Katja Klark

**Katja Katrina-Antonia Klark** (born **Katrina Antonia Klarchmann**; 24 August 1984) is a Lungarian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and model. One of the most prevalent and popular pop musicians in the world, Klark has attracted immense attention for her fashion style, personal background, and private life as well as her music.

Born to a lower-class family in Lower Munbach, Klark dropped out of school at the age of 16 in order to pursue a career in music. She became a member of the three-piece girl group Heavenly Devils in 2004, but left the group in 2006 after signing a solo recording contract with Intercontinental Music Lungary and Neon Records. Klark released her debut single "Undress Me" in 2007, which became a chart-topping hit in Lungary, although also garnered controversy for its sexual lyrics. Her self-titled debut album was released later that year and was certified platinum in Lungary. Her follow-up releases *Sunkissed* and *Katrina* were released in 2010 and 2012, respectively, both becoming large successes. Her fourth studio album *The Queen* was released in 2015, and her fifth studio album *Neochromatic* was released in 2017, establishing Klark as a pop icon and one of the most dominant pop performers in the world.

One of the leading Lungarian pop singers of all-time, Klark has sold over 20 million albums and 50 million singles worldwide. She holds the record for amount of number-one singles on the Lungarian singles chart, with 22, earning her first ten number-ones within five years. She is well-known for her lively stage performances and intense choreography. Klark additionally has worked as an actress, starring in the Hoffsbarroff musical *Iradella* from 2016 to 2017, and also starred in the musical film *Superstar* (2016).

## Early life and education

Klark was born on 24 August 1984 in Munbach to parents Oliver and Birgit Klarchmann (née *Boroschwartz*). Her father is black, while her mother is white. Oliver left the family when Klark was two years old, and he later died of a heroin overdose in 1991. Birgit later left the family as well when Klark was eight, and committed suicide shortly afterwards. Klark was raised with several older half-siblings; two elder half-sisters, Maria and Hanna, born in 1970 and 1979, respectively, and three elder half-brothers, Mark, Antony, and Jon, born in 1973, 1974, and 1978, respectively. All of her half-siblings were born to Birgit and her first husband Markus Maün. As she is biracial but her siblings are white, Klark has spoken about feeling insecure about her race and appearance throughout her youth.

After Oliver left the family in 1986, Birgit and Markus remarried. Klark has stated that in her youth she was primarily raised by her stepfather and eldest sister, as her mother was frequently in and out of mental institutions for her bipolar disorder. Following her mother's death in 1992, Markus left the family. Afterwards, Klark and her other siblings were legally adopted by Maria and her husband Daniel Köpfmeier. The family resided in a three-bedroom rental house in the Zauf neighborhood of Lower Munbach. Klark began primary school in 1990, where she was uninterested in academic subjects due to her growing interest in music and performing. She frequently asked to be signed up for dance classes and singing lessons, but the family could not afford them. Instead, she resorted to recreating music videos she watched on Muzicka X and Musik Lungary by artists such as Pauline Wiktor, Andromeda, and David Boriczek.

Klark graduated from primary school in 1996, and subsequently began secondary school. In her early-teens, Klark became interested in musical theatre, acting in a number of musicals at both her school and community theatre. In her final year of secondary school, Klark applied to both the Royal Lungarian Academy of Music and Royal Lungarian Academy of Dance, but was rejected from both due to poor academic grades and poor results on the MEEs. Following her rejection, she opted to not attend high school after graduating in 2000, against her family's wishes, in order to pursue music professionally.

## Career

### 2000–2006: Early career and Heavenly Devils

After graduating from secondary school in 2000, Klark began falsifying her age in order to work as a cocktail waitress at nightclubs in Inner Munbach. She first adopted the stage name "Katja Klark" in an attempt to prevent employers from discovering her actual age. Klark began modeling professionally in 2002 from the connections she made while waitressing. As a model, she became introduced to Angela Gröber and Magdalena Vrüffenschtein, both of whom were singers working as models in order to support themselves.

