Greta Äle-Dehnert

**Greta Ingrid Äle-Dehnert** (born 14 August 1988) is a Lungarian singer, songwriter, television presenter, and fashion designer. One of the most popular pop musicians in contemporary Lungary, Äle-Dehnert has received recognition both within her home country and internationally.

Born to a wealthy family with noble origins in Vecker, Southeast Veckerland, Äle-Dehnert began her music career while she was a student at Wähl-Eisenberg Music Academy in 2006. While a student at the school, she auditioned for *Lüngard sucht für ein Superstar!*, the Lungarian national selection for the Eurean Song Contest 2006. Äle-Dehnert was ultimately selected for the show, and continued to advance week-by-week until winning the competition with the song "Be Good (to Me)." Following her win, she signed to Munbach Music and Varner Music Group, later releasing her debut studio album *Independent* (2006), which peaked within the top three in Lungary and Austlungard. As the competition's winner, Äle-Dehnert was selected to represent Lungary with "Be Good (to Me)" at the Eurean Song Contest, which she later won on 20 May 2006, becoming only the second Lungarian to ever win. Afterwards, Äle-Dehnert embarked on a Eurean tour, which was the highest-grossing tour by a debuting artist of the year.

Äle-Dehnert returned to the Eurean Song Contest the following year, with the launch of *Greta sucht für ein Song!*, which saw Äle-Dehnert performing several different original songs over four semifinals, with the Lungarian public and a professional jury selecting which would be her entry. The winning song was ultimately "Say It Like That," which went on to become her second number-one hit in Lungary. She went on to compete in the Eurean Song Contest 2007 with "Say It Like That," finishing in sixth place. Äle-Dehnert later released her second studio album *Love Unlimited* (2007), which became her first chart-topping album. Äle-Dehnert went on to release one other studio album within the decade: *Rose Petals* (2009), which was also a commercial success.

In 2011, Äle-Dehnert began to experiment with other ventures outside of music, serving as a co-presenter of *Ein Song für Lüngard 2011* and later launching her own clothing line for young women, sold exclusively at Lungarian department store Eva's. The following year, she launched her own clothing brand titled *Äle by Greta Äle-Dehnert*, designed by herself. She returned to music with the release of her fourth studio album *Starlight* (2013), which became her fourth chart-topping album. She has gone on to release three other studio albums: *Me & Myself* (2015), *Neon Lights* (2018), and *Reborn* (2020), all of which have gone on to be commercial successes within Lungary, Austlungard, and Frankenland. Äle-Dehnert additionally served as a mentor on *Starmaker Lüngard* (2016–2017) during its third and fourth seasons, and has served as the presenter of *Lüngard's Got Talent!* (2019–present) since its eighth season.

Throughout her career, Äle-Dehnert has amassed six chart-topping singles and four chart-topping albums in Lungary, additionally selling more than 25 million records internationally. With her clothing brand, Äle-Dehnert has been featured as a fashion designer in thousands of department stores throughout Lungary, Austlungard, and Frankenland. She additionally is the only Lungarian musician to place within the top ten of the Eurean Song Contest twice, and the only to ever represent Lungary twice consecutively. Because of her contributions to music, Äle-Dehnert has been referred to as the "Princess of Pop" and "Teen Pop Queen" by the Lungarian media.

## Early life and education

Äle-Dehnert was born on 14 August 1988 in Vecker, Southeast Veckerland to parents Viilbur Äle (born 1959) and Marthina Dehnert (born 1960). Her father is a Mortonian immigrant from Otesalu who works as a technology executive, while her Lungarian mother is a homemaker who comes from the noble Günzburg family, being the daughter of Sophie von Günzburg and her husband Johann Dehnert. Äle-Dehnert grew up in a wealthy family in the affluent Breinboltz district of Vecker. She is the second of three children and only daughter; her brothers include Johann, born  (1987-01-28) 28 January 1987 (age 36), and Sebastian, born  (1990-04-12) 12 April 1990 (age 33).

