Kaleen (singer)
{{Short description|Austrian dancer and singer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Kaleen
| image = Kaleen 01 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Kaleen in 2024
| birth_name = Marie-Sophie Kreissl
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|11|12|df=y}}
| birth_place = Wels, Austria
| education =
| genre = Pop
| years_active = 2014–present
| known_for =
| television =
| module =
| embed =
| label = Wifi Records
}}
Marie-Sophie Kreissl{{Cite web |date=16 January 2024 |title=Überraschend! SIE fährt für Österreich zum Song Contest |trans-title=Surprising! SHE is going to the song contest for Austria |url=https://www.heute.at/s/ueberraschend-sie-faehrung-fuer-oesterreich-zum-song-contest-120014404 |access-date=16 January 2024 |language=de-AT |work=Heute.at |archive-date=24 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224101610/https://www.heute.at/s/ueberraschend-sie-faehrt-fuer-oesterreich-zum-song-contest-120014404 |url-status=live }} (born 12 November 1994),{{Cite instagram |date=12 November 2023 |title=Happy Birthday - @kaleenmusic |postid=CzhsIFmIfZx |user=anspress.society.news |access-date=17 January 2024 |language=en |via=Instagram}} also known professionally as Kaleen, is an Austrian singer, dancer and choreographer. She represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "We Will Rave".{{Cite web |date=16 January 2024 |title=Kaleen will head to Malmö for Austria |url=https://eurovision.tv/story/kaleen-will-head-malmo-austria |access-date=16 January 2024 |language=en |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |work=Eurovision.tv |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116095828/https://eurovision.tv/story/kaleen-will-head-malmo-austria |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Stadlbauer |first=Clemens |date=16 January 2024 |title=Kaleen tanzt für Österreich in Malmö an |trans-title=Kaleen dances for Austria in Malmö |url=https://oe3.orf.at/m/stories/3038708/ |access-date=16 January 2024 |language=de-AT |work=Hitradio Ö3 |publisher=ORF |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116064417/https://oe3.orf.at/m/stories/3038708/ |url-status=live }}
Early life
Kaleen was raised in Ried im Traunkreis in Upper Austria. She is the granddaughter of {{Ill|Hanneliese Kreißl-Wurth|lt=Hanneliese Kreißl-Wurth|de}},
a composer, lyricist and producer in the hit and folk music genres. She took ballet lessons for the first time at the age of two. At the age of seven, she won her first Austrian championship title.
Career
File:Kaleen_Eurovision_Song_Contest_2024_Final_dress_rehearsal_02.jpg during Eurovision 2024 rehearsal]]
Kaleen cites Dua Lipa, Little Mix, Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Zara Larsson as her musical influences.{{Cite web |url=https://fm4.orf.at/soundpark/k/kaleen/main?noc=0 |title=Kaleen |date=7 July 2023 |language=de-AT |work=FM4 |publisher=ORF |access-date=16 January 2024 |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116070802/https://fm4.orf.at/soundpark/k/kaleen/main?noc=0 |url-status=live }}
=Career beginnings=
In 2014, she took part in the German version of the dance competition {{Ill|Got to Dance (Germany)|lt=Got to Dance|de|Got to Dance (deutsche Ausgabe)}} and reached the final together with her dance partner Paulo Albert.{{Cite web |date=14 August 2014 |title=Oberösterreicherin tanzt um "Got to dance"-Sieg |url=https://www.nachrichten.at/oberoesterreich/Oberoesterreicherin-tanzt-um-Got-to-dance-Sieg;art4,1459544 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=Oberösterreichische Nachrichten |language=de}} Since 2020, she has been working as a choreographer and director for ORF, including for the show Starmania.{{Cite web |last=Lampl |first=Marianne |date=16 January 2024 |title=Warum Kaleen die beste Song-Contest-Kandidatin aller Zeiten ist |url=https://www.puls24.at/news/entertainment/warum-kaleen-die-beste-song-contest-kandidatin-aller-zeiten-ist/318283 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=Puls 24 |language=de}} In 2021, she founded her own record label, Wifi Records. Her first album, Stripping Feelings, was released in September 2023.
= Eurovision Song Contest =
Since 2018, she has also been involved with the Eurovision Song Contest and the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in various positions: as a stand-in singer for the rehearsals; as a dancer and choreographer for the interval acts in the {{escyr|2018||2018 contest}}; as a creative director for {{esccnty|Spain|Junior|y=2021}} and {{esccnty|Bulgaria|Junior|y=2021}} in the {{escyr|2021|Junior|2021 junior contest}}; as creative director for {{esccnty|Spain|Junior|y=2022}} and overall stage director in the {{escyr|2022||2022 contest}}; and she helped creating the stage performances for {{esccnty|Austria|y=2023}}, {{esccnty|Armenia|y=2023}}, {{esccnty|Germany|y=2023}}, and {{esccnty|Georgia|y=2023}} in the {{escyr|2023||2023 contest}}. She also had competed to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with her song "Owe You Pretty", but lost to Teya & Salena's song "Who the Hell Is Edgar?".
==Competing in 2024==
On 16 January 2024, it was announced that Kaleen had been internally selected as Austria's representative at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, to be held in Malmö, Sweden. The song, titled "We Will Rave", was described as dance-pop and inspired by techno. It was released on 1 March 2024. Kaleen qualified from the second semi-final at Eurovision on 9 May 2024.{{Cite news |title=Eurovision 2024 Semi-Final Two Qualifiers |url=https://escxtra.com/2024/05/09/eurovision-2024-semi-final-two-qualifiers/ |access-date=2024-05-10 |work=ESCXTRA |language=en-GB |archive-date=10 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510004317/https://escxtra.com/2024/05/09/eurovision-2024-semi-final-two-qualifiers/ |url-status=live }} In the final, the song finished 24th of the 25 competing finalists, with 24 points overall.{{Cite web |last=Kemp |first=Ellie |date=12 May 2024 |title=Eurovision 2024 final as it happened and results as Switzerland declared winner |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/eurovision-2024-live-results-29152657 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=Manchester Evening News}} Following the final, "We Will Rave" reached the Top 20 of the Ö3 Austria Top 40 chart for the first time, peaking at number 18.
=Post-Eurovision=
Since the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2024, Kaleen has released a cover version of Sonique’s global hit "It Feels So Good". In February 2025, she released her first out of 5 singles “Knocking on Heaven’s Door.” Shortly after, she followed up with her second single, “Heart in Stereo".
Discography
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details |
| scope="col"| Title
! scope="col"| Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Stripping Feelings
|
|
= Singles =
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{succession box
| title = Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest
| years = 2024
with "Who the Hell Is Edgar?"
| after = JJ
with "Wasted Love"
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest}}
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2024}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kaleen}}
Category:Austrian female dancers
Category:Austrian women choreographers
Category:Austrian women pop singers
Category:21st-century Austrian women singers