Emilia

Born on January 5, 1978, in Stockholm, Swedish pop artist Emilia grew up amid a distinctive cultural blend shaped by her Swedish mother and Ethiopian father. Traditional Ethiopian music and jazz that filled their home through her father’s influence awakened her passion for singing and performing at an early age. After attending one of her father’s concerts at the age of ten, she resolved to build a career in music and soon gained admission to the Adolf Fredriks Music School in Stockholm. Over the next eight years she trained in classical music while performing soul and pop material on her own. In 1996 Lars Anderson, son of ABBA member Stikkan Anderson, discovered her, and the two began writing and recording her debut album. Despite juggling university studies and employment, their efforts resulted in the September 1998 release of her first single, “Big Big World.” The track became the fastest-selling single in Swedish history, earning gold certification after six days and platinum status five days later. It rapidly captured audiences across Europe, topping charts from Norway to Turkey. The accompanying album Big Big World appeared in 1999 and ultimately exceeded one million copies sold. Her self-titled follow-up album attracted producers and songwriters from the upper ranks of the pop industry. Although it failed to match the chart supremacy of its predecessor, the record delivered the substantial sales and high-caliber touring that accompany international stardom. Following a lengthy absence from the spotlight, Emilia resurfaced in 2007 with her third studio album, Sma Ord Av Karlek, issued on the independent Bonnier label rather than Universal, the company behind her earlier releases. In 2009 she entered a national competition to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest yet did not reach the finals; the same year brought another album, My World, which featured the single “Teardrops.” In 2012 she recorded a cover of Rihanna’s “We Found Love,” then released her fifth studio album I Belong to You on Warner Bros. under the name Emilia Mitiku. The set included the single “Lost Inside” and contained some of her most poignant and daring material.