Äle-Dehnert began her education in 1994, attending a private primary school in Breinboltz. While in primary school, Äle-Dehnert became interested in music and performing, and began acting in local musical theatre productions. She graduated from primary school in 2000, afterwards enrolling in the private music school Wähl-Eisenberg Music Academy. While a student at music school, Äle-Dehnert became more exposed to performing and music, and additionally began writing music for the first time. She graduated from the school in 2006.

## Music career

### 2006–2007: Eurean Song Contest and breakthrough

Äle-Dehnert began her career in January 2006, auditioning to become a contestant in *Lüngard sucht für ein Superstar!*, the Lungarian national selection for the Eurean Song Contest 2006. Äle-Dehnert attended an open audition in Vecker, Southeast Veckerland with four of her friends from school; of the four, Äle-Dehnert was the only one called back for a second audition. She ultimately was cast in the series as one of the top twenty semifinalists. Äle-Dehnert continued to advance through the rounds of the competition, emerging as one of the frontrunners to win due to her bubbly personality and consistent performances. Äle-Dehnert ultimately advanced as one of the top two finalists along with Monique Karl. In the final, held on 4 March 2006 in Vecker, Äle-Dehnert performed "Be Good (to Me)" as her potential Eurean Song Contest entry, and won the competition. Following her win, she signed recording contracts with Munbach Music and Varner Music Group, while "Be Good (to Me)" went on to become a number-one hit in Lungary. She later released her debut studio album *Independent* in May 2006, which went on to peak within the top three in Lungary and Austlungard.

As she was a student, Äle-Dehnert decided to prioritize her studies and did not go on any international promotional tours prior to the competition; instead, she focused her preparations in her hometown of Vecker, so she could simultaneously attend school and prepare for the competition. Äle-Dehnert went on to represent Lungary in the Eurean Song Contest 2006 in Prav, automatically advancing to the final as Lungary is one of the five auto-finalists in the competition. In the final, held on 20 May 2006, Äle-Dehnert won the competition, becoming the first Lungarian entrant to win the competition since Mathilde Kleiner won the Eurean Song Contest 1983, representing West Lungary. Immediately after her win, Äle-Dehnert returned to Vecker to complete her schooling. After her graduation the following month, she launched her Greta Eurean Tour, which performed shows in fifteen countries between July and October 2006. The tour was widely successful, becoming the highest-grossing tour for a debuting artist from Lungary of the year.

In December 2006, the Lungarian broadcaster NLT announced that Äle-Dehnert had been internally selected to represent Lungary again in the Eurean Song Contest 2007, to be held in Vecker. The show *Greta sucht für ein Song!* was also launched to select her entry, inviting Lungarian songwriters to submit their songs to compete in the show. Ultimately, twenty songs were selected; Äle-Dehnert performed five prospective entries in four semifinals, with the viewing public voting for the winner of each semifinal to advance to the final. In the final, held on 24 February, all four semifinal winners were performed by Äle-Dehnert, and votes from the viewing public and a professional jury selected "Say It Like That" as the winner. Following its win, the song became her second number-one hit in Lungary. In order to promote the song, Äle-Dehnert embarked on a small promotional tour, performing "Say It Like That" on late-night shows in Austlungard, Frankenland, Porgium, Ardwall, Duchenbourg, and Maldone. She competed in the final of the Eurean Song Contest 2007 in Vecker on 12 May 2007, placing sixth. After returning to Lungary, she later released her second studio album *Love Unlimited*, which became her first chart-topping album in Lungary, and later promoted the album with the concert tour Love Unlimited Eurean Tour, which performed shows in twenty countries from July until December 2007.

