Surprise move from Eurovision: Sertab Erener invited

Famous singer Sertab Erener has received an invitation from Sweden, where the 2024 Eurovision will take place.

Speaking at her Istanbul concert, Erener stated that she received an invitation from Sweden, the host of this year's Eurovision, and announced that she has begun preparations for the competition night and will perform a different version of her song "Everyway That I Can."

The 2024 Eurovision Song Contest will be held at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden, with semi-finals on May 7 and 9, 2024, and the final on May 11, 2024.

WHO IS SERTAB ERENER?

Sertab Erener (born December 4, 1964, Istanbul) is a Turkish singer-songwriter.

Drawing attention with her coloratura soprano voice, she began working as a vocalist for Sezen Aksu and made a name for herself in the early 1990s with albums released with Aksu's support. Because she had classical music training, she initially struggled when singing pop music. Although she occasionally engaged in experimental work, she preferred to make pop music rather than avant-garde pieces, as she aimed to reach a wide audience. In some of her work, she combined Western and Eastern music, and in addition to ethnic elements, she also drew from opera and Turkish classical music. In the early 2000s, she expanded into Europe and released various works there.

Making her breakthrough with the Sezen Aksu-supported album "Sakin Ol," Erener contributed effectively to Turkish pop music throughout the 1990s with the albums "Lâ'l" (1994), "Sertab Gibi" (1997), and "Sertab Erener" (1999). These albums produced many hits such as "Sakin Ol," "Aldırma Deli Gönlüm," "Ateşle Barut," "Sevdam Ağlıyor," "Aslolan Aşktır," "Yanarım," "Zor Kadın," and "Vur Yüreğim."

In the early 2000s, Erener continued to attract attention with the songs "Kumsalda" and "Kendime Yeni Bir Ben Lazım." By winning the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest with "Everyway That I Can," she brought Turkey its first victory in the history of the competition and made a name for herself in Europe.

After releasing the albums "No Boundaries" in 2004 and "Aşk Ölmez" in 2005, she did not release a new Turkish studio album for five years. She entered the 2010s with the album "Rengârenk," which included hits like "Bu Böyle," "Açık Adres," and "Koparılan Çiçekler," and this album was considered her return to the music market. Following "Rengârenk," she released the album "Ey Şuh-i Sertab" in 2012, dedicated to her father. She was awarded the best female Turkish classical music soloist award at the Golden Butterfly Awards.

In 2013, she released "Sade." This album produced hits such as "İyileşiyorum," "Öyle de Güzel," and "Söz." Releasing the "Kırık Kalpler Albümü" in 2016, Erener stated that she returned to the 90s with this album. The album was highly acclaimed and left its mark on that year. The album produced hits such as "Kime Diyorum" and "Olsun."

Erener has been praised many times for her voice and became one of the most famous singers to emerge with Sezen Aksu's support. Upon winning Eurovision, she was awarded the Republic of Turkey State Medal of Distinguished Service. She was included in the "91 Symbolic Women in the 91st Year of the Proclamation of the Republic" list prepared by Hürriyet in 2014. In addition to singing, she taught for one year at the Müjdat Gezen Art Center. She has been married three times; she was married to her second husband, Levent Yüksel, between 1990 and 1996. She married her third husband, Emre Kula, in 2015. To date, she has won numerous awards, including seven Kral TV Video Music Awards and two Golden Butterfly Awards.