Fred Vincent Pontare (born 13 May 1980) is a Swedish songwriter, producer, and singer. He is also known by the mononym Vincent. He regularly collaborates with Salem Al Fakir as songwriting, producer, and duo Vargas & Lagola. Together, they have worked with many pre-eminent artists, including: Avicii, Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso, Madonna, Seinabo Sey and Lady Gaga. In addition to their songwriting and production work, they release alternative pop music as Vargas & Lagola.
In August 2017, they were featured artists on Avicii's "Friend of Mine" from EP Avīci (01) which they co-wrote.
Career Vincent Pontare started his musical career a solo artist under the mononym Vincent releasing his debut single "Paradise" in 2006 and the albums Lucky Thirteen (2007) and Godspeed (2011). Other hits as Vincent included "Don't Hate on Me", "Miss Blue" and "Baby Hurricane". In 2008 Pontare won the STIM Platinum guitar prize. His career in writing songs for other artists began to gain momentum in 2012 when he co-wrote Swedish House Mafia’s "Save The World" and "Reload" performed by Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash.
Among the first co-writes with Salem Al Fakir are Avicii’s 2013 Billboard Hot 100 single "Hey Brother" and "Younger" by Seinabo Sey. On Katy Perry's 2013 album Prism he co-wrote and produced "Love Me" with Bloodshy, Magnus Lidehäll and Camela Leierth.
At the 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards Vincent Pontare, Salem Al Fakir and Magnus Lidehäll were awarded Composer of the Year after writing for Veronica Maggio’s album Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig and the Petter album Början på allt, and work with artists like Galantis. In 2014 he wrote numerous songs on Mapei’s album Hey Hey and Avicii’s "The Days" and "Divine Sorrow" (with Wyclef Jean). Pontare followed up with another successful year in 2015 co-writing most songs on Seinabo Sey’s highly acclaimed debut album Pretend and songs for Madonna’s Rebel Heart album. He also collaborated on David Guetta's single "Bang My Head" with Sia and Fetty Wap.
Vargas & Lagola have co-written some of the biggest hits by Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso – "More Than You Know", "Sun Is Shining", "Dreamer" and more – taken from their 2017 album More Than You Know. The duo have also contributed to two songs on Swedish rock band Ghost's Billboard 200-charting and Grammy Award-nominated album Prequelle, including the album's second single "Dance Macabre" which topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.
In 2018, the same moment as Vargas & Lagola blazed onto the alternative pop scene with the hit single "Roads", they shared the no.1 spot as Sweden's most streamed songwriters for songs including Avicii – "Without You" (featuring Sandro Cavazza) and "Waiting For Love". After working closely with Avicii for several years, Al Fakir and Pontare played a key role in finishing up the 2019 posthumous Avicii album TIM and are featured artists on three of the album songs. On 5 December 2019, Vargas & Lagola performed at Avicii's Tribute Concert in Stockholm.
Vargas & Lagola's debut album The Butterfly Effect was released in January 2020.
Personal life Vincent Pontare is the son of the renowned Swedish musician Roger Pontare (born Roger Johansson). Vincent has a brother called Viktor Pontare.
Vincent Pontare is married to Agnes, whom he has been dating since 2009.
Discography
As Vargas & Lagola
2020: The Butterfly Effect
As solo artist Albums YearAlbumPeakposition(SWE)Certification2007Lucky Thirteen Release date: 7 November 2007 Label: Little Stereo Recordings Singles: 2006: "Paradise" 2007: "Don't Hate on Me" 2008: "Miss Blue" 2011Godspeed Release date: 29 August 2011 Label: Little Stereo Recordings Distribution: Warner Music Sweden Singles: 2010: "Baby Hurricane" 2011: "The Moment I Met You" 2011: "Put Your Money Where Your Money Is"
