Jenny Berggren
Encyclopedia
Jenny Cecilia Berggren is a Swedish singer and former lead singer in the Swedish
pop band Ace of Base
. Since 1995, she has also been writing songs and performing solo. In 2010 she released her debut album My Story
.
and she is the third of three children born to Göran Berggren, an X-ray technician, and Birgitta Berggren. She was raised in a Christian
family in the Gothenburg suburbs.
All three Berggren children took music lessons, and Jenny, along with her older sister Malin
, practiced violin
. Educated to become a teacher, Berggren studied classical music and sang for her church choir with her sister.
During the late 1980s, the Berggren siblings, along with Johnny Lindén and Nicklas Tränk, formed the techno
band Tech Noir. The group eventually became Ace of Base. Berggren also attended university, with the intention of becoming a teacher. This plan fell apart when Ace of Base was signed to Danish label Mega Records
, with the band's debut album eventually selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.
On the night of 27 April 1994, Berggren and her mother were attacked in their home by a crazed woman who had followed Berggren home. Berggren's mother was stabbed in the hands, and the woman, a 21-year-old German named Manuela Behrendt, was banned from ever returning to Sweden.
Berggren composed several songs for the band's The Bridge album, including "Ravine", a song about the 27 April attack, as well as "Wave Wet Sand" and "Experience Pearls". She continued to compose songs for the band's albums, and a her compositions have been included on each successive album.
On 18 September 2004, Berggren married her long-time boyfriend Jakob Petrén, a Swedish pianist. They have two children together, a son and a daughter. Her husband belongs to an old (and in Sweden very well known) Swedish family of high academic scholars and scientists, statesmen and politicians. Berggren and her family currently reside in Gothenburg.
and Asia
. During the touring they recorded new songs designated to a fifth studio album. The trio didn't get a record contract with the songs that were produced and Jenny continued working on her own solo material. Jenny announced on her newly started Twitter account 2009 that she was working on new songs to a solo album.
During this time, Ulf and Jonas recruited two other female vocalists, Clara Hagman
and Julia Williamson. When this came to the fan's attention, Jonas and Jenny independently stated that this new constellation would not be called Ace of Base, but have another name.
This alternative line-up later presented slightly changed name: "Ace.of.Base", but this was mainly a graphical adjustment used on the cover of their releases only. In an interview for Swedish TV Ulf stated: "We're still called Ace of Base. The dots are more for styling and the logo"
.
Name dispute and reasons of breakup
Jenny has stated several times that she has never left the band and on the contrary declared that all four original members are still band members and own the brand Ace of Base, by agreement with her brother Jonas and by legal documents.
This was later confirmed by Jonas in an interview stating: "She (Jenny) never officially said ‘’I quit’’. But to the record company, she was a leaving member. And they cancelled her contract. But she never said ‘’oh, I don’t want to be in the band’’." When asked about the record company demanding a new additional singer: "It wasn’t so much that it had to be younger girl, but yes, they wanted a new girl, a new lead vocalist."
Regarding the name dispute, Ulf stated that he had "no problems using the name even though all the original members are not included" Jenny discussed further on this topic in a newspaper interview on 18 October 2010. She expressed that she wasn't allowed by Jonas and Ulf to participate in the song writing for the band's album. "From now on, I want paper on things. I agreed to work under certain conditions, and they just vanished." "They didn't want me in". When asked, "Do you want to go back to Ace of Base again?" she responded "Not right now. It would take some apologies".
On New Year's Day 2010, Jenny released her solo song "Free Me" as a free download to her fans via her new website.
In May 2010, Jenny released her first solo single "Here I Am
" which is available on iTunes. The single reached number 14 on the Swedish singles charts. On September 15, 2010 she released her second single "Gotta Go". Her debut album "My Story" was released on October 13, 2010.
Berggren was revealed on February 3 to be a wildcard for the Danish national final
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
with her entry Let your heart be mine. At the national final on February 26, 2011, Jenny performed "Let Your Heart Be Mine" to roaring applause. After the first round of voting, Jenny failed to place in the top four. As a result, she did not advance further in the competition. Nevertheless, fans generally considered this performance among the best of Jenny's live performances.
