Bleona

Qereti is an American citizen, and, as of 2010, lives in California, where she has worked with producers such as Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, and Grammy Award winner David Foster.{{cite web|url= http://www.billboard.com/articles/5687253/spotlight-on-bleona|title=Spotlight On Bleona|publisher=Billboard|access-date=24 January 2015}} She has released eight studio albums in Albanian, and has released several singles in English, such as "Show Off", "Famous", "Take You Over", "Without You" and "Pass Out," the latter co-produced by Timbaland. On September 10, 2013, she released the single "Take It Like a Man", which went to No. 7 in the UK charts. She was also a celebrity judge on the fourth season of the Albanian version of The X Factor and the breakout star of the 2014 Bravo reality series Euros of Hollywood.

In February 2019, she landed her first number one single on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart with "I Don't Need Your Love."{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/dance-club-play-songs/2019-02-16|title=Dance Club Songs – February 16, 2019|magazine=Billboard|date=February 11, 2019|access-date=February 11, 2019}}

Qereti was born on May 14, 1979{{Cite web |title=Sa vite ka mbushur sot Bleona Qereti |url=https://www.periskopi.com/sa-vite-ka-mbushur-sot-bleona-qereti/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Periskopi |language=en-US}} in Korçë, the daughter of Albanian parents Oli and Nazmi Qereti.{{cite web |date=May 15, 2020 |url=https://telegrafi.com/en/bleona-qereti-festoi-ditelindjen-e-35-te-prinderit-e-saj-bejne-torte-formen-e-yllit-te-walk-fame/ |title=Bleona Qereti celebrated her 35th birthday, her parents make her a cake in the shape of the 'Walk of Fame' star |website=Telegrafi |access-date=December 18, 2024 |archive-date=December 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241217165730/https://telegrafi.com/en/bleona-qereti-festoi-ditelindjen-e-35-te-prinderit-e-saj-bejne-torte-formen-e-yllit-te-walk-fame/ |url-status=live}}

Bleona began singing at age 5 when she joined the House of Pionieri. At 13, her parents encouraged her to focus on academics and give up on singing, but against their advice, she continued to pursue a career in entertainment. When she was 14 years old, Bleona earned an audition and landed her first major role as the lead singer for the Skampa Theater in Elbasan.

Following a performance at the Albanian National Music Festival at age 15, Bleona became a household name in her native country.{{cite web|url=https://www.backstage.com/bleonaqereti/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150128203613/https://www.backstage.com/bleonaqereti/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 28, 2015|title=Bleona Qereti, Actress, Singer-Performer|publisher=Backstage.com|access-date=24 January 2015}} She released her first single, "Lermeni (Let Me Be Free)" and a year later released her first album, Kam Qejfin Tim (I Run My Own Game).{{cite web|url=http://www.bleonaworld.com/news/235423|title=Bleona Qereti Truly Does Run Her Own Game|publisher=Bleonaworld.com|access-date=24 January 2015|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201132339/https://www.bleonaworld.com/news/235423|url-status=dead}} Bleona's first major tour took place that year, and she performed 25 summer shows at concert halls in Switzerland and Germany.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/5687253/spotlight-on-bleona|title=Spotlight on Bleona|publisher=Billboard|access-date=24 January 2015}}

Bleona speaks and sings in English, Albanian, Italian and German.{{cite web|url=https://www.pleimo.com/bleona-2|title=Bleona|publisher=Pleimo.com|accessdate=23 January 2015|archive-date=February 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213163722/https://www.pleimo.com/bleona-2|url-status=dead}}

She studied the Stanislavski System of acting, graduating with a BA from the Academy of Performing Arts in Tirana. She also plays violin.{{cite web|url =http://www.bravotv.com/people/bleona

|title=Bleona|date=September 26, 2014 |publisher=Bravo TV|access-date=23 January 2015}}

File:Bleona in Vintage Thierry Mugler.jpg

From 1998 through 2002, Bleona released four albums, all of which reached the charts in southeastern Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/bleona/biography/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111120016/http://www.mtv.com/artists/bleona/biography/|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 11, 2015|title=About Bleona|publisher=MTV|access-date=25 January 2015}}

In 1999 she headlined the Humanitarian Tour for the People of Kosovo, where she played a number of concerts around Europe.

