Charlotte Perrelli

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Charlotte Perrelli was born in October 1974 in Småland, southern Sweden. By 13 she was singing with a local dansband. After finishing school, she moved to Växjö to study performing arts. In 1994, she became the lead singer of the band Anders Engbergs, and in 1997 she joined the popular Swedish dansband Wizex. With Wizex, Perrelli performed at larger venues and gained her first taste of national fame. One of the band’s albums even went gold, marking an early milestone in her career.

Eurovision Victory in 1999

In 1999, performing under her maiden name Charlotte Nilsson, she won Sweden’s Melodifestivalen and went on to triumph at the Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem. Her upbeat song “Take Me to Your Heaven” charmed the international audience and clinched the Eurovision title, making her the fourth Swedish act ever to win the contest. The victory turned Perrelli into a household name in Sweden and beyond. She spent the rest of the year touring Europe and the Middle East to promote her winning song. In late 1999, she released her debut album Charlotte, which included the hit single “I Write You a Lovesong”.

Continued Music Career and Albums

After her Eurovision triumph, Perrelli remained a prolific recording artist through the 2000s. She released her second album Miss Jealousy in 2001, which featured the catchy single “You Got Me Going Crazy”. To reach a wider audience, she toured extensively across Europe and even in New Zealand. In 2003, she co-hosted Sweden’s Melodifestivalen and married Nicola Perrelli, taking the surname Perrelli. The following year, she delivered another successful album, Gone Too Long (2004), which became a hit in Sweden. Perrelli also returned as host of Melodifestivalen 2004 and fronted a children’s talent show Super Troupers. In 2006, she paid tribute to jazz icon Monica Zetterlund with the album I din röst, covering Zetterlund’s famous songs. During this period, Perrelli demonstrated her versatility by performing everything from pop and disco to ballads and jazz.

Eurovision Return with “Hero” in 2008

In 2008, Perrelli made a high-profile comeback by winning Melodifestivalen a second time with the power-pop anthem “Hero”. The song dominated the Swedish charts and became the best-selling single of that year by a Swedish artist. She went on to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Belgrade. Ahead of Eurovision, Perrelli embarked on a promotional tour to 17 countries. Although she entered the competition as one of the favourites, she finished 18th in the final. She remained undeterred and released an album titled Hero, which went platinum in Sweden and even came out in China. Later in 2008, Perrelli also released a Christmas album, Rimfrostjul, and appeared as a guest judge on Idol 2008.

Television and Theatre Work

Outside of her singing career, Perrelli became a familiar face on Swedish television. She has hosted or co-hosted major shows, including multiple editions of Melodifestivalen, and she led a children’s talent series called Super Troupers. She also served as a judge on Talang, Sweden’s version of Got Talent, sharing her musical expertise with aspiring performers. On stage, Perrelli took on roles in musical theatre; most notably, in 2012 she portrayed Eva Perón in a Swedish production of Evita. Over the years, she has frequently toured Sweden as part of the popular summer concert show Diggiloo, and she continues to appear on various TV specials and reality programs.

Books and Business Ventures

Beyond performing, Perrelli has worked as an author and entrepreneur. She published two books on fitness and health, and in 2018 she released her autobiography Flickan från Småland (“The Girl from Småland”). She also branched out into business by launching her own skincare brand. These ventures outside of music have reinforced her status as a multi-talented public figure in Sweden.

Recent Activities and Legacy

Today, Charlotte Perrelli remains a prominent figure in Swedish entertainment and continues to stay active in music and media. She regularly performs live and appears on television. In 2021, she competed again in Melodifestivalen with the song “Still Young” and reached the finals. In 2024, she took to the Eurovision stage as a special guest during the contest in Malmö. She married businessman Anders Jensen and has four children.