Emma

Born Emma Marrone on May 25, 1984, in Florence, Italy, the future Italian pop singer first captured national attention in 2003 by winning the reality competition Popstars. Shortly afterward she joined forces with Laura Pisu and Columba Pane to form the trio Lucky Star. Their partnership with Universal Music yielded the 2003 single “Stile,” which peaked at number 24, and the full-length album LS3 appeared three years later on the same label, yet neither release achieved lasting traction and the group soon disbanded.

Emma next aligned herself with guitarist Antonio Tunno, bassist Simone Melissano, and turntablist DJ Corbella in the band M.J.U.R., an acronym for Mad Jesters Until Rave. The quartet issued its self-titled debut on Dracma Records in 2008, but commercial success remained elusive. She reentered the spotlight in 2010 on Amici di Maria de Filippi, ultimately claiming first place. Returning to Universal Music, she released the seven-track EP Oltre that same year; the set, containing songs written by Roberto Angelini, Federica Camba, and Daniele Coro, ascended to number one and introduced the chart-topping single “Calore,” followed by the hit “Meravigliosa.” Her first full-length effort, A Me Piace Così, arrived late in 2010 and earned double-platinum certification.

The 2011 album Sarò Libera duplicated the number-one debut, remained on the Italian charts for more than twelve months, and reached triple-platinum status while spawning two additional chart-toppers, “Non è l’Inferno” and “Cercavo Amore.” Schiena, issued in 2013, extended the streak of number-one albums and outsold its predecessor; a 2014 reissue marked Emma’s Eurovision appearance with the song “La Mia Città.”