Solo album:
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
pop band Ace of Base
Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a pop band based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Its original lineup consisted of Ulf "Buddha" Ekberg, and three siblings, Jonas "Joker" Berggren, Malin "Linn" Berggren and Jenny Berggren...
. Since 1995, she has also been writing songs and performing solo. In 2010 she released her debut album My Story
My Story (Jenny Berggren album)
My Story is the debut solo album by former lead singer of Swedish pop band Ace of Base, Jenny Berggren. The track listing was revealed on Jenny's official website on September 30, 2010. On New Year's Day 2010, what later proved to be a demo version of "Free Me" became available for free download...
.
Early life
Jenny was born in GothenburgGothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and she is the third of three children born to Göran Berggren, an X-ray technician, and Birgitta Berggren. She was raised in a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
family in the Gothenburg suburbs.
All three Berggren children took music lessons, and Jenny, along with her older sister Malin
Linn Berggren
Malin Sofia Katarina Berggren is a former member of the band Ace of Base. Having been interested and involved in music since her childhood, she formed the band in 1987, along with her sister Jenny, her brother Jonas and their friend Ulf Ekberg. Before forming Ace of Base, Malin sang in her...
, practiced violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
. Educated to become a teacher, Berggren studied classical music and sang for her church choir with her sister.
During the late 1980s, the Berggren siblings, along with Johnny Lindén and Nicklas Tränk, formed the techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
band Tech Noir. The group eventually became Ace of Base. Berggren also attended university, with the intention of becoming a teacher. This plan fell apart when Ace of Base was signed to Danish label Mega Records
Edel-Mega Records
Mega Records was a Danish record company established in 1983. It was renamed Edel-Mega Records when it was acquired by Edel Music in 2001....
, with the band's debut album eventually selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.
Role in band
Berggren's original role in the band was equal with her sister, Linn, although the first singles chosen by the record company had Linn singing most of the lead vocals. In the early years, she and Linn only had a minor role in the production or writing of any of the band's first songs. Later, with sister Malin's sudden withdrawal from the spotlight, Berggren was forced into a more prominent role.On the night of 27 April 1994, Berggren and her mother were attacked in their home by a crazed woman who had followed Berggren home. Berggren's mother was stabbed in the hands, and the woman, a 21-year-old German named Manuela Behrendt, was banned from ever returning to Sweden.
Berggren composed several songs for the band's The Bridge album, including "Ravine", a song about the 27 April attack, as well as "Wave Wet Sand" and "Experience Pearls". She continued to compose songs for the band's albums, and a her compositions have been included on each successive album.
Personal life
Berggren continues to volunteer her time to various humanitarian charities and has staged several Christian concerts, and sings in churches.On 18 September 2004, Berggren married her long-time boyfriend Jakob Petrén, a Swedish pianist. They have two children together, a son and a daughter. Her husband belongs to an old (and in Sweden very well known) Swedish family of high academic scholars and scientists, statesmen and politicians. Berggren and her family currently reside in Gothenburg.
Reunion with Ace of Base and breakup
Jenny, Jonas, and Ulf performed a series of concerts in 2007-2009 in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. During the touring they recorded new songs designated to a fifth studio album. The trio didn't get a record contract with the songs that were produced and Jenny continued working on her own solo material. Jenny announced on her newly started Twitter account 2009 that she was working on new songs to a solo album.
During this time, Ulf and Jonas recruited two other female vocalists, Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman
Clara Hagman is a Swedish singer and member of the pop band, Ace of Base.-Next Star 2008 and Idol 2009:In 2008, Clara competed in the inaugural Next Star singing competition...
and Julia Williamson. When this came to the fan's attention, Jonas and Jenny independently stated that this new constellation would not be called Ace of Base, but have another name.
This alternative line-up later presented slightly changed name: "Ace.of.Base", but this was mainly a graphical adjustment used on the cover of their releases only. In an interview for Swedish TV Ulf stated: "We're still called Ace of Base. The dots are more for styling and the logo"
.
Name dispute and reasons of breakup
Jenny has stated several times that she has never left the band and on the contrary declared that all four original members are still band members and own the brand Ace of Base, by agreement with her brother Jonas and by legal documents.
