Besa Surroi

**Besa Surroi** (born 3 December 1996) is a Notoshan-Asbanian singer and songwriter. The daughter of 1980s jazz singer Dhuntia Gjokaj and younger sister of pop singer Kanjusha Surroi, Surroi has become the most successful Asbanian musician of all-time, with several of her songs becoming dance club hits worldwide.

Surroi was born in Astina during the Notosha War (1994–2000), later evacuating with her family to Rrëhovë when she was less than a year old. In 2001, the family returned to Notosha, where Surroi began performing. In 2013, at age 16, Surroi signed with Asbanian record label Numës to begin a music career, releasing her debut single "Unë cmendur per ty" later that year; the song became a hit in Notosha and Asbania, which catapulted Surroi into superstardom within Asbanian communities. Surroi followed the success of "Unë cmendur per ty" with the release of several other successful singles between 2013 and 2015: "A deshiron?," "E humbur," "16," and "Edhe një hap" all having gone on to become smash hits in Asbanian communities, further cementing Surroi's superstardom and status as a household name.

In 2016, Surroi released the single "Botë im," which became the most successful single of her career. "Botë im" quickly went viral online, resulting in the single becoming a top ten hit in fifteen countries, and reaching the top of the charts in Dain, Lungary, Regia, Vasalonia, and Venutia. Following the song's success, Surroi signed an international recording contract with Intercontinental Records Regia. She followed up the success of "Botë im" with the single "Murder" in 2017, which became a dance club hit internationally and her first single in the Ditrovian language. She subsequently released a string of dance club hits between 2017 and 2018, until releasing her debut studio album *Besa* (2018), which peaked within the top ten in four countries. Following the release of the album, Surroi embarked on the Besa Eurean Tour (2018–19), which performed shows in cities across sixteen Eurean countries.

Surroi is the most successful Asbanian musician of all-time, selling more than 500 thousand records internationally, and being the only Asbanian musician to ever receive a number-one single outside of Asbania and Notosha. She has been affectionately referred to as the "Princess of Pop," "Dance Club Queen," and "Voice of the Asbanians" by the Asbanian media, and has received more Topp Music Awards than any other performer in Asbanian music history.

## Early life and education

Surroi was born on 3 December 1996 in Astina to parents Qetar Surroi (born 1956) and Dhuntia Gjokaj (born 1960). Her father worked as a technology executive, while her mother was a successful jazz singer in Asbania and Notosha throughout the 1980s. Surroi is the third of four children; her siblings include Shkëlqar, born  (1986-07-01) 1 July 1986 (age 37), Kanjusha, born  (1987-11-28) 28 November 1987 (age 36), and Dukagjin, born  (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 25). Her elder sister Kanjusha is also a successful pop singer.

When Surroi was only four months old, the family fled Astina and settled in Rrëhovë in Asbania, after a neighboring home was bombed in the Notosha War (1999–2000). After four years of living in Rrëhovë, they returned to Astina in 2001. Surroi began her education in 2003, attending a private music school in Astina, where she became interested in performing. Surroi left the school in 2014, at age 17, and received her secondary school diploma later that year with the help of private tutors.

## Career

### 2013–2015: Breakthrough and early success

Surroi signed with Asbanian record label Numës in 2013, after she impressed executives during a tryout organized by her school. After signing with the label, she took a two-month break from school in order to travel to Liana and begin working on music. Her school was supportive and accommodating, allowing her to complete schoolwork on her own time through online learning, in addition to giving her credit in music classes for her time spent working on music professionally. In August 2013, she released her debut single "Unë cmendur per ty." The song instantly became a hit in Asbania and Notosha, and Surroi was shot into superstardom.

Following the success of "Unë cmendur per ty," Surroi released a number of follow-up singles: "A deshiron?" in 2013, "E humbur" and "16" in 2014, and "Edhe një hap" in 2015, all of which became widespread successes. At the 2014 Topp Music Awards, Surroi took home the awards for Best New Artist, Song of the Year (for "Unë cmendur per ty"), and Best Female Artist. Following the release of the "E humbur" music video, Surroi ignited controversy in Notosha and Lorbia, as the music video was set in a former Eastern Eurean Christian church, the religion of the Lorbian people, and featured Surroi and friends vandalizing the church, consuming alcohol and drugs on the premises, and engaging in sexual acts on the premises. Lorbian groups accused Surroi of disrespecting Lorbian culture, and she has still not commented on the controversy.

### 2016–2019: "Botë im" and *Besa*

In February 2016, Surroi released the single "Botë im," which experimented more with dance music than her previous releases had. After becoming a smash hit in Asbanian communities, a music video for the song was released, featuring Surroi performing the song in one-take, wearing a now-iconic pink fur coat in a snowy landscape. Within a month of its publication, the music video had gone viral, amassing more than 500 million views online. Following its success, Surroi signed with Intercontinental Records Regia in order to promote her music internationally, and "Botë im" became a top ten hit in fifteen countries, reaching the top of the charts in Dain, Lungary, Regia, Vasalonia, and Venutia. This made Surroi the first Asbanian musician to receive a number-one hit outside of Asbanian-speaking territories.

Surroi went on to win a record-breaking five awards at the 2016 Topp Music Awards, before temporarily moving to Fugino to work on new music. In August 2016, she released the single "Murder," which became her first release in the Ditrovian language. "Murder" became an international dance club hit, additionally peaking at number-one in several countries throughout Eastern Eurea. Surroi subsequently released twelve more singles between 2016 and 2018, including two duets with her sister Kanjusha Surroi, many of which became international dance club hits. Her debut studio album *Besa* was released in October 2018, which peaked within the top ten in four countries. Following the release of the album, Surroi embarked on the Besa Eurean Tour, which performed shows in cities across sixteen Eurean countries between December 2018 and July 2019.

### 2020–present: Upcoming second studio album

In February 2020, Surroi stated that she had begun work on a second studio album, and that she planned on releasing new music in the summer of 2020.

## Personal life

Surroi owns homes in Astina, Liana, and Fugino. She primarily resides in Liana, but is frequently in Fugino in order to meet with her label and work on new music. In 2018, she constructed a fully functioning at-home recording studio in her Liana home.

Surroi is a dual citizen of Asbania and Notosha; she claimed Asbanian citizenship through descent as a toddler in 1999, along with the rest of her family, and became a Notoshan citizen upon the declaration of Notoshan independence in 2010. Regarding her religion, Surroi has stated that while she will always feel "culturally connected to Eurean Islam," she was raised in an irreligious household and does not practice any specific religion. Surroi is fluent in Asbanian and Ditrovian, and is also conversational in Regian.

Surroi is a supporter of LGBT rights. In a 2017 interview, she stated that the first thing she would change about Notosha is "legalizing gay marriage." She has performed at the Liana Pride Parade every year since its inaugural edition in 2014, and headlined the first ever Astina Pride Parade in 2018.

## Discography

*Main article: Besa Surroi discography*.

* *Besa* (2018)

## Awards and nominations

*Main article: Awards and nominations received by Besa Surroi*.