Klark, Gröber, and Vrüffenschtein founded Heavenly Devils, a three-piece girl group, three months after they first met in 2004. The trio began their career performing at various nightclubs throughout Munbach, and additionally recorded demo tapes to send to record companies. In 2005, they were signed to Intercontinental Music Lungary. They released their debut single "Bad Boy" the following year, but it was a commercial failure. Afterwards, Klark was given an ultimatum; go solo or get dropped from the label. She ultimately decided to pursue a solo career and the group disbanded, with Klark signing solo recording contracts with Intercontinental Music and Neon Records.

### 2007–2008: Breakthrough and *Katja Klark*

After beginning her solo career, Klark began receiving extensive training from her record label on how to maintain a successful solo career, such as dance lessons, singing lessons, dieting, and cosmetic surgery. Klark spoke candidly of her experiences with cosmetic surgery in 2012, stating, "I was young. I think everybody should embrace what they were given, but I was young and insecure. If I was told I had small breasts, I wanted to fix that. If I was told I was too chubby, I wanted to fix that. My label enabled this and I don't fault them for it. They wanted me to look like a pop star".

Klark released her debut solo single "Undress Me" in 2007. The dance-pop song garnered some controversy amongst conservative groups in Lungary due to its overtly sexual lyrics. A music video was soon released afterwards, which also garnered controversy. Nevertheless, the song became a hit single throughout the Lungarian-speaking world, becoming her first number-one single in Lungary. She followed up the single's success performing guest vocals on the song "Mercy" by Lungarian rapper Nitro Boy, which also peaked at number-one in Lungary. Klark's self-titled debut studio album was released later that year, after being rushed due to the widespread success her only two singles had received. The album debuted at number-one in Lungary, in addition to being certified platinum. She supported the album with *The* *Katja Klark Tour* which performed shows in Lungary, Haff, and Efterland from September 2007 to November 2007. Afterwards, she supported Dascha Erktüng on her *A Whole Lotta Woman Tour* from February 2008 to April 2008.

### 2009–2013: *Sunkissed* and *Katrina*

Following the completion of the *A Whole Lotta Woman Tour* in April 2008, Klark returned to Munbach and announced that she was in the early stages of preparation for her second studio album. She went on to perform guest vocals on a number of Lungarian hip hop songs; including "Bejeweled" by Alix Noes and "Space" by La Lion in 2008, and "Crazy" by Kendül Lazar in 2009, the latter of the three going on to reach number-one in five countries.

Klark released "I Want It", the lead single to her sophomore studio album, in June 2010. The song instantly became a success, debuting at number-one on the Lungarian singles chart and being certified diamond. Its music video was released shortly afterwards and became the most-played music video on Musik Lungary of 2010. Her second studio album *Sunkissed* was released in August 2010, going on to become the best-selling album of 2010 in Lungary. The album also produced six number-one singles in Lungary, the most of any album in Lungarian music history. She supported the album with the *Sunkissed Life Tour* which performed shows from August 2010 to December 2010. Klark won a record-breaking twelve awards at the 2011 Muzicka X Awards, the most awards a single artist had ever won in one night at the awards.

In summer 2011, Klark revealed that she was working on her third studio album, and that it'd be "more personal" than her first two releases. By June 2012, she began teasing the release of her upcoming third studio album and stated that the lead single would be released the following month. "Perfume" was later released as its lead single in August 2012. The song went on to peak at number-one in Lungary, becoming Klark's tenth number-one single in her home country. Klark is additionally the fastest artist to earn ten number-one singles, receiving all ten within five years. "Perfume" was the first ballad that Klark had released as a single, and lyrically was about knowing one's significant other was cheating on them because they could smell someone else's perfume on them. Klark stated that the song was "autobiographical", and received critical acclaim for her new and more intimate musical direction. The song went on to win Best Pop/Rock Song at the 2013 Lungarian Music Awards, becoming both her first nomination and first win. It has since become one of Klark's signature songs, and is performed at most of her live shows.

