Allessa

Growing up in Graz, Austria, pop vocalist Allessa launched her music path by assembling the all-girl group C-Bra in 1998. Early singles quickly drew notice, leading the band to issue the album Mind Your Make-Up, though the outfit proved short-lived and soon split. She next stepped in as lead singer for the pop band Rapublic, whose reputation rested on covers of Italian classics. Once that venture ended, she relocated to Spain and performed with various cover bands on tour and in clubs. A Sony/BMG Austria contract arrived in summer 2006, prompting her to begin tracking the debut solo album Samstag Nacht. Released in 2007, the project featured the single "Der Himmel Weint Heute Nacht (The Sky Weeps Tonight)," which climbed to number 17 on the German Singles chart. Allessa completed her self-titled second album in 2012; it entered the Austrian album charts at number 19.