From 2000 to 2001, she performed more than 80 concerts across Europe, and by 2002 was headlining outdoor concerts and festivals.

In that same year, she released the DVD Nje xhiro neper Shqiperi (Walking Through Albania).{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjjfafJpUzE|title=Bleona Qereti Nje Xhiro Neper Shqiperi|date=June 23, 2018 |publisher=Youtube|access-date=23 June 2018}}

In 2003, Bleona released the album Ti Nuk Di As Me Ma Lyp. Within 3 months of its release, the album had sold 300,000 copies. Over the next four years, she again toured throughout Kosovo, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and co-headlined with the rock group, Elita 5.{{cite web|url=http://gazetashqiptare.al/2020/05/16/fenomeni-bleona-feston-35-vjetorin-fotot-nga-festa/|title=Fenomeni Bleona Weston 35 vjetorin|date=May 16, 2020 |publisher=gazetashqiptare|access-date=16 May 2020}}

Bleona's first tour in the United States was in 2004, when a club promoter invited her to New York City to perform at Webster Hall.{{cite web|url=http://dot429.com/articles/4642-the-madonna-of-albania-prepares-to-conquer-america|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150128223509/http://dot429.com/articles/4642-the-madonna-of-albania-prepares-to-conquer-america|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 28, 2015|title=The Madonna of Albania|publisher=Four Two Nine|access-date=23 January 2015}} Since then, she has continued to perform in the United States, the Middle East and Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.reverbnation.com/artist_2990164/bio|title=Bleona Bio|publisher=Reverbnation|access-date=23 January 2015}}

Bleona's 2005 album, Boom Boom, was recorded in both English and Albanian. That same year, her single "S'dua" won the Media Award at the "Magic Song Festival Awards", Albania's version of the Grammy Awards.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDOhnaJSrTk|title=Bleona Qereti Koncert ne Tetove|date=September 15, 2012 |publisher=Youtube|access-date=23 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.reverbnation.com/artist_2990164/bio

|title=Bleona Bio|publisher=Reverbnation.com|access-date=22 January 2015}} In 2006, Bleona became the youngest recipient of Albania’s VMA "Excellent Career Award" in the award's history.{{cite web|url=http://www.bleonaqworld.com/biography|title=About Bleona|publisher=Bleonaqworld.com|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-date=February 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203101226/http://bleonaqworld.com/biography|url-status=dead}} Her eighth album, Mandarin, sold over 800,000 copies in 2007, breaking her previous record. In theme with the album, which means "tangerine", she dyed her hair red in 2006 and kept it that way until 2007, featuring the color in three music videos.{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwx9pNc0G0Q|title=Bleona Mandarin|publisher=Youtube|access-date=23 January 2015}} In 2008, Bleona won two awards (media and internet) with the song "Magnetic" at the "Magic Song Festival Awards".{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t19LXNbbpYE|title= Interviste 60 Sekonda |date= October 21, 2012 |publisher=Youtube|access-date=23 January 2015}}

File:Bleona in Alexander Vuthier for CCercle Magazine.jpg

Bleona moved to the U.S. in September 2010. Shortly afterward, she met producer Timbaland while both were attending the Grammy Awards, and after a year of discussions, she began working with him on three new tracks.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-31 |title=Bleona Qereti: "I Told Timbaland To Give Me A Chance" (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://globalgrind.com/1718042/bleona-qereti-0/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Global Grind |language=en-US}} Her first English language single, "Show Off", featuring Petey Pablo, was released on September 27, 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.listal.com/bleona-qereti/Grind|title=Bleona Qereti|publisher=Listal.com|access-date=24 January 2015}} Bleona has also worked on songs with Rodney Jerkins, Makeba, and Jimmy Douglass.{{cite web|url=http://globalgrind.com/2011/08/31/bleona-qereti-0/|title=Bleona I Told Timbaland To Give Me A Chance|date=August 31, 2011 |publisher=Global Grind|access-date=24 January 2015}}

