Anna Abreu

Although she fell short of victory during the third season of Finland's Idols, Anna Abreu emerged afterward as one of the nation's most commercially successful recording acts. Born Anna Eira Margarida Mourão de Melo e Abreu in Vantaa on February 7, 1990, she grew up with a Finnish mother and a Portuguese father whose combined influences shaped her eclectic musical preferences. At sixteen she tried out for the series, reached the finale, and performed material by American artists such as Sheryl Crow and Alicia Keys, the Portuguese band Ala Dos Namorados, and the Finnish group Apulanta. After finishing second in April 2007, she joined the Finnish division of Sony BMG, issued the debut single “End of Love,” which entered the Top Ten, and followed several months later with the full-length album Anna Abreu; it attained platinum certification in its opening week and ultimately ranked among the country’s all-time best sellers.

Having toured behind that first release, Abreu quickly reentered the studio and shifted toward a stronger dance focus. The album Now appeared in late 2008, earned platinum status, and owed much of its success to the number-one single “Vinegar.” Maintaining a blend of dance-pop and club sounds, she scored another chart entry the next year with Just a Pretty Face?, her third consecutive platinum album, then spent 2010 on an extensive promotional tour. Rush arrived in 2011.