Alina Roques

**Alina Tanzai Roques** (born 29 April 1970) is a Lungarian singer and songwriter. The recipient of various honorific nicknames, such as the "Princess of Pop," "Princess of R&B," and "Voice of our Generation," Roques received widespread recognition throughout the world during the 1990s.

Born in Münchenbon, Neunzach, Roques was raised in a musical family. After graduating from the Münchenbon School of Music in 1989, Roques moved to Munbach to begin a career in music. After arriving in Munbach, Roques worked as a backup singer, until being signed to Lena Sounds and Intercontinental Music Group as a solo singer in 1990. She made her debut later that year, with the release of the single "Vision of Us." Following the song's release, Roques received widespread media attention for her powerful vocals and wide vocal range, and the song went on to peak at number-one in five countries, including Lungary. Following the success of "Vision of Us," Roques released her debut studio album *Alina Roques* (1990), which debuted at number-one in several countries. At the 1991 Lungarian Music Awards, Roques won the awards for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, becoming the first to ever do such.

Following the success of her debut release, Roques received much anticipation for her follow-up studio album. She was given creative control over the album, and used this newfound artistic freedom to explore other genres such as disco, dance, and soul, instead of the more expected pop and R&B. The album's lead single "Emotions" experimented with disco music, and was also a widespread success. Her second studio album *Emotions* (1991) further cemented Roques as a pop icon. She released three further albums in the decade: *Hero* (1993), *A Beautiful Dream* (1996), and *Royal* (1998), all of which peaked within the top two in Lungary and were widely successful. Roques accumulated twelve number-one singles in Lungary during the decade, holding the then-record for the greatest amount, and still holding the record for the most number-ones accumulated in a single decade.

The 2000s brought a number of controversies and personal issues for Roques. In 2001, she released the single "Outta Your Mind" as her sixth studio album's lead single, a diss track targeted at Austlungardian singer Tina Waxman, whom Roques had been involved in numerous tabloid-reported altercations with. "Outta Your Mind" received poor responses from critics and audiences alike, with many accusing Roques of being childish for feuding with a 18-year-old, and taking the side of Waxman in the feud. Her sixth studio album *Obsessed* (2001), also received poor reviews and commercial sales. Following the failure of *Obsessed*, Roques received media scrutiny after allegations from her then-husband Jacob Dählke came out that Roques was a neglectful mother to their twin daughters. By 2003, it was reported that Roques and Dählke were no longer living together, and their children were residing with Dählke. In 2004, Roques received a further career stall after being arrested for narcotics possession, and then checking into a rehabilitation clinic for cocaine and prescription pill addictions.

After leaving rehab in 2005, Roques announced plans to return to music. She released the single "Belong" later that year, which was critically lauded and a widespread success; the single was credited with marking Roques' comeback and getting her career back together, peaking at number-one in fourteen countries and becoming the most successful single of her career. The song was followed up by the release of her seventh studio album *Phoenix* (2006), which became the most successful album of her career. Roques has went on to release four other albums: *Daffodil* (2008), *Fired Up* (2011), *We're Beautiful* (2014), and *Everlasting* (2018). In her entire career, Roques has released eleven studio albums, six of which charted at number-one in Lungary, while all five others reached the top five. She has amassed thirteen number-one singles in her career, the second-greatest amount of any musician, and has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling Lungarian musicians of all-time.

## Early life and education

Roques was born on 29 April 1970 in Münchenbon, Neunzach, to parents Ricardo (1940–1999) and Stefania Roques (née *Hassel*; born 1942). Her father was born in Lungary to a Molandican father and a Lungarian mother, while her mother is Lungarian. Her family was quite musical; her father worked as a composer, often composing jingles for television and radio advertisements, while her mother was a classically trained opera singer who worked in opera part-time, while working full-time as a primary school music education teacher. Ricardo died after a three-year bout with lung cancer in 1999. Being biracial, Roques has stated that growing up was hard for her, and she was the only non-white student in her class at school; she recalls often telling peers that her family was of Borgiz origin to explain her darker complexion, rather than admitting her father was of Tarfican heritage. Roques grew up in a middle-class family as an only child.

