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Era Istrefi
Istrefi performing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Final
Born	(1994-07-04) 4 July 1994 (age 30) Pristina, FR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo)
Citizenship	Kosovo Albania
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	2013–present
Works	Discography
Relatives	Nora Istrefi (sister)
Musical career
Genres	Dancehall EDM pop R&B trap
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Nesër Sony Ultra RCA
Musical artist

Era Istrefi (/ˈɛrɑː ɪˈstrɛfi/; Albanian: [ˈɛɾa isˈtɾɛfi]; born 4 July 1994) is a Kosovo-Albanian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Pristina, she rose to international recognition with the breakthrough single "BonBon", which experienced commercial success worldwide and received various certifications. She later signed contracts with record labels Sony Music and Ultra Music. In 2018, Istrefi performed the official song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, alongside Nicky Jam and Will Smith, at the closing ceremony of the grand final in Moscow. Her discography includes works in Albanian and English, among others "Shumë Pis", "Redrum", "Nuk E Di" and "Live It Up". Istrefi has received a number of awards and nominations, including the European Border Breakers Award and Top Music Award.

Life and career

1994–2014: Early life and success in the Albanian-speaking world

Era Istrefi was born on 4 July 1994 into an Albanian family in the city of Pristina, then part of the FR Yugoslavia, present-day Kosovo. Her father Nezir Istrefi, a journalist, died in 2004. Istrefi's mother, Suzana Istrefi (née Tahirsylaj), a musician active between the 1980s and 1990s, took a break from her career upon her husband's death. Her older sister Nora Istrefi is also a singer.

In 2013, Istrefi made her debut in the Albanian-speaking world with the single "Mani Për Money", eventually releasing material sung in Gheg Albanian featuring English phrases. A few months later, she released a follow-up recording, "A Po Don?", which was promoted with a music video; it similarly achieved recognition. Her third single "E Dehun" was filmed in a Serbian desecrated Orthodox church. Upon its release, "E Dehun" assured Istrefi three Videofest Awards, including one for "Best New Artist". In December 2014, the singer made the pop ballad "13", which was produced in the United States, available for consumption. Its accompanying music video was viewed almost 200,000 times within 24 hours on YouTube, which later resulted in it being featured in V Magazine. She received Albanian citizenship in 2016.

2015–present: International breakthrough

Istrefi experienced international recognition with her single "BonBon", which was released on 30 December 2015 together with the music video shot in Brezovica, Kosovo. The song became an immediate success, becoming viral on social media. Additionally, the singer began gaining support from American actress Chloë Grace Moretz, and various publications referred to her as the "Rihanna and Sia of Kosovo". In February 2016, Istrefi signed to American labels Sony Music Entertainment and Ultra Music. It was reported that Istrefi will record her upcoming debut studio album in collaboration with RCA Records. In June 2016 an English version of "BonBon" was released.

On 24 February 2017, Istrefi released a new single, entitled "Redrum", which features producer Felix Snow. Few months later, on 29 September, Istrefi released another new single, entitled "No I Love Yous", which is in collaboration with French Montana.

She has started 2018 with a new single "Origami" featuring South African DJ Maphorisa. On 21 May it was announced that Istrefi had joined with American actor and rapper Will Smith and American singer Nicky Jam to release the Official FIFA World Cup Song on 25 May. She performed the song, entitled "Live It Up", alongside Smith and Jam on 15 July at the closing ceremony in the World Cup Final. During the rest of the summer she dropped two more singles, entitled "Prisoner" and "Oh God", the latter featuring Konshens. She was featured on Steve Aoki's album Neon Future III and Jonas Blue's album Blue, both released on 19 November.

In 2019, Istrefi collaborated with Belgian duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike on her follow-up single "Selfish" which topped the Billboard Dance Club Airplay chart. Two months later, she worked with her sister and Albanian singer Nora Istrefi on the single "Nuk E Di" which marked the first time that both artists have collaborated musically on a recording. In the same year, she released "Sayonara детка" with Russian rapper Элджей and was featured along American rapper Offset on the single "Let's Get Married" by Dutch duo Yellow Claw.

Artistry

Musical style

Istrefi characterises her own music as multi genre combining dancehall with hip hop, pop and electronic. Her music also incorporates electronic dance, reggae, techno and alternative. Diverse observers have compared her music style and appearance to that of Rihanna and Sia.

Influences

Era Istrefi takes influence from the different genres of music she discovered when she was young and stated that reggae and Jamaican music were the major type of music she fell in love when she was sixteen. She has named Rihanna and Lana Del Rey as her idols and biggest musical influences. A Kosovar Albanian musician Nexhmije Pagarusha from the late 20th century has also inspired the singer. Istrefi also praised Rihanna for having been able to constantly reinvent herself successfully throughout her career.

Controversies

"E Dehun" music video

Istrefi received criticism from the Serbian Orthodox Church after the release of the music video for her third single "E Dehun". The video depicted a semi-nude woman dancing around the Church of Christ the Saviour in Pristina. The Serbian Orthodox Church called her actions "demonic" and "blasphemous". The video's director Astrit Ismaili responded by stating that they did not intend to offend Serbs and that he had the permission to shoot the video at the church entrance.

