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.