Roques began her education in 1976, attending a local, public primary school in Münchenbon. Ever since childhood, Roques had wished to become a singer, and began training to become an opera singer when she was five. Roques became disillusioned with opera when she was nine, and began listening to pop and R&B music primarily, citing Lana Nük as one of her musical idols. After graduating from primary school in 1986, Roques enrolled in the Münchenbon School of Music, where she studied vocal performance, and later graduated in 1989. During a 1988 visit by Michalina Porizowska to her school, Roques was selected to perform a solo for Porizowska and her staff.

## Career

### 1989–1990: Breakthrough and *Alina Roques*

After graduating from secondary school in 1989, Roques moved from Münchenbon to Munbach in order to begin her music career. She resided in a small three-bedroom house in West Munbach, where she lived with two older girls whom were also pursuing music careers; one of her roommates was the cousin of a friend from music school. Upon arriving in Munbach, Roques found employment as a barista at a local coffee shop. In September 1989, Roques began working as a backup singer at Munbach recording studio Strub Studios, recording backup vocals for various musicians who chose to record there. She was offered the job by the father of a friend from music school, who purchased the recording studio shortly before hiring her.

While working at the studio, Roques became introduced to various record producers, many of whom considered her vocals to be some of the strongest they had ever heard. She was invited to record demo tapes with producer Alix Gordon, who then sent the tapes to various record labels; the tapes impressed a variety of record executives, and a bidding war commenced amongst labels in an effort to sign Roques. Ultimately, she signed to Lena Sounds and Intercontinental Music Group in February 1990. After signing to a label, Roques began work on her debut studio album; record executives planned to market Roques as a pop and R&B singer, although she desired to experiment with other genres as well; ultimately, however, she agreed to record the music that they had given her, out of fear that any insubordination would result in her sacking.

Roques released her debut single "Vision of Us" in August 1990; the song was one of the songs written by Gordon and Roques and sent to record labels as a demo tape; however, the single version featured newer production that Gordon was not included in the making of. The song was considered to be reminiscent of pop music from the late-1980s, but featured Roques performing vocals described as "showy," showing off a much wider vocal range than contemporary pop singers were capable of. This feat led to widespread media attention for Roques and the single, went on to peak at number-one in five countries, including Lungary. Following the success of "Vision of Us," Roques released her debut studio album *Alina Roques* in October 1990, which debuted at number-one in several countries. At the 1991 Lungarian Music Awards, Roques won the awards for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, becoming the first to ever do such. In order to promote the album, Roques was chosen to support Pauline Wiktor on her Goddess World Tour.

### 1991–1994: *Emotions* and *Hero*

After the widespread success of *Alina Roques*, Roques was granted complete creative control over any ensuing releases by her label. Excited to have this newfound artistic freedom, Roques was eager to begin work on her sophomore release, and began writing new songs while on tour. After completing the tour and returning to Lungary in April 1991, Roques began recording for the album. Inspired by genres such as disco, dance, and soul, Roques frequented local nightclubs and listened to her parents' record collection to garner inspiration for the album.

The album's lead single "Emotions" was later released in October 1991, which became her second number-one hit. The single saw experimentation with disco music, and Roques stated that she was heavily inspired by the work of Stassi Schucher, whom her mother was a big fan of in the 1970s and 1980s. The single was followed up by the release of the album *Emotions* in December 1991, becoming Roques's second chart-topping album, and cementing her status as a pop icon. *Emotions* saw Roques experimenting with a variety of genres, many of which she had listened to as a child due to her parents' musical influence. She promoted the album with the Emotions World Tour, performing shows in twenty-one countries from February until August 1992, becoming her first headlining arena tour.

