Stefanie Heinzmann

Swiss soul-pop singer Stefanie Heinzmann, like many of her generation, shot to fame via television, winning a talent search on the show TV Total in 2008 and, within a week’s time of doing so, scoring a chart-topping hit with her debut single, “My Man Is a Mean Man.” Born on March 10, 1989, in Eyholz, Valais, Switzerland, Heinzmann began her musical career in 2005 in the rock band Bigfisch. Two years later she applied for SSDSDSSWEMUGABRTLAD, a talent contest hosted by Stefan Raab on the late-night show TV Total on the German network ProSieben, and went on to win the contest in early 2008, performing songs in a soul-jazz-funk style. As the winner, she was awarded a solo recording contract with Universal Music Group and released her debut single, “My Man Is a Mean Man,” in the week following her win. Crafted by the Swedish songwriting/production team of Gustav Jonsson, Tommy Tysper, and Marcus Sepehrmanesh, “My Man Is a Mean Man” proved immediately popular in the German-language world, hitting number one in Switzerland, number three in Germany, and number six in Austria. Her full-length album debut, Masterplan (2008), proved similarly popular, hitting number one in Switzerland, number three in Germany, and number five in Austria. “Like a Bullet” was released as the follow-up single, and though it failed to match the success of its predecessor, it was a hit nonetheless. ~ Jason Birchmeier