of Play’s least commercially successful projects, failing to appear on the Billboard charts.

Later that year in November, Play introduced their fourth U.S. album, the holiday-themed Play Around the Christmas Tree. This collection also did not achieve chart placement. After a period of limited activity, April 2005 saw the release of a compilation album titled Girl's Mind, which contained ten popular tracks featuring Hamlin’s vocals. This compilation received little promotional effort and similarly did not chart.

In September 2005, Play announced an indefinite break from their activities. By this point in their career, they had sold close to one million albums.

2009–2011: Reunion, Under My Skin and final disbandment

On 26 November 2009, Hamlin and Lameche reappeared on Swedish radio alongside singer Sanne Karlsson, declaring the group's comeback as a trio under the name "Play." They took part in the reality series Made in Sweden, following a similar path to former member Janet’s involvement. Sundstrand was excluded due to living in the United States, while Munter withdrew three weeks before filming to pursue solo endeavors. Consequently, Karlsson joined the lineup. Play completed recording a full album within four weeks and made their first public performance since 2005 on 27 November 2009. The four-part series Made In Sweden chronicled their search for a new member, rehearsals, song recordings including "Famous," production of a music video, and return to the music industry with producers Andreas Carlsson, Anders Bagge, and manager Bagge. Additionally, in 2009 Play served as judges for the Independent Music Awards supporting independent musicians.

The lead single from their first studio album in six years was "Famous", initially used as the theme for Made in Sweden and originally sung by Carlsson. After deliberating between releasing "Famous" or "Girls," they chose "Famous," which debuted at number five and eventually reached number one — marking Play’s only chart-topping single. This track was later covered by Big Time Rush for their Nickelodeon television series. Released on 21 April 2010, the album Under My Skin debuted at number seven on the Swedish Albums Chart, becoming Play’s first album to chart in Sweden.

In October of that year, Play recorded "Destiny" for the Disney Channel Original Movie Avalon High. However, Hamlin left before recording this track; her vocals were not included and she did not participate in its promotion. She had been absent from group appearances since late September and was reportedly focusing on a solo project. Her departure was officially confirmed in February 2011 when Play introduced Emelie Norenberg, Karlsson's close friend familiar with former members, as the newest addition. This change left Lameche as the only original member who had been consistently active across all iterations of Play.

Lameche, Karlsson, and Norenberg planned to re-enter the U.S. market with an EP release but announced on 23 May 2011 that these plans were canceled due to internal disagreements and communication breakdowns following their trip to Los Angeles. The members ceased communication with each other and pursued separate professional and personal directions, leading to Play’s second and permanent disbandment.

Members

Member		2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
	Anaïs Lameche (2000–2005, 2009–2011)
	Faye Hamlin (2000–2003, 2009–2010)
	Anna Sundstrand (2000–2005)
	Rosie Munter (2000–2005)
	Janet Leon (2003–2005)
	Sanne Karlsson (2009–2011)
	Emelie Norenberg (2010–2011)

Discography

• Us Against the World (released 2001)
• Replay (released 2003)
• Don't Stop the Music (released 2004)
• Play Around the Christmas Tree (released 2004)
• Under My Skin (released 2010)