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biography / portrait

“On my first album I had en extreme desire to show off my innermost thoughts. The second album was a bit like: ‘Wow, people really want me, what do I do now to convince them that I deserve to be here?’ It became an album where I both experimented and played it safe. This time around, I decided to let it all out and do exactly what I wanted. Some people might be saying ‘She was so young and sweet, what happened?’ But, oh well. I have to allow myself to develop as an artist and I have to allow myself to become a woman. Before, I may not have been old enough for an adult audience to buy my records, and maybe I was too mature for the youngest kids. I now hope that my audience has grown with me and that Apparently Unaffected can appeal to people of all ages.” (Maria Mena, oktober 2005) Maria Mena (19) has experienced more than most Norwegian artists double her age! Her sophomore release, Mellow (2004), not only sold gold in her home country, it was also subject to an international release under the name White Turns Blue (which also contained some of the tracks from her Norwegian debut album Another Phase (2002)). In the whirlwind that followed the release of White Turns Blue, mega-producer Kanye West called Maria’s single You Are the Only One the “summer hit of 2004,” and her promotion work in the US culminated with a performance on Dave Letterman’s The Late Show. Closer to home, she topped the Danish radio charts all summer with the playful You Are the Only One, and she won MTV Europe’s Up North Award for best Norwegian Act. For all the career landmarks; Maria says that the real highlight for her was to return home, digest all the experiences and start working on the third chapter of her already remarkable musical journey: Apparently Unaffected. Maria Mena is an artist who has always put honesty – both musically and lyrically – at centre stage. She burst on the Norwegian music scene as a 15-year old, with her debut single My Lullaby describing painful aspects of her parents divorce Apparently Unaffected continues and expands on this tradition. The 14 new tracks give the listeners more pieces to the puzzle that is Maria Mena. The songs are honest and personal, without becoming too private. One of the keys to Maria’s success as a songwriter is that she communicates her personal struggles and victories in a universal way that listeners can easily recognize and relate to. At the same time, her lyrics show a linguistic maturity rare in contemporary pop music. Third time is a charm, and on Apparently Unaffected Maria once again collaborates with producer/songwriter Arvid Solvang. Solvang is Maria’s creative helper and both are equally dedicated to make great musical strides each new time they enter into the studios to record. Maria Mena was a mere child when her first single was released. According to Solvang, she has since then “grown 40 years in a four-year span.” Apparently Unaffected’s elegant, organic and oftentimes acoustic sound reflects this added maturity. ”I am so privileged to have had people around me along the way who have sacrificed time and effort to protect me and wait for me to come along», Maria says. «I know I can be trouble,” she quipped. The rest of us are equally privileged to be able to see a remarkable talent mature and grow. On Apparently Unaffected Maria Mena is in full musical bloom. (source: www.mariamenamusic.no)