Hilda Thorne

**Labels** | Mice and Men Records

**Gabriela Grethe Fridriköolof** (born 22 June 1986), better known by her stage name **Hilda Thorne**, is a Lashardian singer, songwriter, and model.

Thorne began her career in 2004 under the stage name **Grethe Thorne**, and independently released her debut self-titled album the following year. In the years following, Thorne performed a variety of musical styles under several different monikers, until being signed to Mice and Men Records in 2008 under the name Hilda Thorne.

Thorne released her debut studio album, *There's a Monster In My Brain...* in 2010, which included the viral hit song "Lionhearts". The album reached number-one on the Lashardian albums chart, and her second studio album, *Because of the Frightening Nights I Wait...*, which was released in 2013, did as well. Thorne has established herself as both a sex symbol and a cultural icon for the Tumblr generation.

## Life and career

### Early life

Thorne was born as Gabriela Fridriköolof on 22 June 1986 in the Tenichi district of Ubenmoor. Her father Fridrik was a former customer service representative who quit his job to become the CEO of his own Internet company, while her mother Karina was a high school psychology teacher. Thorne has a younger brother and sister, and the family was middle class.

Thorne attended primary school in Tenichi, where she excelled academically but had little interest in academic subjects, instead focusing all her attention on artistic things such as music and writing. She graduated in 2001, and began attending a small performing arts high school in Jorden, which she graduated from in 2004.

### 2004–2008: Independent career

After graduating from high school, Thorne took the name "Grethe Thorne" and established herself as a folk musician. She wrote, recorded, and produced her debut studio album entirely by herself and released it in 2005. While unsuccessful at the time, it has went on to become a collector's item. In 2006, Thorne changed her professional name to "Maria Maria" and began performing uptempo indie pop music. She wrote and recorded a large amount of songs with various producers she became friends with, many of which have leaked online.

Later in 2007, Thorne changed her name once again to "Gabs", and changed her musical style to Lashardian hip hop performed in an alternative hip hop style. Several songs from this era have leaked online as well. For a short amount of time in late-2007, Thorne changed her professional name to "Queen of the Valley" and began performing indie pop again, until changed her name to "Hilda Thorne" in early-2008.

### 2008–2011: Breakthrough and *There's a Monster In My Brain...*

In summer 2008, Thorne released the homemade music video to her song "Lionhearts" over YouTube. The video became a viral hit, earning hundreds of thousands of views within a week. Following the song's success, she was signed to independent label Mice and Men Records. In late-2008, she released the follow-up singles "Don't Fail Me Now" and "White Bread". Her self-titled EP, containing her three singles and two extra songs, was released in December 2008.

In June 2009, Thorne released her debut major-label studio album. The album's full title was a poem written by Thorne. The full name is *There's a Monster In My Brain and It's Telling Me that I'm Not Able to Go on Without You. Terrified, I Ask It What Its Name Is, and He Responds to Me With One Simple Phrase. I Am Fear, I Am Death, I Am Plague, I Am Terror, I Am Deceit, I Am Deception, I Am Hate, I Am You.*, although the album is commonly referred to as simply *There's a Monster In My Brain...*.

The album went on to reach number-one on the Lashardian albums chart, and also charted in five other countries. It produced the singles "Candyman", "Paradise", "Body Talking", and "Die With Me Tonight". The album's style was largely similar to the music produced during the Maria Maria and Queen of the Valley eras, although it also incorporated alternative hip hop like in the Gabs era.

### 2011–2014: *Because of the Frightening Nights I Wait...*

In 2011, Thorne revealed that work on her second major-label album was underway and that it saw a large shift in musical style from her previous release. She released the album's lead single, "Whiskey Wednesdays" in August 2012. The song saw a departure from her indie pop and alternative hip hop style, in favor of a psychedelic rock influence. The song became her highest charting single in Lashardia, reaching the top twenty.

Thorne's second major-label album was later released in February 2013. Like her previous release, the album's full title was a poem written by Thorne, titled *Because of the Frightening Nights I Wait for Something to Happen, Something to Excite Me, Something to Make Me Feel Alive. But Still I Wait Here In My Bed, Depressed, Anxious, and Greedy, Hoping that a Man Will Break Down the Door, Carry Me Away Into the Void, and Give Me a Sense of Security, Safety, and Prosperity. Will I Ever Be Able to Feel This Way? I Don't Know. But I Hope, I Pray, and I Worry.* However, the album is commonly shortened to *Because of the Frightening Nights I Wait...*.

Like its predecessor, the album was a huge success in Lashardia, reaching number-one on the charts and being certified diamond. The album also saw a similar musical style to its lead single, largely incorporating psychedelic and alternative rock and abandoning the indie pop and alternative hip hop style. It also produced the singles "Bible", "Wiköluk", and "My Boyfriend's Rock Band".

### 2014–present: Third studio album

In late-2014, Thorne revealed that she'd begun work on her third major-label studio album. In an interview, she stated, "The new one is gonna be more like my first one I think. I miss having an excuse to listen to hip hop all day long". In April 2016, she revealed that the album's lead single would be released over the summer, with an album released planned for December. However, in August 2016 she confirmed that the lead single would be released sometime around December, due to "it not being ready just yet".

## Personal life

Up until 2014, Thorne resided in the Sestre district of Ubenmoor in a small studio apartment. She later bought a house in Flastland due to the amount of break-ins by fans she was receiving.

Thorne identifies herself as a Lashardian Orthodox Christian. About her religion, she has stated, "I just loved the mysticism of going to church. The fact that this being had power over the entire universe was so cool to me. I don't have extremely strict Orthodox views or anything, but it's a good feeling knowing a God is looking after me".

## Discography

### EPs

List of extended plays, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
* Format: Digital download, CD, LP