Bleona

Bleona Qereti, known mononymously as Bleona, was born on May 14, 1979, in Korçë, Albania. She began performing at the age of five, joining the House of Pionieri. Despite her parents’ wishes for her to focus on academics at age 13, she continued to pursue her passion for entertainment. By 14, Bleona secured her first major role as the lead singer for the Skampa Theater in Elbasan. Her professional career gained significant momentum following a performance at the Albanian National Music Festival at 15, becoming a well-known name in Albania. She released her debut single, “Lermëni (Let Me Be Free),” in 1996, followed by her first album, “Kam Qejfin Tim,” the subsequent year. This period also marked her first major tour, consisting of 25 summer shows in Switzerland and Germany.

Bleona continued to build her career in Europe, releasing four more albums between 1998 and 2002, all of which charted in southeastern Europe. In 1999, she headlined the Humanitarian Tour for the People of Kosovo. Her album “Ti Nuk Di As Me Ma Lyp,” released in 2003, reportedly sold 400,000 copies. The album “Mandarin” in 2007 reportedly sold over 800,000 copies. In September 2010, Bleona moved to the United States. She became a U.S. citizen in February 2011. She collaborated with renowned producers such as Timbaland and Rodney Jerkins. Her 2013 single, “Take It Like a Man,” reached number 7 on the UK club charts, and in 2015, “Take You Over” peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. In February 2019, her track “I Don’t Need Your Love” became her first number-one single on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.

Beyond music, Bleona has expanded into acting and television. Her acting credits include film appearances in “Chief of Station” (2024) with Aaron Eckhart, “211” (2018) alongside Nicolas Cage, and “Dead Trigger” (2017) with Dolph Lundgren. She has also appeared in TV series such as Steven Seagal’s “True Justice” (2012) and “Paper Empire” (2025–2026), and was a judge on “X Factor Albania” (2015) and starred in Bravo’s reality series “Euros of Hollywood” (2014). Bleona is set to release a new album produced by Grammy-winner Timbaland in 2025, alongside her ongoing acting commitments and public appearances.