Formed as a pop foursome, beFour was assembled by the German broadcaster SuperRTL to star in the 2007 docu-soap beFour: Das Star-Tagebuch. Styled along lines similar to Banaroo and Chipz, the lineup consists of two male and two female vocalists—Manou, born February 18, 1984, in Uznach, Switzerland; Alina, born November 2, 1984, in Geilenkirchen, Germany; Dan, born December 17, 1987, in Berlin, Germany; and Angel, born February 21, 1982, in Velbert, Germany—all of whom pursue careers in dance, performance, and song. The quartet’s own site recounts that the members first crossed paths five years prior to the broadcast project and were spotted by producer Christian Geller during a dance competition. Their debut release, the 2007 album All 4 One, garnered largely unfavorable critiques yet climbed to the top position on the German and Swiss charts while reaching number two in Austria. Half a year afterward came the seasonal follow-up Hand in Hand: The Winter Album, which entered the top ten in both Germany and Austria and earned gold certification after surpassing 100,000 units sold. We Stand United arrived in 2008, succeeded the next year by Friends 4 Ever.
