ELIF

Born to Turkish emigrants in Berlin, Germany, on December 12, 1992, vocalist Elif Demirezer — better known as Elif — began writing songs as a teenager. She auditioned for the German television competition Popstars: Du & Ich at 16 years old and became one of the season's most beloved contestants, ultimately finishing in second place alongside her partner Niklas Dennin. The two singers released a collaborative single, "Last Man Standing," as Nik & Elif in 2009, and Elif launched a solo career shortly thereafter. Her debut single as a solo musician, "Unter meiner Haut," arrived in 2013, along with the debut album Unter meiner Haut. The album peaked at Number 23 in Germany, followed by the EP Als ich fortging in 2015 and the sophomore record Doppelleben in 2017. Doppelleben bested its predecessor by climbing to Number 18, while 2020's Nacht cracked the Top 10. Featuring a guest appearance from Samra, the single "Augen zu" also became a Top 10 success. In turn, Elif appeared on Samra's own 2020 hit, "Zu Ende," which climbed to Number 4 in Germany, Number 3 in Austria, and Number 8 in Switzerland. Elif scored one final international hit in 2020 with the single "Bitte geh," then returned in 2021 with a song entitled "Immer wenn ich gehen will."