Upon ending the tour in August 1992, Roques immediately returned to the studio in order to work on new music. Eager to return to performing R&B and pop power ballads, Roques became heavily inspired by the work of Pauline Wiktor. In September 1993, she released the single "Hero," which peaked in the top ten in five countries, and was well-received due to her powerful vocals and the song's cinematic qualities. The single was followed by the release of her third studio album *Hero* in December 1993, which became her third chart-topping album. The album additionally produced the single "Fantasy," a duet with Austlungardian-Lungarian R&B boyband Chilltown, which peaked at number-one in Lungary for a record-breaking 18 consecutive weeks, becoming her fifth number-one hit and their third. Roques and Chilltown embarked on a tour together, performing in the Fantasy: A Night with Alina Roques and Chilltown from February until November 1994, performing shows in twenty-one countries.

### 1995–1999: *A Beautiful Dream* and *Royal*

In September 1995, Roques confirmed that she planned to release new music "before the end of the year." She ultimately released the single "Playmate" two months later. The song saw a return to the music featured on *Emotions*, experimenting with genres such as disco and dance-pop. "Playmate" became an international hit, becoming Roques sixth number-one hit in Lungary. She followed the success of the single with the release of her fourth studio album *A Beautiful Dream* in January 1996. *A Beautiful Dream* debuted at number-one in Lungary, and additionally produced four other number-one hits: "Fascination," "Awake," "Color Blind," and "For the Dollars," a Ditrovian-language cover of the 1984 single "Frauser werd gödt (Für die gelder)" by Lana Nük, released as a charity single. She promoted *A Beautiful Dream* with the Beautiful Dream World Tour, which performed shows in thirty countries from March until December 1996.

With the success of *A Beautiful Dream*, Roques soon began work on her fifth studio album. She released the single "Focus" in August 1997, although the single was both a critical and commercial failure, and was scrapped from the album. She later released the single "In My Dreams" in February 1998, which saw a return to the R&B ballads that she had become known for. "In My Dreams" became an international success and Roques's eleventh number-one hit in Lungary, holding the then-record for the greatest amount of number-one hits in the country. The single was followed by the release of her fifth studio album *Royal* in April 1998, which saw a collection of R&B ballads. The album received mixed critical response, but was still a commercial success, peaking at number-two in Lungary. It also produced the number-one hit "Telephone," which became her twelfth and final number-one hit of the 1990s. Roques promoted the album with the We're All Royal: World Tour, which performed shows in thirty-four countries from June 1998 until March 1999.

### 2000–2004: *Obsessed*, personal struggles, and career decline

In 2000, Roques began a brief hiatus from her music career in order to "find inspiration." She was frequently seen in Lungarian tabloids due to her numerous appearances at various Munbach nightclubs, in addition to her heavily-publicized marriage to Lungarian footballer Jacob Dählke. In August 2000, it was reported that Roques and pop singer Tina Waxman had gotten into a physical altercation at a Munbach nightclub, with Roques reportedly throwing her drink into Waxman's face, punching her repeatedly, and threatening to stab her with her stiletto heel. Following the altercation, both Roques and Waxman were removed from the venue by security, when Roques attempted to punch a security guard, before being subdued and escorted out by her own personal security team.

The incident with Waxman became widespread news and significantly harmed Roques's popularity. She defended herself by stating that she was intoxicated and believed Waxman was flirting with her husband Dählke, although Waxman denied even knowing Roques or Dählke were at the venue. Public opinion heavily sided with Waxman, believing that it was unacceptable for a 30-year-old woman to be starting fights with an 18-year-old girl like Waxman. In subsequent media appearances, Roques continued to make rude and negative comments about Waxman, and tabloids reported that Roques had told others that she was actively hoping to see Waxman again so she could fight her again. In May 2001, she released the single "Outta Your Mind," intended to serve as a diss track about Waxman. The single was heavily criticized by both audiences and critics, being referred to as both "delusional" and "obnoxious." "Outta Your Mind" was a commercial failure, peaking only at number-78 in Lungary. The single was followed by the release of her sixth studio album *Obsessed* in August 2001, which was similarly criticized for having a number of tracks reportedly written about Waxman. The album was also a commercial disappointment, peaking at number-five in Lungary and being her only studio album to miss the top two. She supported the album with the Obsessive World Tour, which performed shows in twelve countries from September 2001 to January 2002, with disappointing ticket sales.

