Medina

Danish electro-pop singer Medina broke through to Top Ten mainstream success in 2009 with her second album, Velkommen Til Medina, whose lead single, “Kun for Mig,” was far and away the biggest hit of the year in Denmark. Born Andrea Valbak on November 3, 1982, in Aarhus, Denmark, she is the daughter of a Chilean man and a Danish woman. She made her solo album debut in 2007 with Tæt På, which was produced by the Danish production duo Providers (Jeppe Federspiel and Rasmus Stabell) and released in association with the label At:tack Music. Tæt På spawned three different singles, “Flå,” “Et Øjeblik,” and “Alene,” yet none was a breakout hit, nor was the album itself. Her breakout came at last in late 2008, when “Kun for Mig” was released and began ascending the Danish singles chart with swiftness. The biggest hit of the year in Denmark, “Kun for Mig” spent a remarkable 17 straight weeks in the Top Five, including six weeks at number one; moreover, it spawned a sequel, “Kun for Dig,” featuring rapper L.O.C., that also topped the Danish singles, plus an English-language version, “You and I,” that was a minor hit internationally. In the aftermath of “Kun for Dig,” Medina released her second album, Velkommen Til Medina (2009), which once again featured production work by the Providers, plus a few tracks produced by Motrack (born Christian von Staffeldt). A Top Ten hit on the Danish albums chart, Velkommen Til Medina spawned the follow-up singles “Velkommen Til Medina” and “Ensom,” both of which were smash hits, the former spending five weeks at number one. Meanwhile, Medina was featured on yet another chart-topping hit, Thomas Helmig's “100 Dage” from his album Tommy Boy (2009). She returned a few years later with a flurry of releases, including the surprise-release digital download EP Arrogant, the live album Tæt På - Live, and the number one Danish single “Jalousi” (all 2014). ~ Jason Birchmeier