In February 2011, Bleona became a citizen of the United States.{{cite web|url= http://www.dailymotion.com/BleonaQWorld|title=Bleona Q World|publisher=Daily Motion|access-date=24 January 2015}}

In September 2012, Bleona's co-produced single with Timbaland, "Pass Out", featuring Brasco, was released.{{cite news|url=http://europopped.com/albanian-fire-bleonamusic-debuts-pass-out-fea|title=Albanian Fire! Bleona Debuts "Pass Out" (Featuring Timbaland)|date=October 2012|newspaper=Europopped|access-date=2012-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605115258/http://europopped.com/albanian-fire-bleonamusic-debuts-pass-out-fea|archive-date=2013-06-05|url-status=dead}} She toured Europe to promote the single, performing in Albania in the cities of Vlora, Elbasan, Shkoder and Tirana; the capital city of Pristina in Kosovo; Tetovo in Macedonia and Düsseldorf, Germany. Supporting her on tour was DJ Freestyle Steve and Brasco. Concert attendance ranged from 50 to 70,000 people per performance.{{cite web|url=http://www.bfm-mag.com/the-glamorous-bleona/|title=The Glamorous Bleona|publisher=BFM Mag|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609202618/http://www.bfm-mag.com/the-glamorous-bleona/|archive-date=9 June 2015|url-status=dead|access-date=26 January 2015}}

File:Bleona shooting the video of "Monster" In 2018 In Villa Erba Lake Como Italy.jpg

In mid-2013, Bleona announced the release of her single "Take It Like a Man", produced by StopWaitGo.{{cite web|url=http://www.hitthefloor.com/music/pop/introducing-bleona/|title=Introducing Bleona|date=July 23, 2013 |publisher=Hit The Floor|access-date=26 January 2015}} Maximum Pop called it "an uplifting dance floor filler that screams 'GIRL POWER' at the top of its euro-pop lungs".{{cite web|url=http://www.maximumpop.co.uk/alarm-pop-bleona-take-it-like-a-man/|title=Bleona-Take It Like A Man|publisher=Maximum Pop|access-date=23 January 2015|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303220118/http://www.maximumpop.co.uk/alarm-pop-bleona-take-it-like-a-man/|url-status=dead}} She celebrated the track reaching number 7 on the UK club charts by headlining Las Vegas Gay Pride on September 7, 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasvegaspride.org/events_festival_entertainment.html |title=Las Vegas PRIDE 2013 Festival Entertainment |website=lasvegaspride.org |publisher=Southern Nevada Association of PRIDE, Inc. |author= |access-date=August 30, 2013 |archive-date=August 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805111826/http://www.lasvegaspride.org/events_festival_entertainment.html |url-status=dead }}

Bleona was invited to perform consecutive years at the Palm Springs White Party, in 2013 and 2014.{{Cite web |last=Schiavone |first=Renee |date=2013-03-01 |title=Palm Springs' 2013 White Party Lineup Announced |url=https://patch.com/california/palmdesert/palm-springs-2013-white-party-lineup-announced |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=Patch |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Descant |first=Skip |date=April 30, 2014 |title=White Party weekend a blur of club culture |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/money/business/tourism/2014/05/01/white-party-roundup-club-culture/8550041/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}}

In 2015, following her time as a judge on X Factor Europe, Bleona's single "Take You Over" peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.{{Cite magazine |title=Bleona {{!}} Biography, Music & News |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bleona/ |access-date=2024-06-08 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Bleona recorded her version of the 1980s Italian hit song "Su di noi", originally by Enzo Ghinazzi. Her music video for the track was shot at the iconic El Matador Beach in Malibu, California. In February 2019, she landed her first number-one single on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart with the hit track "I Don't Need Your Love".