Klark released her third studio album *Katrina* in November 2012. The album took its name from Klark's birth name Katrina Antonia Klarchmann, further emphasizing its personal themes. The album was the first to contain a considerable amount of ballads and midtempo songs, as Klark had previously been known for releasing uptempo songs. Additionally, it was the first album of hers to feature songs cowritten by Klark. Following its release, *Katrina* debuted at number-one in Lungary, and has since been certified platinum. She supported the album with the *Introducing Katrina Tour* which performed shows from November 2012 to April 2013.

### 2014–2015: *The Queen*

After performing the final show of the *Introducing Katrina Tour* in April 2013, Klark tweeted that she was "super excited" to begin work on her fourth studio album. In January 2014, it was reported that her fourth studio album would be a two-disc box set including a greatest hits album and an album of new songs. Klark later confirmed the news in February 2014, adding that the album would also feature two covers of popular Lungarian songs from the 1980s and 90s.

In August 2014, she released the first of two covers, "Du gacht dit", originally recorded in 1988 by Pauline Wiktor. The song became an instant success in Lungary, debuting at number-one and becoming the best-selling single of 2014 in the country. While it was not originally planned to become her fourth studio album's lead single, the song's unexpected success convinced Klark's label to confirm it as the lead single. Her fourth studio album *The Queen* was later released in January 2015. Like her previous releases, the album was very successful, becoming certified platinum in Lungary. Klark supported the album with the *Queen Katja's Kingdom Tour* which performed shows from December 2014 to April 2015.

### 2016–present: Focus on acting and *Neochromatic*

In July 2015, it was revealed that Klark had signed on to star in her first feature film, the musical-drama *Superstar*. Principal photography took place from September 2015 to January 2016, and the film was later released in July 2016. *Superstar* was Klark's first foray into acting, and she additionally performed several songs on the film's soundtrack, which went on to peak at number-one in Lungary. The film was about a young woman from a lower socioeconomic class and her attempts to pursue a career in the music industry. Following its release, many critics and audiences noticed similarities between the film and Klark's actual life, but both Klark and the film's producers later confirmed that the film was not written about Klark, but that her similar upbringing was what made her decide to take the role. *Superstar* peaked at number-one at the Lungarian box office and Klark won Best Song Written for a Motion Picture at the 2017 Lungarian Movie Awards for her song "Tarantula". The film made $105 million on a $5 million budget, making it a box office success.

In May 2016, it was confirmed that Klark had signed on to star in and produce an original jukebox musical to be performed in the Hoffsbarroff District. The musical, *Iradella*, takes place in the 1980s and follows a young girl named Sophie and her determination to become a pop star. The musical additionally stars Lungarian pop stars Nadia Borsch and Eva Laün. It began previews in September 2015, and then officially opened in December 2015, before performing its final show in August 2016. Klark was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical at the 2017 Hoffsbarroff Awards, and the musical won Best New Musical.

In January 2017, Klark confirmed that she was in the "early stages" of working on her fifth studio album. Later, in May 2018, Klark released "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", the lead single to her upcoming fifth studio album; the song went on to become Klark's nineteenth number-one single in Lungary, and also performed well internationally. Her fifth studio album *Neochromatic* was later released in September 2017, becoming the best-selling album of her career and the best-selling album of 2017 in numerous countries. It additionally produced the number-one singles "Predator", "Orange Dreams", and "I Want You (In My Gaze)", furthering her record to twenty-two number-one singles. She promoted the album with the *Neochromatic World Tour*, which performed shows from October 2017 to June 2018.

