Era Istrefi

Era Istrefi is an artist who refuses to be categorised. Since launching her career in 2013 with the electrifying debut single ‘Mani Per Money’, the singer-songwriter has injected a variety of sounds – electro-pop, reggae and dance – into her unique style of music, while collaborating with Will Smith, French Montana, Diplo, and Nicky Jam.

Born in Kosovo, Istrefi found instant success in her native country, with early singles ‘E Dehun’ and ‘Njo Si Ti’ making waves across Europe. It wasn’t until 2016, however, that ‘BonBon’ became an global success and a viral hit, picking up over half a billion YouTube views and taking the No 1 spot on Spotify, Shazam and iTunes Charts across the globe. Though it might faze a lesser talent, this level of success came as no surprise for an artist who has had faith in her creative abilities since the very beginning. Leading to connections with producers and songwriters from all corners of the globe, ‘BonBon’ was a landmark moment in Istrefi’s career.

Another career-defining success came in 2018, when producer extraordinaire Diplo invited the singer to feature on ‘Live It Up’, the 2018 FIFA World Cup’s official anthem. This sparkling Latin-pop party banger saw Istrefi collaborate with Hollywood superstar and rapper Will Smith, and reggaeton sensation Nicky Jam. Building on the success and notoriety that this opportunity brought her, she doubled down in 2018 with the release of ‘Prisoner’, a seductive burner of a track that displayed her reggae influences while prompting critics to draw comparisons with the melodic vocals of Sia and Rihanna. Istrefi’s latest single, ‘Nuk E Di’, was released in 2019 via Ultra Music, seeing the vocalist take a bold leap into EDM territory with the help of her sister, Nora Istrefi – the track has already been viewed over 10 million times in a few short months.

Though she’s received global acclaim for her musical talent, Istrefi is swiftly becoming something of a fashion icon, accumulating over 1 million Instagram followers. In both music and style, Era Istrefi continues to develop an utterly original and constantly evolving aesthetic that remains consistently ahead of the curve.