Maria Mena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Mena
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Maria Mena at stage during Stavernfestivalen in 2016
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maria Viktoria Mena |
| Born | 19 February 1986 Oslo, Norway |
| Genres | Pop, folk, rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Sony Music Norway, Columbia |
Maria Viktoria Mena (born 19 February 1986) is a talented Norwegian pop singer. She is well-known for her hit songs like "You're the Only One", "Just Hold Me", and "All This Time". These songs became popular in many different countries.
Contents
Maria Mena's Early Life
Maria Mena grew up in a family of artists. Her father is a drummer, and her mother is Norwegian. Her father is American with roots from Afro-Nicaraguan people. Maria and her brother, Tony, were named after characters from the musical West Side Story.
Maria's father played in many bands in Oslo. This inspired Maria to start writing and recording her own music. When Maria was nine, her parents divorced. This was a difficult time for her.
When Maria was 13, she moved to live with her father. She found comfort in singing and writing songs. One of her songs, "My Lullaby", came from her diary. It shared her feelings about her parents' divorce. Maria asked her father to help her make a demo. He contacted people in the music business, and soon Sony Music signed Maria to their record label.
Maria Mena's Music Career
Starting Out: 2002–2007
In 2002, Maria Mena released her first song, "Fragile (Free)", in Norway. It didn't become a hit there. But her second song, "My Lullaby", was very successful. It reached number 5 on the Norwegian Singles Chart. Many radio stations played it often.
Maria quickly gained fans and earned her first platinum record. This means her song sold a lot of copies! After "My Lullaby" did so well, she released her first album, Another Phase, in Norway. It reached number 6 on the Norwegian Albums Chart.
Maria appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote her first international album, White Turns Blue. This album quickly became popular, reaching the top of the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. Her song "You're the Only One" became a worldwide hit. It was her only song to appear on a Billboard chart in the U.S.
In March 2004, Maria released her second album in Norway, Mellow. It wasn't as big as her first album but still reached number 7 in Norway.
In 2005, Maria released Apparently Unaffected in Norway and other European countries. Songs like "Miss You Love" and "Just Hold Me" were popular from this album. It was a big success in Norway. She was nominated for three Spellemann awards, which are like the Norwegian Grammys.
In the Netherlands, Apparently Unaffected slowly climbed the music charts. "Just Hold Me" became very popular there, reaching number 7 on the Mega Single Top 100 chart. Maria performed sold-out concerts in Utrecht and Amsterdam. Her album even sold more copies than albums by major artists like Pink and Beyoncé.
On 7 July 2007, Maria performed at the Live Earth concert in Hamburg, Germany. Live Earth was a series of concerts held around the world to raise awareness about climate change.
New Music and Success: 2008–2014
Maria Mena started working with producer Martin Sjølie in 2008. They created her fourth album, Cause and Effect. The first song from the album, "Belly Up", was played on Norwegian radio in June 2008. The album was released in September 2008. The song "All This Time" was the first international single. This album helped Maria win a Spellemann award for Best Female Artist.
Maria's song "Sorry" was used in the third season of the TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Another song, "What's Another Day", was featured in the fourth season.
In 2011, Maria recorded her own version of "Mitt lille land" (My Little Country) by Ole Paus. This was for a project by the Norwegian TV channel TV2. After the terrible Norway terrorist attacks on 22 July, many people asked Maria to share her song. She uploaded it online, and it quickly became a song of remembrance for the victims. By 2011, Maria had sold 700,000 albums, with half of those sales in Norway.
Her fifth album, Viktoria, was released on 23 September 2011. Her sixth album, Weapon in Mind, came out in 2013. This album was her first to reach number one in Norway.
Recent Work: 2015–Present
Maria Mena released the song "I Don't Wanna See You with Her" on 6 November 2015. Her seventh album, Growing Pains, followed on 4 December 2015.