Following the failure of *Obsessed*, Roques took another hiatus from music. She was again frequently chronicled in tabloids, receiving immense criticism after being seen out at Munbach nightclubs just a week after giving birth to twin daughters in March 2003. In July 2003, Roques was involved in a physical altercation at a nightclub with a 26-year-old woman. She was not charged with any crimes after it was determined she was acting in self-defense, and Roques opted to press charges against the woman for assault. In October 2004, Roques was arrested for narcotics possession after her handbag was searched at a Munbach nightclub, finding several loose oxycodone pills and a plastic baggie of cocaine. She had initially attempted to refuse the search, but was refused entry to the club unless she relented. Following the arrest, she was granted pre-trial release and later pled guilty to two counts of narcotics possession, being sentenced to one year of probation and being mandated to attend a drug rehabilitation program. She checked into an inpatient rehabilitation program in Munbach in March 2005, and later completed the program in June 2005.

### 2005–2007: *Phoenix* and comeback

After completing her drug rehabilitation program in June 2005, Roques returned to Lungary and confirmed to the press that she was "clean" and "ready to return to music." In November 2005, she released the single "Belong," a downtempo pop and R&B ballad. The song was both a critical and commercial success, being cited as a successful comeback for Roques. "Belong" debuted at number-one in Lungary, becoming her thirteenth and final number-one hit, and additionally became a chart-topping single in fourteen other countries, becoming the most successful single of her career.

With the success of "Belong," Roques became inspired to ramp up production on her seventh studio album. The album was titled *Phoenix*, and was later released in April 2006. Roques decided on the album's title in order to represent her comeback from drug usage, tabloid attention, and her arrest. *Phoenix* debuted at number-one in Lungary, and additionally became a chart-topping success in ten other countries; this made *Phoenix* the most successful album of her career. The album also received critical acclaim, with critics commenting that it was the "perfect comeback" for Roques. She promoted the album with the Phoenix World Tour, which performed shows in thirty countries from June 2006 to January 2007, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour of her career.

### 2008–2012: *Daffodil* and *Fired Up*

Following the widespread success of *Phoenix*, Roques took a brief hiatus in order to prioritize her family life. In a 2008 interview, Roques stated, "I wanted to be a better mother. We all know that I wasn't the best. I didn't want my daughters to look at me as a deadbeat, so I knew I had to take initiative and finally act like a real mother." She later released the single "White Roses" in August 2008, which peaked in the top twenty in Lungary. It was followed by the release of her eighth studio album *Daffodil* in October 2008, peaking at number-two in Lungary. *Daffodil* was characterized by a softer approach to pop music, with Roques experimenting with genres such as adult contemporary and soft rock for the first time; it was a loose concept album, with most of the track names being named after flowers. Roques opted not to tour for *Daffodil*, making it the first album without an accompanying tour.

Roques later released the single "Like a Cheetah" in September 2010, a dance-pop song that became a top twenty hit internationally. It was followed by the release of the album *Fired Up* in January 2011, which became her final chart-topping album in Lungary. *Fired Up* experimented heavily with dance-pop, and also produced the top ten hit "All Fired Up." Roques promoted the album with the All Fired Up Tour, which performed shows in eight countries from March until June 2011.

