The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Joachim Gustafsson and singer Emmi Christensson rehearses in the Concert Hall in Stockholm.

There will soon be a recording of the piece Making something out of nothing, written by the composer Tommie Haglund with lyrics by Per Gessle.

The authors come from widely differing musical worlds, but are both Halmstad residents and ran into each other at the confectionery Regnbågen down in the center.

- We started talking to each other.

Later I would have a festival with my music in Stockholm and asked Per if he wanted to come and listen.

He did and I was very happy that he came.

The idea arose: "what if you were to do something together", says Tommie Haglund.

Gessle is looking for new challenges

After Golden Times and Roxette, Per Gessle has increasingly made himself known as a musical chameleon.

This autumn he will go on an acoustic tour with old hits, but he has also had time for electronic music with the Daft punk-scented side project Mono minds, a solo album with country musicians in Nashville and a cover of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters.

For the moment, it is therefore classic that applies.

- I try to do things that feel fun and are a challenge.

Otherwise I get shovels, says Per Gessle.

He talks enthusiastically about the Metallica collaboration, which will celebrate that this autumn it is 30 years since the group released the self-titled album "Metallica".

- Under the name PG Roxette, I have collected the old Roxette band and done a cover of Nothing Else Matters.

It sounds like an old Roxette ballad all of a sudden.

I'm very proud to have been asked by them.

Shakira will sing

The text for Tommie Haglund's Making something out of nothing was picked up by Per Gessle from the drawer and filed.

- It was actually written for the last Roxette album Good karma many years ago.

I wrote my own music for the lyrics but never really liked my own music, so when Tommie asked about a lyrics I already had one that I like a lot.

In addition to the premiere in Sweden this spring, the plan is for the piece to be exported - to Colombia.

Bogotá's film moniker, with Swedish Joachim Gustafsson as the new chief conductor, will perform it at home in March 2022.

As an extra spice, Per Gessle's lyrics will be translated into Spanish, and sung by the Colombian superstar Shakira.

- It's the orchestra's proposal.

It would be fun if she manages to sing it, says Tommie Haglund.