Singles Year SinglePeak position Album SWESwedishcharts.com: Vincent discography FIN GER SWI2006 "Paradise" 23 – Lucky Thirteen2007 "Don't Hate on Me" 7 2008 "Miss Blue" 6 19 39 23 "This Is for You"74 –Non album release2010 "Baby Hurricane" Godspeed 2011 "The Moment I Met You" "Put Your Money Where Your Money Is"
Songwriting and production credits Year Artist Title Album 2005 Agnes "I Believe"Agnes 2009 Matt Dusk "Don't Hate on Me"Good News 2011 Agnes "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" 2012 Swedish House Mafia "Save The World"Until Now Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash "Reload" Dada Life "Kick Out the Epic Motherfucker"The Rules of Dada Nause "Hungry Hearts" Agnes "All I Want Is You"Veritas "Human Touch" "Got Me Good" "Nothing Else Matters" 2013 Katy Perry "Love Me"PrismAvicii "You Make Me"True "Hey Brother" 2014 John Martin "Anywhere For You" Galantis "Smile"Galantis (EP) "You" "Help"Dada Life "Born To Rage" rowspan="2" "One Smile"Mapei "Blame It On Me"Hey Hey "Believe" "What's Innit 4 Me" Wyclef Jean "Divine Sorrow" Avicii "The Days"The Days/Nights David Guetta "Bang My Head" Listen 2015 Madonna "HeartBreakCity" Rebel Heart "Wash All Over Me" "Messiah" "Rebel Heart" Sharks "The Rebel" Galantis "Gold Dust" Pharmacy "Dancin' To The Sound Of A Broken Heart" "Kill Em' With The Love" "Call If You Need Me" "You" Avicii "Waiting for Love"Stories Seinabo Sey "Younger" Pretend "Poetic" "Hard Time" "Sorry" "Ruin" "Pistols At Dawn" 2016 MishCatt "Another Dimension" Highlighter Miike Snow "Heart Is Full" iii 2017 Johnossi "On A Roll" Blood Jungle Avicii "Friend of Mine" Avīci (01) "Without You" Toby Radall "Hold You Down"ONE. Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso "More Than You Know" More Than You Know "Something New" "This Time" "Renegade" "Sun Is Shining" "On My Way" "Dreamer" Axwell "Barricade" 2018 Seinabo Sey "I Love You" I'm a Dream "Never Get Used To" "I Owe You Nothing" "Breathe" "Good In You" Ghost "Dance Macabre" Prequelle "Life Eternal"MagnusTheMagnus "It Don't Impress Me" rowspan="2" "Calling" David Guetta "Light Headed" 7 RØMANS "Glitter & Gold" Salvatore Ganacci "Kill A Soundboy" 2019 Gryffin "You Remind Me" Gravity Frank Walker & Astrid S "Only When It Rains" PRETTYMUCH "Eyes Off You" Phases - EPAvicii "Peace of Mind" TIM "Tough Love" "Excuse Me Mr Sir" Otto Knows "About You" Ghost "Kiss The Go-Goat"Seven Inches of Satanic Panic "Mary On A Cross" Agnes "Intro"Nothing Can Compare "I Trance" "Not Dangerous" "Interlude (What Is Wrong)" "Limelight" "Interlude (I Like To Sing)" "Nothing Can Compare" Mapei "Ether" Sensory Overload 2020 Lady Gaga "Chromatica III" Chromatica "Sine From Above" Galantis "Steel" Church "Unless It Hurts" "Never Felt A Love Like This" Agnes "Goodlife" 2021 Agnes "Spriritual Awakening" Magic Still Exists "XX" "24 Hours" "Freedom" "Here Comes The Night" "Love And Appreciation" "The Soul Has No Gender" "Selfmade" "Fingers Crossed" "Free Your Mind And Free Your Body" "Magic Still Exists" 2022 Ghost "Spillways" Impera "Watcher In The Sky" "Dominion" "Twenties" "Darkness At the Heart Of My Love" Swedish House Mafia "Time"Paradise Again "Frankenstein" "Lifetime" "Another Minute" 2024 Jelly Roll "When The Drugs Don't Work" Beautifully Broken (album) Ghost "The Future Is A Foreign Land" Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Empire Of The Sun "Changes"Ask That God "Cherry Blossom" "Television" Benjamin Ingrosso "..and so it begins"Pink Velvet Theatre "Kite" "Angela" "PVT?" "Better Days" "All My Life - and then..." "IKNOW IKNOW" "All The Stars - Interlude" "Back To You" "so this is love?" Griff "Tears For Fun" Vertigo 2025 Ghost "Peacefield"Skeletá "Satanized" "Marks Of The Evil One" Tom Grennan "Full Attention" Everywhere I Went, Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be Christopher "When We Were Young"A Beautiful Real Life Soundtrack "Orbit"Fools Gold "ONE" Drew Sycamore "Lost Myself"Occurrent Affairs "Change The World" "Another Lovesong" "Lonely Heat" "Materialisation (interlude)" "Spring Birds" 2026 Agnes "BM-247 01 INTERLUDE" BEAUTIFUL MADNESS "BEAUTIFUL MADNESS" "TRIGGER" "GOT ANY?" "MILK" "WAKE UP" "BALENCIAGA COVERED EYES" "EGO" "MASTERPIECE" "SIGN IT" "PRE" "LOVESONGS"Carly Rae Jepsen"Blue Skies"Day and Night"Burning Heart"
