Shirley Natasja Clamp rose to prominence as a Swedish pop vocalist during the first years of the 2000s, propelled chiefly by repeated outings at Melodifestivalen. Born in Boras, Sweden, to a British father and Swedish mother, she began her recording career providing backing vocals for several veteran acts, among them the club and dance outfit Antique. Her first Melodifestivalen appearance came in 2003, where the buoyant dance-pop entry “Mr. Memory” finished sixth. Returning in 2004, she delivered “Min Karlek” (My Love) and secured second place, finishing behind Lena Philipsson’s commanding “Det Gor Ont.” Shortly afterward her debut album, Den Langsamma Blomman (The Slow Flower), entered stores and climbed to number three on the Swedish album chart, while the contest single itself also reached number three on the singles tally. In 2005 Clamp reentered the competition with “Att Alska Dig” (To Love You), landing in fourth position; Martin Stenmarck ultimately prevailed with “Las Vegas.” Her second studio album, Lever Mina Drommar (Live My Dreams), appeared that spring, and the festival song later peaked at number four on the domestic singles chart. The following year she issued the covers collection Favoriter Pa Svenska.
