Kevin Borg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin Borg
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Kevin Borg in Sweden (2009)
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin James Borg |
| Born | 9 June 1986 Floriana, Malta |
| Origin | Floriana, Malta |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Sony BMG (2008–present) |
| Associated acts | Daniel Lindström, Agnes Carlsson, Markus Fagervall, Marie Picasso, Alice Svensson |
Kevin James Borg (born on June 9, 1986, in Floriana, Malta) is a Maltese singer who now lives and works in Sweden. Kevin became famous after winning the Swedish TV singing show Idol in 2008. He was the third male winner and the first winner in the show's history who was not born in Sweden. He had moved to Sweden exactly one year before he won the competition.
Contents
About Kevin Borg
Early Life and Football
Kevin Borg was born and grew up in Floriana, Malta. When he was younger, he was a footballer and played for Floriana FC. His grandfather, Lolly Debattista, was a very famous Maltese footballer. He was the first Maltese player to win the Footballer of the Year Award.
Winning Idol in 2008
In December 2007, Kevin moved to Arvidsjaur, Sweden, to live with his Swedish girlfriend. In the autumn of 2008, he tried out for the fifth season of the Swedish singing contest Idol. Even though he made it to the final 12 live shows, Kevin was not one of the favorites at first.
However, his strong performances made him more and more popular with viewers each week. He made it to the final two and performed at Stockholm's Globen Arena in front of 16,000 people! On December 12, 2008, Kevin Borg was announced as the fifth Swedish Idol, winning against Alice Svensson. He was so popular that he was never among the least favorite contestants during the live shows.
After Idol
2008: First Song
After winning Swedish Idol in 2008, Kevin Borg signed a music deal with Sony BMG. His winning song, "With Every Bit of Me", was released one week after he won the contest. The song was a big hit in Sweden. It went straight to number one on the music charts and stayed there for two weeks.
2009: First Album The Beginning
On March 4, 2009, Kevin officially released his album called The Beginning in Sweden. The album reached number 3 on the Swedish charts and sold enough copies to be certified gold. Kevin also released his second song, "Street Lights", which reached number 10 in Sweden.
The album was supposed to come out earlier, but Kevin was busy making a music video for "Street Lights", so the album release was moved back a week. Kevin went on a tour across Sweden in early 2009. In November 2012, his song "Christmas Time" became number one on Malta's iTunes chart. He also helped write and produce a song called "Mental Breaker" for the K-Pop group Block B from South Korea. This song became a top 10 hit!
After 2013: Back in Malta
Kevin Borg later took part in Malta's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with a song called "Needing You". He helped write and produce this song. He came in second place in the competition. Kevin also helped write and compose another song called "Storyline" for the Romanian Eurovision Song Contest 2013 selection.
In 2016, Kevin played the main role of Danny Zuko in a play called Grease (musical). This show was performed at Teatru Astra in Gozo, Malta. On April 20, 2016, he released his song "Young at Heart".
In December 2016, Kevin was chosen to be part of Malta's national selection again for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with his song "Follow". He placed third in the final. In July 2017, Kevin helped write "Tsunagu", a song for a Japanese boyband called Arashi. This song became number one in Japan and was one of the best-selling songs of 2017 in the country.
Discography
| Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 1 | |
| ↙Singles | 7 | |
| ↙Music videos | 2 | |
| ↙B-sides | 2 | |
| ↙Other Charted Songs | 9 | |
Studio Albums
| Year | Information | Sweden | Sales and Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | The Beginning
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Swedish sales: 37,000
IFPI: Gold |
Singles
| Year | Song | Sweden | Certification | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "With Every Bit of Me" | 1 | Platinum (IFPI) | The Beginning |
| 2009 | "Street Lights" | 10 | — | |
| "The Last Words" (Digital only) | — | — | ||
| 2011 | "Unstoppable" | — | — | Non-album single |
| 2016 | "Young at Heart" | — | — | |
| 2017 | "Follow" | — | — | |
| 2020 | "Breakdown" | — | — |
Musical Participation in Malta
Malta International TV Song Festival
- 2006: Riflessi - 4th place
- 2007: Jasal il-Jum
Malta Song for Europe
- 2006: You're My Dream - 8th place
- 2007: Whenever - 4th place
- 2013: Needing You - 2nd place
- 2017: Follow - 3rd place