### 2008–2010: *Rose Petals*

After returning to Lungary from her tour in December 2007, Äle-Dehnert was granted partial creative control over her subsequent releases by her label, due to the widespread success of her first two albums. Wishing to become more involved in the songwriting process than before, Äle-Dehnert was sent by her label to Hersingborg in order to work with Framish songwriting and producing teams in crafting her new sound. Within weeks of arriving in Hersingborg, Äle-Dehnert began to experiment with synth-pop music, after having become influenced by a number of Framish pop singers such as Mikaela and November Bug.

After returning to Lungary in July 2008, Äle-Dehnert finished recording the album in Munbach and Vecker, Southeast Veckerland. The album's lead single "True Romance" was later released in February 2009. The single saw a departure from the pop rock, R&B, and dance music that Äle-Dehnert had previously performed, instead incorporating heavy synthesizers and a vocal described by critics as "airy" and "breezy." The single was a commercial success, peaking within the top ten in Lungary and Austlungard. She later released the follow-up single "Dance," which became her third number-one hit in her home country. The two singles were followed by the release of her third studio album *Rose Petals* in August 2009, which became her second chart-topping album. The album saw a similar sonic shift to synth-pop as the two singles it was preceded by. To support the album, Äle-Dehnert embarked on the Rose Petals Tour, which performed shows in eight countries from September 2009 until January 2010, primarily visiting cities in Lungary and Austlungard.

### 2011–2014: Clothing line and *Starlight*

Äle-Dehnert returned to Lungary in January 2010, shortly after completing her tour. In February 2011, it was announced that Äle-Dehnert would be releasing her own clothing line for young women titled *Greta*, to be sold exclusively through Lungarian department store Eva's. The line went on to become a commercial success. In March 2011, Äle-Dehnert began to venture into television presenting, being selected to serve as a co-presenter of *Ein Song für Lüngard 2011*, the Lungarian national selection for the Eurean Song Contest 2011. In June 2012, she officially launched her own clothing brand, titled *Äle by Greta Äle-Dehnert*. The brand consisted of pieces designed by Äle-Dehnert herself, and was sold at a variety of department stores throughout Lungary, Austlungard, and Frankenland, in addition to being sold through its website. In December 2012, Äle-Dehnert was cited as the fourteenth highest-earning Lungarian celebrity of the year, largely due to profits from her clothing brand; she was expected to have earned more than $5.8 million during the year.

Äle-Dehnert released the single "Starlight" in April 2013, serving as the lead single to her upcoming fourth studio album. "Starlight" became Äle-Dehnert's fourth number-one single in Lungary, additionally peaking within the top forty in eight other countries, becoming her first top forty hit outside of the Lungarian-speaking world since 2007. The song saw a stylistic retreat from the synth-pop music that she had experimented within her previous studio album, instead showcasing influences from indie pop and acoustic music. Her fourth studio album *Starlight* was later released in August 2013, showing similar stylistic influences as its lead single. The album peaked at number-two in Lungary and became her third chart-topping album in Austlungard. Following the album's success, she promoted it with the Starlight World Tour, which performed shows in eighteen countries from September 2013 until March 2014, ultimately going on to become the highest-grossing tour of her career.

### 2015–2017: *Me & Myself* and *Starmaker Lüngard*

Following the completion of her tour in March 2014, Äle-Dehnert confirmed that she would be taking a short break from music in order to prioritize her career in fashion. From July 2014 until August 2015, Äle-Dehnert released five collections for her fashion brand, all of which proved to be commercially successful. In March 2015, she began to branch out into men's clothing and later clothing for young girls in August 2015. Äle-Dehnert landed in the top ten highest-earning Lungarian celebrities for the first time in 2014, placing tenth after earning $8.9 million, later jumping to eight place the following year after earning $9.3 million.