Songwriting and production credits for local Swedish artists Year Artist Title Album 2007 Danny "If Only You" Heart Beats 2008 Amanda Jenssen "Do You Love Me?" Killing My Darlings 2010 Andreas Grega "Dom hade mycket att säga" En sak i taget 2013 Veronica Maggio "Sergels torg" Handen i fickan fast jag bryr mig "Jag lovar" "Hela huset" "Va kvar" "Låtsas som det regnar" "Hädanefter" "Dallas" "Bas gillar hörn" "I min bil" Petter "Mighty" Början på allt "Början på allt" "April" "Håll om mig" "Tills döden skiljer oss åt" "King" "Maj" "Arbete" "Alla vet" "Fristad" "Juni" "Sitter på en dröm" "Minnen del II" "Släpp mig fri" Rasmus Seebach "I min t-shirt" Ingen kan love dig i morgen 2016 Veronica Maggio "Den första är alltid gratis" Den första är alltid gratis "Vi mot världen" "Pang pang" 2018 Petter "Kliv på!" Lev nu "Lev nu dö sen"
Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Nomination Outcome Ref. 2008Swedish Grammy Awards Best Newcomer Himselfrowspan="3" Producer of the Year Himself Best Dance/Hiphop/Soul Himself 2014 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself (with Salem Al Fakir & Magnus Lidehäll) The Swedish MPA Awards International Success of the Year Himself (with Salem Al Fakir & Magnus Lidehäll)rowspan="5" 2015 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself (with Salem Al Fakir & Magnus Lidehäll) The Swedish MPA Awards International Success of the Year Himself (with Salem Al Fakir) 2016 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself (with Salem Al Fakir, Magnus Lidehäll & Seinabo Sey) 2018 Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Vargas & Lagola The Swedish MPA Awards (together with STIM) Most Played Song 2017 Axwell Ʌ Ingrosso – "More Than You Know" The Swedish MPA Awards Song of the Year Avicii - "Without You" (feat. Sandro Cavazza) 2019 Grammy Awards Best Rock Album Ghost - Prequelle The Swedish MPA Awards (together with STIM) Most Played Song 2018 Avicii - "Without You" (feat. Sandro Cavazza) 2020 Grammy Awards Best Pop Vocal Album Lady Gaga - Chromaticarowspan="3" Swedish Grammy Awards Producer of the Year Himself Tim Bergling, Salem Al Fakir, Albin Nedler, Kristoffer Fogelmark, Carl Falk, Lucas von Bahder, Marcus Thunberg Wessel Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself, Tim Bergling, Salem Al Fakir, Albin Nedler, Kristoffer Fogelmark, Isak Alverus, Carl Falk, Joakim Berg, Lucas von Bahder, Marcus Thunberg Wessel, Martin Svensson 2022Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself, Agnes, Salem Al Fakir, Kerstin Ljungström, Maria Hazell Album of the Year Agnes - Magic Still Existsrowspan="5" Best Pop Agnes - Magic Still ExistsThe Swedish MPA Awards Composer of the Year Himself, Agnes, Salem Al Fakir, Kerstin Ljungström, Maria Hazell International Success Himself, Tobias Forge, Klas Åhlund, Salem Al Fakir, Joakim Berg, Max Grahn 2023Swedish Grammy Awards Composer of the Year Himself,Salem Al Fakir Best Electronic/Dance Swedish House Mafia - Paradise Againrowspan="2" Best Hard Rock/Metal Ghost - Impera 2024 The Swedish MPA Awards Song of the Year Benjamin Ingrosso - "Kite" 2025Swedish Grammy Awards Album of the Year Benjamin Ingrosso - Pink Velvet Theatre Composer of the Year Himself, Salem Al Fakir, Benjamin Ingrossorowspan="2" Best Pop Benjamin Ingrosso - Pink Velvet Theatre The Swedish MPA Awards International Success Himself, Tobias Forge, Salem Al Fakir, Max Grahnrowspan="2" 2026 Grammy Awards Best Contemporary Country Album Jelly Roll - Beautifully BrokenSwedish Grammy Awards Album of the Year Ghost - Skeletárowspan="5" Composer of the Year Himself, Tobias Forge, Salem Al Fakir, Max Grahn Producer of the Year Himself, Tobias Forge, Salem Al Fakir, Max Grahn Lyricist of the Year Himself, Tobias Forge, Salem Al Fakir, Max Grahn Best Hard Rock/Metal Ghost - Skeletá
References
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