### 2013–present: *We're Beautiful* and *Everlasting*

In May 2013, Roques confirmed that she had begun work on her tenth studio album, with a majority of the album being inspired by her marriage to Austlungardian actor Fabian Heiden. She released the single "We're Beautiful" in September 2013, a duet with Lungarian R&B singer Chaz Barguli. "We're Beautiful" was a downtempo R&B ballad, that was cited by critics as being inspired by "beach culture of the Maldonian Riviera." The single peaked within the top forty in Lungary, despite having further success internationally. The single was followed by the release of the album *We're Beautiful*, which was released in January 2014, and peaked at number-two in Lungary. She promoted the album with Alina: In Tour, a twelve-show tour that performed shows throughout Lungary and Austlungard from March to April 2014.

In March 2016, Roques stated that she had planned to release a double album in the following years, consisting of one side with new material and a second side with previously released singles. She later released the single "Everlasting" in June 2018, which critics praised as a throwback to the R&B ballads she had made herself known for. The single did not chart in Lungary, and was followed by the release of the album *Everlasting*, consisting of six new songs and twenty-two previously released singles. *Everlasting* peaked at number-four in Lungary. She promoted the album with the Everlasting Tour, which performed shows in Lungary and Austlungard from July to September 2018.

## Personal life

### Relationships and family life

Roques has been married three times. She began a relationship with Lungarian footballer Jacob Dählke in 1997, and they later eloped in 1999. In 2002, Roques confirmed her pregnancy, later giving birth to fraternal twin girls Arabella and Annalisa, born  (2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 20). The family resided in a duplex apartment in Inner Munbach, valued at $6.4 million, until August 2003. In September 2003, Dählke stated that he and Roques had separated, and that their twin daughters were residing with him and his parents. Dählke later filed for divorce from Roques, and the divorce was not finalized until August 2006; in the divorce proceedings, Dählke was granted primary custody of their children, although Roques was allowed supervised weekly visits. By 2010, Roques stated that the custody arrangement had been reworked, and her daughters lived with her for one week every month.

Roques began a relationship with Austlungardian actor Fabian Heiden in 2005, after meeting on the set of her "Belong" music video. They became engaged in 2008, and later married in a lavish ceremony in June 2010. Heiden filed for divorce from Roques in January 2014, and the divorce was later finalized that December. She later began a relationship with Austlungardian model Tom Peukert, who is 15 years her junior, in 2015. They became engaged after only seven months of dating, and later married in August 2017. Peukert filed for divorce from Roques after just 16 months of marriage, and the divorce was later finalized in 2019.

Roques owns several pieces of property. Her primary residence is a twelve-bedroom estate in Holmstein, Vilbrück, valued at $7.5 million. She additionally owns a beach house in Fallarta, Dain and a penthouse apartment in Vecker, Southeast Veckerland. Her total real estate acquisitions amount to more than $10.5 million.

### Nationality and citizenship

Roques was born a citizen of West Lungary, and became a Lungarian citizen upon Lungarian reunification in 1985, when she was 15 years old. As the granddaughter of a Molandican citizen, Roques has been eligible to file for Molandican citizenship since her birth.

In 1996, the Molandican Ministry of Culture contacted Roques to invite her on a tour of the country, where she would give a performance in Salicota and be awarded Molandican citizenship. Her management declined the invitation, citing her busy schedule, but the Lungarian press began to report that Roques was unwilling to identify with her Molandican heritage. To dispel the rumors, Roques gave an interview in 1997, where she spoke about her history with internalized racism and how she has since become proud to be biracial and Molandican.

In 2013, she officially filed for Molandican citizenship and made her first ever visit to Molandique the following year. During her trip, Roques stated in an interview that she had been studying the Escarian language, but was "far from fluent."

### Controversies and feuds

Between the years 2000 and 2005, Roques was involved in numerous controversies, being particularly well-known for her widely publicized feud with Tina Waxman.

