Annet Artani

Annet Artani (born Annette Denise Stamatelatos on 6 September 1976) is a Greek-American singer and songwriter. She is best known for co-writing the Britney Spears hit “Everytime” and for representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 with the song “Why Angels Cry”. Artani’s career has spanned both the American and Greek music industries, including collaborations with international artists and releases in multiple languages.

Artani was born in the Flushing area of New York City to Greek immigrant parents, with family roots in the village of Karavados on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. She was named after her grandmother Anneta, and adopted her other grandmother’s first name, Artani, as her stage surname in their honor. Raised bilingual, she grew up immersed in music from an early age. Artani graduated from Queens College and earned an associate degree from Five Towns College in New York, balancing her academic education with musical pursuits.

As a teenager, Artani and her older sister Diana formed a rock band called Nootropia (meaning “Mindset”), performing Greek-language rock songs on diaspora Greek media outlets like NGTV and Aktina FM in the U.S.. She drew inspiration from powerhouse vocalists such as Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and Madonna. In 1994, her songwriting talent earned recognition when she received a scholarship from BMG for an original song titled “Summer Days”. She won several talent pageant titles, gaining mentions in Pageantry and Billboard magazines. By 1995, Artani was opening for Greek pop star Mando in concert and even headlined her own summer show that year. She also honed her craft by collaborating with seasoned songwriters in New York, such as Jeff Franzel (who wrote for NSYNC) and Alex Forbes (who penned hits for Taylor Dayne and Cyndi Lauper).

In 2002, Artani’s break came when she auditioned to be a backing vocalist for pop superstar Britney Spears. She joined Spears on the Dream Within a Dream Tour as a background singer, even appearing with her on The Rosie O’Donnell Show. During the tour’s final leg, Artani and Spears struck up a close friendship, bonding over recent heartbreaks (Spears’s very public split from Justin Timberlake and Artani’s own breakup). The two began writing music together at Spears’s home in Los Angeles and on a trip to Lake Como in Italy. These sessions led to the creation of the ballad “Everytime,” which Artani co-wrote with Spears, drawing on the emotions they shared. Released in May 2004, “Everytime” was met with positive reviews and became an international hit – it peaked inside the top five in many countries and reached number 1 in markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and more. The success of “Everytime” elevated Artani’s profile as a songwriter on the global music stage.

Following her songwriting success, Artani moved to expand her career in Greece. In 2004, she became a contestant on the third season of the Greek reality TV singing competition Fame Story. Entering the show mid-season, she gained attention for her powerful voice but voluntarily quit the competition after about a month. Artani famously walked off the show in protest over a restrictive multi-year contract that contestants were pressured to sign – her bold exit caused a stir in the Greek media at the time. Despite not finishing the show, she garnered a significant fan base in Greece and soon landed a recording contract with the Athens-based label Virus Music.

Artani released the single “Goodbye Amor” in 2005. The song became popular on Greek radio and solidified her transition from the U.S. to the Greek music scene. This period laid the groundwork for her to take part in the following year’s Eurovision selection for Cyprus, and also saw her performing in both Greek and English, highlighting her bilingual artistry.

In early 2006, Artani was invited by Cyprus’s public broadcaster (CyBC) to compete in A Song for Europe, the Cypriot national selection for Eurovision. She entered the competition with the dramatic ballad “Why Angels Cry,” written by Peter Yiannaki. Artani won the national final, receiving the majority of the public vote for her song. This victory earned her the right to represent Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.

At Eurovision, Artani performed “Why Angels Cry” during the semi-final on 18 May 2006. However, the entry did not advance to the grand final. Later in 2006, she released her debut full-length album Mia Foni (“One Voice”) under Virus Music, featuring songs in both Greek and English. The album achieved a Top 10 placement on the Greek Albums Chart.

Artani continued to engage in both Greek and American music projects. In December 2007, she was approached by Greece’s ERT broadcaster as a possible candidate for Eurovision 2008. She wrote three prospective songs for the Greek selection; ultimately, she decided not to submit them, citing concerns over contractual obligations – entering Greece’s Eurovision process would have required her to sign with a Greek label again, conflicting with her existing U.S. record deal. Having parted ways with Virus Music, Artani shifted her base back to the United States, where she signed with Ultra Records in 2008. She began work on an English-language pop album and released her first American single, “Alive,” in March 2009.

Artani also pursued more behind-the-scenes songwriting opportunities. In 2010, she co-wrote the song “Nothing Lasts Forever” for South Korean girl group Girl’s Day – the track became a hit in the K-pop scene, showcasing Artani’s versatility in writing for international artists. The following year, in 2011, she independently released the single “Mouthful of Me”. Its music video, shot in the deserts of California’s Joshua Tree National Park, went viral onlin.

In 2012, Artani joined the American Bombshells, a musical troupe that performs for U.S. military personnel and veterans. Adopting the stage nickname “Nettie,” she toured with the group to entertain troops worldwide and brought her powerhouse vocals to patriotic and nostalgic songs. She also made a television appearance on the NBC talent game show The Winner Is in July 2013, further broadening her exposure. That same year, Artani signed a music publishing deal with Notting Hill Music in the UK, focusing on songwriting for other artists across Europe and beyond.

Throughout the 2010s, Artani remained active as a performer. She became a lead vocalist for Identity Crisis, a New York-based funk-fusion band that toured the East Coast club circuit. In addition to her music endeavors, Artani has devoted energy to social and political causes. By 2019, she had taken on a role as the lead singer of the Citizens United Protest Band, a group that uses music to advocate for political activism and reform. This blend of artistry and advocacy highlights the breadth of Artani’s public career beyond her early pop successes.