About
Biography
Early Life and Breakthrough
Max Mutzke (born 21 May 1981) is a German singer, songwriter, and TV personality. He was born in Waldshut-Tiengen in the Black Forest region of Germany. Max grew up with five siblings in a musical family. His mother was an actress, and one of his brothers, Menzel, became a jazz trumpeter. As a teenager, Max made his first musical steps as the singer of a funk band called Project Five. In 2004, he achieved his big break by winning a national TV talent contest hosted by entertainer Stefan Raab. This victory led him to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with his song “Can’t Wait Until Tonight”. At Eurovision in Istanbul, he finished eighth in the final. The song became a hit – it debuted at number one on the German singles chart.
Music Career
After Eurovision, Max released his self-titled debut album in 2005, which reached number one on the German album charts and went gold. He built on this success with more albums in the following years, including …aus dem Bauch (2007) and Black Forest (2008), which blended pop, soul, and funk. Max’s musical style spans many genres. He even toured with British singer Katie Melua in 2005 as a supporting act. In 2012, Max explored jazz on the album Durch Einander, which earned him a Platinum Jazz Award. Max released Colors, an album of soulful cover versions of hip-hop songs in 2018. In 2021, Max released Wunschlos süchtig, his first album entirely in German. He also sang “Beste Idee,” the official song for the 2021 Olympic Games on German TV.
Other Projects and Achievements
Max Mutzke has been involved in many projects beyond studio albums. In 2014, he represented his home state of Baden-Württemberg in the Bundesvision Song Contest and placed seventh with his song “Charlotte”. He has also been a frequent presence on German television. Since 2021, he has hosted a TV music show called Lebenslieder, where he performs songs that shaped the lives of his guests. In 2019, Max won the first season of The Masked Singer Germany, performing as the “Astronaut”. He also coached young talents on the kids’ songwriting show Dein Song. Over the years, he has won several awards, including the 1LIVE Krone and the Goldene Stimmgabel (Golden Tuning Fork). In 2024, he tried to return to Eurovision by competing in Germany’s national selection again, finishing second with his song “Forever Strong”.
Personal Life
Max Mutzke still lives in southwestern Germany and stays connected to his Black Forest roots. He and his long-time partner, Nazu, have four children together.