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

1. "Era Istrefi Biografia" (in Albanian). TeksteShqip. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
2. "Era Istrefi #Bio" (in Albanian). Top Channel. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
3. "Era Istrefi signed a contract with Ultra and Sony Music". Ministria e Punëve të Jashtme. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
4. "Facebook and Sony Music sign deal, Era Istrefi among others to benefit from it". Digital Spoiler. 8 January 2018. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
5. "Nicky Jam, Will Smith will sing this year's official FIFA 2018 World Cup song". NBC News. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
6. "Kosovo's Istrefi Tastes Sweet Success With 'Bonbon'". balkaninsight.com. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
7. "15 vjet pa babanë, këto janë fjalët prekëse të Era Istrefit". prive.al (in Albanian). Privé. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
8. "Nora Istrefi në prehër të prindërve. Kush janë ata?". gazetaexpress.com (in Albanian). 25 May 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
9. "Yjet shqiptarë mbështesin legalizimin e martesave gej dhe lezbike". Prive.al (in Albanian). Privé. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
10. ""A Po Don" thotë Era Istrefi!". telegrafi.com. Telegrafi. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
11. "Era Istrefi lanson baladën "13" (Video)". Telegrafi. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
12. ""13" drejt rekordeve të para (Video) – Lajme rozë". GazetaExpress.com. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
13. Stagg, Natasha. "Meet Era Istrefi". V Magazine. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
14. "Era Istrefi requires Albanian citizenship, meets with President Nishani". ocnal. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
15. "Era Istrefi - Bonbon - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
16. "Era Istrefi Is the 22-Year-Old Albanian Singer Who Got Famous in 24 Hours – Noisey". noisey. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
17. "ChloĂŤ Grace Moretz on Twitter: "Era istrefi. New star. Watch out. she's amazing."". Twitter. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
18. "Era Istrefi, biografia". TeksteShqip.com.
19. "Era Istrefi ne rubriken Instagram dhe te rejat e fundit 7 June 2015". YouTube. 7 June 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
20. Wass, Mike (27 June 2016). "Era Istrefi Drops English Version Of Global Smash "BonBon"". idolator.com. Idolator. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
21. Wass, Mike (24 February 2017). "Era Istrefi's "Redrum" Video Is A Sexy, Red-Hued Fantasy". idolator.com.
22. staff, bigFM (2 March 2017). "ERA ISTREFI: MIT "REDRUM" UND SUPERSTAR-PRODUZENT FELIX SNOW". bigfm.de.
23. Desk, Music News (29 September 2017). "Singer Songwriter Era Istrefi Returns with New Song 'No I Love Yous'". broadwayworld.com. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
24. "Will Smith & Nicky Jam Will Perform Official FIFA World Cup Song With Era Istrefi". Billboard. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
25. "Will Smith, Nicky Jam & Era Istrefi to collaborate on official 2018 World Cup song | Goal.com". Retrieved 23 May 2018.
26. "World Cup: Will Smith to Perform at Closing Ceremony with Nicky Jam". Billboard.
27. "Era Istrefi – Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
28. "Publikohet kënga më e re e motrave Istrefi". tvklan.al (in Albanian). TV Klan. 19 April 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
29. Klonowski, Laura (10 July 2018). "Exclusive: Interview With Era Istrefi". CelebMix. Archived from the original on 31 July 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
30. "Interview With Era Istrefi – Artist Of The Week". tickx.co.uk. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
31. "Albanian superstar Era Istrefi is bound for US stardom". popdust.com. 19 October 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
32. "Ultra Music's Patrick Moxey on New Signee Era Istrefi, Rihanna & Sia Parallels: Exclusive". billboard.com. Billboard. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
33. "Era Istrefi: The Albanian artist drawing comparisons to Sia and Rihanna". independent.co.uk. The Independent. 5 October 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
34. "Introducing Era Istrefi, the Eastern European Singer With Pipes Like Rihanna". vogue.com. Vogue. 16 August 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
35. "Meet Future Pop Star Era Istrefi". Forbes. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
36. ^ "Era Istrefi Is the 22-Year-Old Albanian Singer Who Got Famous in 24 Hours". vice.com. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
37. "Era Istrefi dazzles fans in Dubai". khaleejtimes.com. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
38. "Këngëtarët e rinj po frymëzohen nga hitet e vjetra". rtv21.tv (in Albanian). 5 November 2018. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
39. "Serbian Church Slams 'Blasphemous' Cathedral Pop Video". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
40. "qartesim ne lidhje me shfrytezimin e objektit te pa perfunduar te kishes ortodokse". Lajmi. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
41. "Премия "Виктория-2019" объявила финалистов". Intermedia News Russia (in Russian). 2 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2020.

• 1994 births
• 21st-century Albanian women singers
• Albanian Internet celebrities
• Albanian pop singers
• Albanian women pop singers
• Albanian reggae singers
• Albanian songwriters
• Kosovo Albanians
• Kosovan singers
• Kosovan women singers
• Living people
• Musicians from Pristina
• RCA Records artists
• Sony Music artists
• Ultra Records artists
• Women in electronic music