In March 2020, Maria announced a new album called They Never Leave Their Wives. It was released on 23 October 2020. She released three songs from this album: "Not OK", "Lies (They Never Leave Their Wives)", and "You Live and You Learn".
In October 2020, Maria said she would release another new album in March 2021. However, in April 2021, she announced she would wait to release new music until she could perform concerts again. Many concert venues in Norway were closed for a long time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She described the upcoming album as a continuation of They Never Leave Their Wives. It would tell the story of a woman who is alone and then finds love.
In August 2022, Maria Mena was chosen for a role in the second season of the Viaplay TV series Furia. She also tried out for another Norwegian TV series called Etterglød (Afterglow). She didn't get the acting role, but she was asked to write a song for the show's soundtrack. That song, "It Was Love", was released on 23 September 2022.
Maria Mena's Albums and Songs
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR |
AUT |
GER |
NL |
POL |
SWI |
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| Another Phase |
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6 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| Mellow |
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7 | — | — | — | — | — |
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| Apparently Unaffected |
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6 | 40 | 22 | 11 | — | 56 |
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| Cause and Effect |
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4 | 23 | 20 | 8 | 43 | 13 |
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| Viktoria |
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2 | 29 | 18 | 17 | — | 13 |
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| Weapon in Mind |
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1 | — | 59 | 14 | — | 30 | |
| Growing Pains |
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6 | — | — | 31 | — | 75 | |
| And Then Came You |
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5 |
— | — | — | — | — | |
Compilation Albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US |
||
| White Turns Blue |
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102 |
EPs (Extended Plays)
| Title | EP details | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| NOR |
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| They Never Leave Their Wives |
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12 |
Singles (Main Artist)
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certification | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR |
AUT |
EU | GER |
NL 40 |
NL 100 |
NZ |
SWI |
UK |
US |
||||
| 2002 | "Fragile (Free)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Another Phase & White Turns Blue | |
| "My Lullaby" | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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| 2004 | "You're the Only One" | 8 | — | 43 | — | 30 | 19 | 35 | — | — | 86 | Mellow & White Turns Blue | |
| "Just a Little Bit" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2006 | "Miss You Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Apparently Unaffected | |
| "Just Hold Me" | 2 | 4 | 52 | 14 | 26 | 7 | — | 5 | 158 | — |
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| "Miss You Love" (re-release) | — | — | 147 | 73 | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Our Battles" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | |||
| 2008 | "Nevermind Me" | — | — | — | 84 | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Belly Up" | 4 | — | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Cause and Effect | ||
| "All This Time" | 7 | 7 | 13 | 15 | 6 | 7 | — | 14 | — | — |
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| 2009 | "I'm in Love" | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Was Made for Lovin' You" | — | 44 | — | 91 | — | — | — | 20 | — | — | |||
| 2010 | "Home for Christmas" | 1 | — | 56 | — | — | 98 | — | — | — | — |
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Hjem Til Jul soundtrack |
| 2011 | "This Too Shall Pass" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Viktoria | |
| "Homeless" | — | — | — | — | — | 69 | — | 65 | — | — | |||
| 2012 | "Viktoria" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013 | "... You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Weapon in Mind |
| "I Always Liked That" | — | — | 188 | — | — | 100 | — | — | — | — |
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| 2014 | "Til Alle Tider" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bauta – En hyllest til Bjørn Eidsvåg | |
| 2015 | "I Don't Wanna See You with Her" | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Growing Pains |
