The name Era Istrefi in Europe became popular after the release of the song "Mani për money" in 2013. But she was widely recognized as a singer and songwriter in 2016 after the video for the single "BonBon". Then users of YouTube called her "Rihanna and Sia from Kosovo."
Biography
An Albanian celebrity was born on July 4, 1994 in Pristina in the family of singer Susanna Tahirsladj and journalist Nezira Istrefi. The girl was named Era - "wind" from the Albanian language. The era grew in the company of loving parents and older sisters Nora and Nita. She impressed them with the versatility of her hobbies and abilities. At an early age, thanks to Nora's mother and older sister, Era became interested in singing and tried to compose the first verses. And even after the death of the husband and father of the girls in 2004, the mother continued to maintain Era’s interest in music, although she herself had to leave the scene. The young singer herself drew strength and inspiration from seeing mountains and waterfalls located in the vicinity of Pristina. And having moved to Los Angeles in 2017 due to great career opportunities, the singer admitted in an interview that she feels truly free only in her native land.
Career
In 2013, Era performed in Kosovo with the single "Mani për money". In the text of the song, she used the Geg dialect and English words, which was unexpected for the national music industry. But it was this experiment with the pun that allowed the aspiring singer to win the love of the public and good marks from critics. After some time, she released the next single - "A Po Don". A black and white clip was shot at him by Entermedia. The third single "E Dehun" Era released under the influence of the single of the same name Nejmi Paragushi. The singer left the lyrics unchanged, she brought only her vision of music. The provocative video shot for the song was severely criticized, but the single itself received three awards at the Videofest Awards, including in the nomination "Best New Artist".
In 2014, Era recorded the R&B ballad "13", which was produced and released in the United States. After the release of the single, Era’s vocals were compared with Rihanna’s vocals. The similarity of the clips for the singles "13" and "Russian Roulette" pushed for comparison.
A real breakthrough in his musical career was the last day of the outgoing 2015. On that day, the single "BonBon" and its accompanying video, shot in Kosovo, were released. In a few days, the clip gained over 100 million views, and the song began to carry a viral character, it was sung everywhere. In the media, Era Istrefi was called "Rihanna and Sia from Kosovo."
In February 2016, the singer signed a contract with the American labels Sony Music Entertainment and Ultra Music. In June 2016, the singer presented the English version of the single "BonBon", the clip of which by this time had gained more than 180 million views.
In 2017, Era moved to Los Angeles and released the single “Redrum” on February 24, recorded with producer Felix Snow. In the same year, May 25, Era joined Will Smith and Nicky Jam to record the official song of the FIFA World Cup World Cup "Live It Up".
