Montaigne (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montaigne
Montaigne in April 2019
Born	Jessica Alyssa Cerro (1995-08-14) 14 August 1995 (age 29) Sydney, Australia
Occupation	Musician singer streamer
Years active	2014–present
Relatives	Gustavo Cerro (father)
Musical career
Genres	Art pop
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano
Labels	Wonderlick

Jessica Alyssa Cerro, known as Montaigne, is an Australian musician, singer, and Twitch streamer. She was born on August 14, 1995. Her first album, Glorious Heights, came out in August 2016. It reached number 4 on the ARIA Albums Chart. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2016, she won the award for Breakthrough Artist. She was also nominated for three other awards.

In April 2016, Montaigne sang on the Hilltop Hoods' song "1955" and "A Whole Day's Night". These songs reached number 2 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Montaigne was chosen to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with her song "Don't Break Me". However, the contest was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, she represented Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Technicolour".

Early Life and Background

Jessica Alyssa Cerro was born in Sydney, Australia, on August 14, 1995. She grew up in the Hills District. Her father, Gustavo Cerro, was a professional football player from Argentina. He played in Australia's National Soccer League. Montaigne has shared that her family background includes Argentinian, Spanish, Filipino, and French heritage.

Music Career Journey

Starting Out in Music (2012–2013)

Jessica Cerro was a finalist in the Triple J Unearthed High School competition in 2012. She sang an indie pop song called "Anyone But Me". After finishing high school, she decided to focus on her music career. In November 2012, Cerro signed a deal with Albert Music. For the next two years, she worked on improving her songwriting skills.

In late 2013, Cerro chose the stage name Montaigne. This name was inspired by Michel de Montaigne, a famous philosopher from the 16th century. After finishing her high school exams, Montaigne started recording her first EP. She worked with producer Tony Buchen.

First Album Success: Glorious Heights (2014–2016)

Montaigne performing in 2015

In 2014, Montaigne released her first single, "I Am Not an End." This song was played often on Triple J radio. In July 2014, Montaigne signed a deal with Wonderlick Entertainment. On November 21, 2014, Montaigne performed "I Am Not an End" for Triple J's Like a Version show. She also covered Sia's song "Chandelier." "I Am Not an End" was one of the most played songs on Triple J in 2014. On the same day, she released her second single, "I'm a Fantastic Wreck," along with her EP called Life of Montaigne. This song was also played a lot on Triple J and FBi Radio.

Montaigne was chosen to open for San Cisco on their tour in November 2014. She also opened for Megan Washington on her national tour in February 2015.

In January 2015, Montaigne won the Next Big Thing Award from FBi Radio. This award celebrates musicians and artists who shaped Sydney's creative scene. In February 2015, Montaigne announced her first headline tour. She visited Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth in April.

In August 2015, Montaigne released "Clip My Wings." This was the first single from her first studio album, Glorious Heights. In January 2016, she released "In the Dark," the second single from the album. She also announced the "In the Dark Tour." A music video for the song came out in March. The next month, Montaigne was featured on Hilltop Hoods' song "1955," which reached number 2 in Australia.

In June 2016, Montaigne released "Because I Love You." This was the third single from Glorious Heights. On July 30, "Because I Love You" appeared on the ARIA Singles Chart. This was Montaigne's first solo song to chart. Glorious Heights was released a week later, on August 5. In November 2016, Montaigne won the ARIA award for Breakthrough Artist – Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2016.

New Album Complex and Eurovision (2017–2021)

On May 4, 2017, Montaigne was featured on Akouo's single "Feel That." In 2018, she was on the song "The Best Freestylers in the World" from the Aunty Donna album, The Album.

In November 2018, Montaigne released "For Your Love." This was the first single from her second album. In June 2019, Montaigne released "Ready" and announced that her new album would be called Complex. On August 9, 2019, the album's third single, "Love Might Be Found (Volcano)," was released. The album came out on August 30, 2019. It reached number 19 on the ARIA albums chart. The song "Ready" is played during the end credits of the 2022 movie Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

On December 6, 2019, Montaigne was announced as one of the ten performers for Eurovision - Australia Decides. This competition chooses who will represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020. Her song was "Don't Break Me." On February 8, 2020, Montaigne won the competition. She was set to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam in May 2020. However, on March 18, 2020, the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Montaigne shared her feelings about the cancellation, saying she had cried but understood it was the right decision.

On April 2, 2020, SBS confirmed that Montaigne would represent Australia at the 2021 contest. Her Eurovision Song Contest 2021 song, "Technicolour," was released on March 5, 2021. SBS later announced that Australia would not send a team to Rotterdam. Instead, Montaigne would compete remotely using a pre-recorded performance. Montaigne is the only artist to have competed in Eurovision without being in the host city.

On May 18, 2021, Montaigne competed in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2021. However, Australia did not make it to the final. This was the first time an Australian contestant did not qualify for the final. Australia placed 14th in the semi-final.

Recent Projects: Making It! (2021–Present)

On January 3, 2021, the hosts of the American podcast My Brother, My Brother and Me announced a new theme song. On March 15, 2021, they revealed the new theme song would be "My Life Is Better with You." Montaigne wrote and performed this song specifically for the podcast. The song was officially released on August 13, 2021, with a music video.

On October 22, 2021, Montaigne released "Now (In Space)." This was the first single from her third studio album. On February 9, 2022, Montaigne was cast in the Special Broadcasting Service musical comedy Time to Buy. This was her first main acting role. She also announced that her third album would be released in 2022.

On February 25, 2022, Montaigne released "Always Be You" with Talking Heads' David Byrne. Montaigne said it was a huge deal to work with him. She mentioned his book How Music Works changed how she thought about live performances. On July 8, 2022, Montaigne released "Die B4 U." She also announced her third studio album, Making It!, which was released on September 2, 2022.

In April 2022, "Because I Love You" was featured in the eighth episode of the Netflix series Heartstopper.

A painting of Montaigne by Julia Gutman won the 2023 Archibald Prize. The artist said that Montaigne's music is unique and doesn't stick to one style.

In 2023, the video game Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical was released. Montaigne helped write songs for the game. Her work on the game was nominated for a Grammy for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media.

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Other Appearances

Awards and Nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards celebrate great songwriting and composing in Australia.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are annual awards that recognize excellent achievements in Australian music.

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are given out every year in the United States for achievements in music.

J Awards

The J Awards are Australian music awards created by the radio station Triple J.

National Live Music Awards

The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) celebrate Australia's live music industry.

See also

In Spanish: Montaigne (cantante) para niños