In September 2015, Äle-Dehnert released the single "Afraid of the Dark," her first single released to be entirely self-penned. The song saw similar influences from acoustic music and was critically acclaimed, later winning Best Pop Song at the 2016 Friedman Awards. Despite its critical success, the single did not perform as well commercially, only peaking within the top forty in Lungary. The single was followed by the release of her fifth studio album *Me & Myself* in November 2015, which consisted entirely of songs written by solely Äle-Dehnert. The album received positive critical feedback, and peaked at number-three in Lungary. The album was promoted with the A Night with Greta tour, consisting of intimate performances in small venues throughout Lungary and Austlungard, which ran from December 2015 until February 2016.

In June 2016, Äle-Dehnert was confirmed to have joined *Starmaker Lüngard* for its third season as one of the five mentors. The show aired from September until December 2016, culminating in Äle-Dehnert's finalist Jacqueline Wadu winning the competition. Äle-Dehnert later appeared as a guest vocalist on Wadu's debut studio album, performing the song "Hand to Hold" as a duet with Wadu. Äle-Dehnert returned to *Starmaker Lüngard* for its fourth season the following year, which aired from September until December 2017. Äle-Dehnert's team was ultimately eliminated prior to the finale. In April 2018, it was confirmed that Äle-Dehnert would not be returning for the subsequent season in order to prioritize her music and fashion career.

### 2018–present: *Neon Lights*, *Lüngard's Got Talent* and *Reborn*

In July 2018, Äle-Dehnert debuted a new look with a short pink bob hairstyle, and confirmed that new music would be coming soon. Inspired by synth-pop, new wave, and music of the 1980s, Äle-Dehnert released the single "Supersonic Boom" in August 2018, with the song becoming her fifth number-one single in Lungary. The song was also popularized with its popular music video, which was inspired by 1950s and 1960s science-fiction films. The single was followed by the release of the album *Neon Lights* in November 2018, which became her third number-one album in Lungary. The album saw a departure from the acoustic pop of her previous two releases, instead incorporating a harder dance rock and synth-pop sound, taking heavy sonic and visual influences from the 1980s. It also produced the chart-topping single "Lovesick." She promoted the album with the Got Me Lovesick Tour, which performed shows throughout Lungary, Austlungard, and Frankenland from January until April 2019.

In June 2019, Äle-Dehnert was confirmed to have become the new presenter of *Lüngard's Got Talent!*, beginning with its eighth season; the eighth season later aired from September until November 2019. Äle-Dehnert later released the single "My Universe" in May 2020, which peaked within the top twenty in Lungary and became a number-one hit in Austlungard. The single was followed by the release of her sixth studio album *Reborn* in July 2020, becoming her fourth chart-topping album in Lungary. She promoted the album with the I Am Reborn Tour, which will perform shows in Lungary, Austlungard, and Frankenland from August until November 2020.

## Personal life

Äle-Dehnert began a relationship with Lungarian cinematographer Mark Platz in 2017. After dating for two years, they eloped in September 2019. They later had a proper wedding ceremony with family and friends in March 2020. Äle-Dehnert primarily resides in the Breinboltz district of Vecker, Southeast Veckerland, but also owns a duplex apartment in Inner Munbach.

Äle-Dehnert is half Lungarian and half Mortonian, although she does not hold Mortonian citizenship nor can she speak the Mortonian language. In a 2007 interview in Otesalu, Äle-Dehnert stated "I've been [to Otesalu] many times, but I wish I was more closely connected to the culture."

## Discography

*Main article: Greta Äle-Dehnert discography*.

* *Independent* (2006)
* *Love Unlimited* (2007)
* *Rose Petals* (2009)
* *Starlight* (2013)
* *Me & Myself* (2015)
* *Neon Lights* (2018)
* *Reborn* (2020)

## Concert tours

* Greta Eurean Tour (2006)
* Love Unlimited Eurean Tour (2007)
* Rose Petals Tour (2009–10)
* Starlight World Tour (2013–14)
* A Night with Greta (2015–16)
* Got Me Lovesick Tour (2019)
* I Am Reborn Tour (2020)

## Awards and nominations

*Main article: Awards and nominations received by Greta Äle-Dehnert*.