This was later confirmed by Jonas in an interview stating: "She (Jenny) never officially said ‘’I quit’’. But to the record company, she was a leaving member. And they cancelled her contract. But she never said ‘’oh, I don’t want to be in the band’’." When asked about the record company demanding a new additional singer: "It wasn’t so much that it had to be younger girl, but yes, they wanted a new girl, a new lead vocalist."
Regarding the name dispute, Ulf stated that he had "no problems using the name even though all the original members are not included" Jenny discussed further on this topic in a newspaper interview on 18 October 2010. She expressed that she wasn't allowed by Jonas and Ulf to participate in the song writing for the band's album. "From now on, I want paper on things. I agreed to work under certain conditions, and they just vanished." "They didn't want me in". When asked, "Do you want to go back to Ace of Base again?" she responded "Not right now. It would take some apologies".
Solo career
In 2008, Jenny wrote an autobiography in Swedish "Vinna hela världen". The first edition of the book sold out in Sweden (which only 4% of the books in Sweden do), and a second edition had to be pressed. The English version will be called "To Win the World" and is planned to be available in 2011.On New Year's Day 2010, Jenny released her solo song "Free Me" as a free download to her fans via her new website.
In May 2010, Jenny released her first solo single "Here I Am
Here I Am (Jenny Berggren Song)
"Here I Am" was released as the second single from Jenny Berggren's first solo album, My Story. It was released in May 2010.-Chart performance:The single hit many charts throughout Europe peaking at #14 in Sweden....
" which is available on iTunes. The single reached number 14 on the Swedish singles charts. On September 15, 2010 she released her second single "Gotta Go". Her debut album "My Story" was released on October 13, 2010.
Berggren was revealed on February 3 to be a wildcard for the Danish national final
Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Denmark participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, selecting their entry through the national final Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2011, organised by Danish broadcaster Danmarks Radio .-Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2011:...
for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
with her entry Let your heart be mine. At the national final on February 26, 2011, Jenny performed "Let Your Heart Be Mine" to roaring applause. After the first round of voting, Jenny failed to place in the top four. As a result, she did not advance further in the competition. Nevertheless, fans generally considered this performance among the best of Jenny's live performances.
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak Positions |
|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
||
| My Story My Story (Jenny Berggren album) My Story is the debut solo album by former lead singer of Swedish pop band Ace of Base, Jenny Berggren. The track listing was revealed on Jenny's official website on September 30, 2010. On New Year's Day 2010, what later proved to be a demo version of "Free Me" became available for free download...
|
48 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
FIN Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
GER Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
|||
| 2010 | "Free Me" (free digital download) | - | - | - | - | My Story |
| "Here I Am Here I Am (Jenny Berggren Song) "Here I Am" was released as the second single from Jenny Berggren's first solo album, My Story. It was released in May 2010.-Chart performance:The single hit many charts throughout Europe peaking at #14 in Sweden.... " |
14 | - | - | - | ||
| "Gotta Go" | - | - | - | - | ||
Vocals
Berggren has contributed vocals for all original Ace of Base songs except:- "All That She Wants" (Malin Berggren, Jonas Berggren, and Ekberg)
- "Happy Nation" (Malin Berggren, Jonas Berggren, and Ekberg)
- "Dimension of Depth" (instrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
) - "Dancer in a Daydream" (Malin Berggren only)
- "Whispers in Blindness" (Malin Berggren only)
- "Everytime It Rains" (Malin Berggren only)
Writing
Berggren has contributed music and lyrics to the following Ace of Base songs:- "Hear Me Calling" (with Jonas Berggren, Malin Berggren and Ekberg)
- "Ravine"
- "Wave Wet Sand"
- "Experience Pearls"
- "He Decides"
- "Love In December" (with Jonas Brerggren, Malin Berggren and Ekberg)
- "Beautiful Morning" (with Malin Berggren and Jonas Berggren)
- "Change With the Light" (with Malin Berggren, Jonas Berggren and Ulf Ekberg)
- "What's the Name of the Game" (with Malin Berggren, Jonas Berggren, Ekberg, Harry Sommerdahl and Jonas von der Burg)
Solo album:
- "Air of Love"
- "Beat of My Heart"
- "Dying to Stay Alive"
- "Free Me"
- "Give Me the Faith"
- "Going Home"
- "Gotta Go"
- "Here I Am"
- "Natural Superstar"
- "Numb"
- "Spend This Night"