Nanne

A quirky, theatrical performer with an operatic vocal range, Nanne Grönvall is one of Sweden's most original and enduring performers. Her recording career spans over 20 years, including work in the groups One More Time and Sound of Music, followed by a highly fruitful solo career during which she has been a consistent presence on the Swedish charts. Born Marianne Elisabeth Nordqvist in Stockholm in 1962, Nanne started her career in the pop group Sound of Music with her future husband, Peter Grönvall, the son of ABBA's Benny Andersson. The group competed twice in Sweden's most popular TV contest, Melodifestivalen, in which new and established performers compete to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest. The group came in fourth both times, with "Eldorado" in 1986 and "Alexandra" in 1987. Following the breakup of the group, Nanne and Peter formed the trio One More Time with vocalist Maria Rådsten. The group released several albums through the '90s and entered Melodifestivalen in 1996 with "Den Vilda," a closely harmonized ethnic ballad. They won the contest and went on to Eurovision, where they finished third.

Nanne began her career as a solo artist in 1998 when she entered Melodifestivalen again with "Avundsjuk," a self-penned song about jealousy between women (the title translates as "Envious"). For her performance of the song, Nanne donned a purple wig and a pair of prosthetic ears very similar to those of Star Trek's Mr. Spock. The song came in fourth, and went on to reach number six in the Swedish charts, her first hit as a solo performer. Her debut solo album, Cirkus Homo Sapiens, followed. A second solo album, 2001's Alla Mina Ansikten, was a commercial failure. That same year, she competed to represent the U.K. in its Eurovision heats with "Men," but finished in last place. She returned to Melodifestivalen in 2003 with "Evig Karlek," a mix of dance music and operatic vocals, but failed to qualify for the grand final.

In 2005 she entered Melodifestivalen yet again with "Häll Om Mig," a driving, tribal song about the need to be sexually close to somebody. The song easily qualified for the final and was considered a favorite for victory. Controversially, she won overwhelmingly on public votes, but after being placed third by the jury she finished second overall, to Martin Stenmarck with the song "Las Vegas." However, Nanne's song went on to be a far bigger hit, topping the Swedish charts for two weeks and remaining in the charts for over six months. Her album Altid Pa Vag became the best-selling album of her career, and yielded a further three Top 20 hits in the Swedish singles charts, "Om Du Var Min," "Lyckos Dig," and "Många Karlar Lite Tid." The year also saw the release of a greatest-hits compilation, 20 år med Nanne, which covered her time with One More Time and Sound of Music in addition to her solo recordings. In 2006 Nanne announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to cancel all promotional engagements. She was given the all-clear and returned in 2007 with her fourth solo album, Jag Måste Kyssa Dig.