| 2016 | "Leaving You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020 | "Not OK" | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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They Never Leave Their Wives |
| "Lies (They Never Leave Their Wives)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "You Live and You Learn" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Jula Hjemme" (featuring Trygve Skaug) | 16 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| 2021 | "I Need a Man" (Hver gang vi møtes) | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Stian Staysmans dag (Sesong 11) |
| "Ghettoparasitt" (Hver gang vi møtes) | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hkeems dag (Sesong 11) | ||
| "Stein på stein" (Hver gang vi møtes) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Arne Hurlens dag (Sesong 11) | ||
| "Goin' Insane" (Hver gang vi møtes) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Agnete Sabas dag (Sesong 11) | ||
| "Når en skumring blir blå" (Hver gang vi møtes) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hanne Kroghs dag (Sesong 11) | ||
| "Det går over" (Hver gang vi møtes) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Trygve Skaugs dag (Sesong 11) | ||
| "Speil" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| 2022 | "It Was Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | TBA | |
| "Alt du vil ha" (with Isah) | 2 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||
| 2023 | "Not Worth It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | And Then Came You | |
| "Try Again Tomorrow" (featuring Darling West) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Easy Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Till The Water Runs Clear" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Singles (Featured Artist)
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOR |
GER |
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| 2005 | "Everytime" (Whimsical featuring Maria Mena) |
— | — | The Glow |
| 2009 | "Wide Awake" (Sasha featuring Maria Mena) |
— | 68 | Lila, Lila soundtrack |
| "Konfliktsky" (Jaa9 & OnklP featuring Maria Mena) |
— | — | Sellout! | |
| 2012 | "Fåkke fly bort" (Madcon featuring Maria Mena) |
— | — | Contakt |
| 2013 | "Colder" (LidoLido featuring Maria Mena and Bun B) |
— | — | Battle Poetry |
| 2020 | "Narnia" (Aiba featuring Maria Mena) |
— | — | TBA |
| 2021 | "Den fineste Chevy'n" (Halva Priset featuring Maria Mena) |
1 | — | TBA |
Promotional Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | "Blame It on Me" | Another Phase |
| "Sleep to Dream" | ||
| 2004 | "Patience" | Mellow |
| 2011 | "Habits" (featuring Mads Langer) | Viktoria |
| "A Stranger to Me" | ||
| 2014 | "Til alle tider" | Bauta – En hyllest til Bjørn Eidsvåg |
| 2020 | "Mitt Lille Land" | Non-album single |
| 2021 | "You Broke Me" | They Never Leave Their Wives |
| "Ghettoparasitt" (featuring Hkeem and Sisi) |
Non-album single |
Awards and Nominations
Maria Mena has been nominated for 11 Spellemannprisen awards, which are Norway's most important music awards. She won one for Best Female Artist in 2008.
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Spellemannprisen | Another Phase | Best Pop Solo | Nominated |
| Best Newcomer | Nominated | |||
| "My Lullaby" | Best Song | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Herself | Best Nordic Act | Nominated |
| 2005 | Spellemannprisen | "Miss You Love" | Best Music Video | Nominated |
| Best Hit | Nominated | |||
| Apparently Unaffected | Best Female Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | SWR3 Awards | Herself | Best New Pop Act | Won |
| 2008 | Radio Regenbogen Awards | Best International Newcomer | Won | |
| Echo Awards | Apparently Unaffected | Nominated | ||
| Spellemannprisen | Cause and Effect | Best Female Artist | Won | |
| "All This Time" | Best Music Video | Nominated | ||
| Best Music Video Direction | Nominated | |||
| 2009 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Herself | Best Norwegian Act | Nominated |
| Norwegian Music Critics Award | Best Female Artist | Won | ||
| Echo Awards | Cause and Effect | Best International Rock/Pop Female Artist | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Spellemannprisen | "Home For Christmas" | Best Hit | Nominated |
| 2011 | Viktoria | Best Lyricist | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Edvard Prize | Herself | Pop Category | Won |
| 2013 | MTV Europe Music Awards | Best Norwegian Act | Nominated | |
| Spellemannprisen | Weapon in Mind | Best Pop Solo | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Costume Awards | Herself | Instagrammer of the Year | Nominated |
| Best Dressed Woman | Nominated | |||
| 2015 | Norsk Artistforbund's Honorary Award | Herself | Pop Category | Won |
Images for kids
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Maria Mena in 2008
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Maria Mena performing in Tilburg, Netherlands, 2014
See also
In Spanish: Maria Mena para niños
