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 February 19, 1986) is a talented Norwegian pop singer. She is well-known for her popular songs like "You're the Only One", "Just Hold Me", and "All This Time". These songs became hits in many different countries.
Contents
Maria Mena's Early Life
Maria Viktoria Mena was born in Oslo, Norway. Her mother is Norwegian, and her father, Charles Mena, is a drummer from Nicaragua. There was a belief that her mother was a playwright, but Maria has said this is not true. Maria and her brother, Tony, were both named after characters from the famous musical West Side Story.
Her father grew up in Bluefields, Nicaragua, until he was 10. Then, he moved to New York with his mother. After moving to Norway in 1986, he played in several bands in Oslo. This inspired Maria to start writing and recording her own music. When Maria was nine years old, her parents divorced. As a teenager, she found comfort in singing and writing songs. One of her songs, "My Lullaby," came from her diary and expressed her feelings about her parents' divorce.
When Maria was 13, she moved to live with her father. He helped her by contacting people in the music business to record a demo. He showed his daughter's demo to different record companies. When she was 16, Sony Music signed Maria to their label. This was the start of her amazing music career!
Maria Mena's Music Career
Starting Her Music Journey (2002–2007)
In 2002, Maria Mena released her first song, "Fragile (Free)," in Norway. However, it didn't become a hit there. Her second song, "My Lullaby," was much more successful. It reached number 5 on the Norwegian Singles Chart. Many radio stations played it often. Maria quickly gained many fans and soon earned her first platinum record. This means her song sold a huge number of copies!
After "My Lullaby" became popular, she released her first album, Another Phase, in Norway. It reached number 6 on the Norwegian Albums Chart. Maria even appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote her first international album, White Turns Blue. This album quickly became very popular in the U.S. She also had a big worldwide hit with "You're the Only One" that year.
In March 2004, Maria released her second album in Norway, Mellow. It 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. In the Netherlands, the album slowly climbed the charts and became very popular. "Just Hold Me" was played a lot on the radio there. Maria performed sold-out concerts in Utrecht and Amsterdam because of how popular her music was. On July 7, 2007, she performed at the Live Earth concert in Hamburg, Germany.
New Albums and Big Hits (2008–2014)
Maria Mena worked with producer Martin Sjølie on her fourth album, Cause and Effect. The first song from the album, "Belly Up," was played on Norwegian radio in mid-2008. The album was released in Norway in September 2008. The first international song was "All This Time." This album helped her win a Spellemannprisen 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. "What's Another Day" was featured in the fourth season.
In 2011, Maria Mena 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 Norway terrorist attacks on July 22, Maria shared her version of the song online. It quickly became a special song to remember the victims. By 2011, Maria had sold 700,000 copies of her albums, with half of those sales in Norway.
Her fifth album, Viktoria, came out on September 23, 2011. Her sixth album, Weapon in Mind, was released in 2013. This album was her first to reach number one in Norway! Even though the songs from this album didn't reach the top 20 in Norway, "… You" and "I Always Liked That" became two of her best-selling songs in Norway. Both were certified 2x Platinum, meaning they sold a lot of copies.
Recent Music (2015–Present)
Maria Mena released the song "I Don't Wanna See You with Her" on November 6, 2015. Her seventh album, Growing Pains, was released on December 4, 2015.
In March 2020, Maria announced a new album, They Never Leave Their Wives. This album was released on October 23, 2020. She released three songs from it: "Not OK", "Lies (They Never Leave Their Wives)", and "You Live and You Learn".
In October 2020, Maria shared that she planned to release another new album in March 2021. However, in April 2021, she decided to wait to release new music until she could perform concerts again. Many concert venues in Norway were closed for a long time during the COVID-19 pandemic. She described her upcoming album as a continuation of They Never Leave Their Wives. It will have songs about a woman who is on her own and then finds love.
In August 2022, Maria Mena was chosen for the second season of the Viaplay TV series Furia. She also tried out for a role in the Norwegian TV series Etterglød (Afterglow). She didn't get the role, but she was asked to make a song for the show's soundtrack. That song is "It Was Love," which came out on September 23, 2022.
Discography
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 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
|
5 |
— | — | — | — | — | |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US |
||
| White Turns Blue |
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102 |
EPs
| Title | EP details | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| NOR |
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| They Never Leave Their Wives |
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12 |
Singles
As lead 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) 1 | — | — | 147 | 73 | — | 61 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Our Battles" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | |||
| 2008 | "Nevermind Me" 2 | — | — | — | 84 | — | 76 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Belly Up" 3 | 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" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
As 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)4 | 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 |
Notes
- 1: The single was officially released in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Austria in 2007.
- 2: The single was officially released in the Netherlands in 2009.
- 3: "Belly Up" was only released in Norway.
- 4: "Habits" was only released in the Netherlands.
Awards and Nominations
Maria Mena has received many awards and nominations for her music. By 2013, she had been nominated for 11 Spellemannprisen awards, which are like the Norwegian Grammys. She won one of these awards in 2008 for Best Female Artist.
| 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 1 | 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 Prize2 | 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 |
Notes
- 1: Nomination goes to director of the music video Alex Herron.
- 2: Special award given by TONO, copyright organisation for musicians and composers in Norway.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Mena para niños