#### Tina Waxman feud

In 2000, she first ignited her publicly-known feud with Austlungardian pop singer Tina Waxman, who was 18 years old at the time. At a nightclub in Munbach, Roques threw her drink in Waxman's face, punched her repeatedly, and threatened to stab her with her stiletto heel. Following the altercation, the nightclub's security guards separated Roques from Waxman and escorted both of them out of the venue. During security's attempts to remove Roques from the venue, she attempted to punch one of them in the face, but was subdued by her personal security team and escorted by them off the property.

Following the incident, public opinion had largely turned against Roques. She defended herself by stating she was intoxicated and had seen Waxman flirting with her husband Jacob Dählke. However, Waxman stated that she had not even known Roques or Dählke were at the venue, and had never even met Dählke. Nevertheless, Roques stood by her story, claiming that she was "defending [herself] from a home wrecker," comments which generated widespread negative backlash. In the months following the altercation, tabloids reported that Roques was "actively seeking out Waxman" and had intended to fight her again, as confirmed by sources close to Roques.

In 2001, she released the single "Outta Your Mind," which was intended to serve as a diss track about Waxman. The song was met with negative critical and commercial feedback due to its subject matter. She followed up the release of the single with the release of the studio album *Obsessed*, many of the songs being inspired by her feud with Waxman. The album was met with similar feedback, and became the worst-performing album of her career.

In 2006, Roques publicly apologized for her treatment of Waxman, crediting it to "alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, and bad decisions." Waxman reportedly accepted the apology. They later appeared together at the 2007 Lungarian Music Awards to publicly lay the feud to rest.

#### Legal issues

Following her 2000 physical altercation with Tina Waxman, Roques almost faced legal issues but Waxman opted not to press charges against her for assault. In March 2002, she was ticketed for disorderly conduct after she drunkenly attempted to kiss a female police officer outside of a Vecker, Southeast Veckerland nightclub.

In July 2003, Roques was involved in a physical altercation with 26-year-old barista Tamara Vucic, outside of a nightclub in Munbach. Despite being originally taken into custody for the incident, she was released with no charges after it was determined that she was acting in self-defense. Numerous witnesses came forward stating that Vucic had been verbally harassing Roques and then shoved her before Roques began fighting back. Vucic was charged with assault and sentenced to anger management classes, an outpatient alcoholism rehabilitation program, three months of probation, and had to pay a fine of $550 to Roques.

In October 2004, Roques was arrested for possession of narcotics in Munbach. She had attempted to enter a Munbach nightclub but was asked to have her handbag searched. While initially refusing the search, she was denied entry and then relented. The security guard found several loose oxycodone pills and a plastic baggie of cocaine, for which he called the police. Roques was arrested and charged with two counts of narcotics possession, afterwards being granted a pre-trial release. She appeared in court in February 2005, where she was sentenced to one year of probation and forced to attend a three month drug rehabilitation program. Roques completed her rehabilitation in Munbach from March to June 2005, and finished her probation in February 2006.

## Discography

*Main article: Alina Roques discography*.

* *Alina Roques* (1990)
* *Emotions* (1991)
* *Hero* (1993)
* *A Beautiful Dream* (1996)
* *Royal* (1998)
* *Obsessed* (2001)
* *Phoenix* (2006)
* *Daffodil* (2008)
* *Fired Up* (2011)
* *We're Beautiful* (2014)
* *Everlasting* (2018)

## Concert tours

### Headlining

* Emotions World Tour (1992)
* Fantasy: A Night with Alina Roques and Chilltown (1994; with Chilltown)
* Beautiful Dream World Tour (1996)
* We're All Royal: World Tour (1998–1999)
* Obsessive World Tour (2001–2002)
* Phoenix World Tour (2006–2007)
* All Fired Up Tour (2011)
* Alina: In Tour (2014)
* Everlasting Tour (2018)

### Supporting

* Goddess World Tour (1990–1991; supporting Pauline Wiktor)

## Awards and nominations

*Main article: Awards and nominations received by Alina Roques*.