## Personal life

### Family and relationships

Klark has spoken candidly about her family life and turbulent upbringing. She states that her elder sister Maria was her primary caretaker growing up, and that if it wasn't for her she would likely be "a stripper, prostitute, drug addict, or a ghost". She has thanked Maria in the liner notes of every single one of her albums, and additionally has thanked her in her acceptance speech for every award she has ever received. Maria was her date to the 2008 Muzicka X Awards. In 2012, she stated that her birth parents were never her "real parents", and that she has not spoken to her stepfather since he left the family. At her wedding in 2016, she was walked down the aisle by her brother-in-law and Maria's husband Daniel Köpfmeier, who she also cites as another one of her primary caretakers in her childhood.

Klark began a relationship with Dalian footballer Dogo Karina of MFC Overdal in 2011 after they were introduced to each other at the 2011 Muzicka X Awards. Their relationship quickly became heavily publicized in the media, and they were given the supercouple moniker "Kogo". They ended their relationship briefly in March 2012, but later were reported to have gotten back together in June 2012. Karina proposed to Klark on Christmas Day in 2014, and news of their engagement was heavily circulated in both Lungary and Dalia. They were later married in a lavish ceremony in Koningsbarg on 30 April 2016. The wedding reportedly cost over $5 million. Following their marriage, the couple purchased a $15 million mansion in the Krestacht neighborhood of Inner Munbach. In September 2018, Klark and Karina revealed that Klark was pregnant with their first child; they later livestreamed their gender reveal party live on their Instagram accounts, revealing that they'd be having a girl. Klark and Karina's daughter, Mascha Maria Karina, was born in March 2019.

Following the release of Klark's single "Perfume" in August 2012, it was reported by Lungarian media that the song was inspired by Klark being cheated on by Karina. Klark quickly discredited the rumors, and stated that while the song was inspired by a boyfriend she once had, it was not Karina and the relationship in question took place in her early-20s.

### Name

Klark's birth name is Katrina Antonia Klarchmann. She was the only member of her family not to possess the surname Maün, as she was born to her mother's second husband Oliver Klarchmann, instead of her mother's first husband Markus Maün like her other siblings. After Markus and Klark's mother Birgit remarried each other in 1986, they had Klark's surname legally changed to Maün. Following her mother's death in 1992 and Markus leaving the family shortly afterwards, Klark was adopted by her elder sister Maria and her husband Daniel Köpfmeier, and her surname was legally changed once again to Köpfmeier.

In 2000, Klark began working as a cocktail waitress at bars and nightclubs in order to earn money. She falsified her age in order to circumvent laws regarding minors being employed in alcohol-serving establishments. Klark used her real name at her first job, and was later fired when it was discovered she was actually only 16. Afterwards, she adopted the moniker Katja Klark in order to prevent employers from discovering her real age. Katja was a nickname Klark had used with her family and close friends throughout her entire life, while "Klark" was a shortening of her birth surname Klarchmann. Klark began using this moniker in both her professional and private life shortly afterwards. In 2002, she legally changed her name to Katja Katrina-Antonia Klark. Her birth name was not revealed to the public until 2007, when tabloid magazine *Gossip Lungary* leaked the information from an anonymous source. Klark later clarified why she began using fake names and the history behind her real name.

### Politics

Throughout her career, Klark has been outspoken on politics and considers herself to be an "informed and active voter". Since turning 18, she has been registered with the Social Democratic Party of Lungary (SDL), and cites her upbringing as one of the main reasons why she is passionate about politics. In 2012, she stated in an interview, "I grew up very poor. Shit poor. We took all the support that the government could give us, but it was still one 20-something year old woman who didn't finish high school supporting five kids. I see people like Heidi Nuscher saying that poor people should work for their success, but how can a family like mine work for our success when we can't even find work because we have no one else to even take care of the children"?

She has supported Prime Minister Milo Grübberbach on numerous occasions, and performed at rallies for the Social Democratic Party during the 2010, 2014, and 2018 general elections.

## Discography

*Main article: Katja Klark discography.*

* *Katja Klark* (2007)
* *Sunkissed* (2010)
* *Katrina* (2012)
* *The Queen* (2015)
* *Neochromatic* (2017)

## Awards and nominations

*Main article: Awards and nominations received by Katja Klark.*