Bleona made her acting debut in 2012 with an appearance in an episode of Steven Seagal's True Justice. In 2017, she landed a role alongside Dolph Lundgren in Dead Trigger. The following year, Bleona appeared in 211, an action-thriller starring Nicolas Cage. Bleona was cast as Nova in the 2019 series Paper Empire in what would be her first major role alongside Wesley Snipes, Denise Richards, Robert Ravi and Anne Archer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3951801/|title=Bleona|website=IMDb|access-date=2019-08-21}}

In February 2014, Bleona started shooting a new reality television series titled Euros of Hollywood which premiered on November 3, 2014, on Bravo. The show followed Bleona recording her first album in English and her life in America on becoming a global superstar. In 2015, Bleona returned to Albania where she was a member of the X Factor jury. In 2016, she was a member of the Albanian Your Face Sounds Familiar jury.{{cite web|url= http://www.bravotv.com/euros-of-hollywood|title=Euros Of Hollywood|date=September 26, 2014 |publisher=Bravo. NBCUniversal|access-date= January 23, 2015}} Bleona played the role of Nova in the series Paper Empire, which debuted in 2019. The show featured an ensemble cast including Wesley Snipes, Denise Richards, Robert Davi, and Anne Archer.{{Cite web|title=Paper Empire|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8306706/|access-date=2024-12-17}} She continued her role in the series' 2020 episodes.{{Cite web|title=Paper Empire (2020)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8306706/|access-date=2024-12-17}} In 2021, Bleona joined the Albanian reality television show Love Story as an opinionist.{{Cite web|title=Bleona joins Love Story as opinionist|url=https://www.anabelmagazine.com/news/60460/love-story-2-zbulon-opinionisten-e-re-te-programit/|access-date=2024-12-17}}

Qereti is multilingual and is fluent in English, German and Italian, besides Albanian.{{cite web |publisher=Pleimo |title=Bleona on Pleimo |url=https://www.pleimo.com/bleona-2 |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213163722/https://www.pleimo.com/bleona-2 |archive-date=13 February 2017}} In 2009, she moved to the city of Los Angeles, United States, and became a naturalized American citizen in 2011.{{cite web |publisher=Rushdie Media |title=Bleona Qereti on Rushdie Media |url=http://rushdiemedia.com/Newsite/BleonaQereti |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404215645/http://rushdiemedia.com/Newsite/BleonaQereti |archive-date=4 April 2015}}

{{Main|Bleona discography}}

• Kam Qejfin Tim (1997)
• Nese Me Do Fort (1999)
• S'me Behet Vone (2001)
• Ik Meso Si Dashurohet (2002)
• Ti Nuk Di As Me Ma Lyp (2003)
• Greatest Hits (2005)
• Boom Boom (2005)
• Mandarin (2007)

{{BLP unsourced section|date=December 2024}}

Bleona has made a significant impact on the global dance music scene with several of her tracks performing well on the Billboard Dance Club Songs and Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs charts. Below are some of her notable songs, listed in order of their chart achievements:

• "Take It Like a Man" peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Known for its catchy melody and vibrant production, this track became a fan favorite in clubs and helped establish Bleona’s presence in the dance music scene.
• "Take You Over" charted at number 28 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart and number 3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The track showcased Bleona’s ability to blend electronic beats with pop sensibilities, making it a hit both in clubs and on the radio.
• "Wicked Love" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The track's seductive style, infectious hook, and club-ready beats contributed to its success on the dance charts and its popularity among DJs and music fans worldwide.
• "I Don't Need Your Love" reached number 1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The high-energy track, with its empowering lyrics and upbeat tempo, resonated deeply with listeners and became one of her signature hits.
• "Monster" peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. Known for its intense, club-ready beats and catchy chorus, "Monster" continued Bleona's streak of chart successes, solidifying her place in the global dance music scene.

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Category:21st-century Albanian actresses

Category:21st-century Albanian women singers

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American women singers

Category:21st-century American singers

Category:Albanian businesspeople

Category:Albanian female models

Category:Albanian-language singers

Category:American women songwriters

Category:American female models

Category:Albanian emigrants to the United States

Category:Living people

Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States

Category:Albanian pop musicians

Category:English-language singers from Albania

Category:American people of Albanian descent

Category:1979 births