Estonian musician (born 1987)
Kerli Kõiv (; born 7 February 1987), better known mononymously as Kerli, is an Estonian singer and songwriter.
Born in Elva, Kerli entered multiple singing competitions before being signed to Island Records in 2006 by LA Reid. In 2007, she released her debut self-titled extended play and in 2008, released her debut studio album, "Love Is Dead", which charted on the "Billboard" 200. The lead single from the album, "Walking on Air," charted in many countries and was also featured as the iTunes Store's Single of the Week where it was downloaded over 500,000 times, a record at that time. In the years following, Kerli was featured on "Almost Alice" with the song "Tea Party" and she began to abandon her alternative rock sound and started to adopt a more electronic and dance-influenced sound, as can be heard in her 2010 single "Army of Love".
Following the release of "Love Is Dead", Kerli began production on a second studio album which became her second extended play "Utopia", released in early 2013, where it became Kerli's second release to chart on the "Billboard" 200. Two promotional singles from the EP, "Army of Love" and "Zero Gravity", were released prior to the release of the album's first official single, "The Lucky Ones". All three songs entered the top ten of "Billboard's" Hot Dance Club Songs chart; two of them peaking at number one. Two songs which were co-written by Kerli for "Utopia" — "Skyscraper" and "I Feel Immortal" — were later recorded by artists Demi Lovato and Tarja Turunen, respectively. Kerli's version of "I Feel Immortal" was later released on "Frankenweenie Unleashed!".
In 2013, Kerli performed twice on "Dancing with the Stars"; "Vibe" called the performances a "major milestone in the EDM world." In November 2013, Kerli left Island Records and signed a record deal with Ultra Music.
In 2019, Kerli's second studio album "Shadow Works" was released.
Early life.
Kerli was born Kerli Kõiv was born in Elva, Estonia on 7 February 1987. Her mother, Piret Kõiv, was a social worker, and her father, Toivo Kõiv, was an auto mechanic. Her parents separated when she was 16. Kerli has stated that when she wrote "Supergirl"—a song about domestic violence written for "Utopia"—she "put [herself] in [her] mother's body, and said things that [she] wished that [her mother] would've said to her dad when [she] was little". Her younger sister, Eliisa, is also a musician who competed in the third season of "Eesti otsib superstaari".
As a child, Kerli studied ballroom dancing for eight years, practicing five days a week. She was first introduced to music by her kindergarten teacher, who told her mother that Kerli had "nice pitch" and that she was interested in taking her to various singing competitions. At eight years old, Kerli gained an interest in classical music, and as there was an absence of music in her early life, she only possessed two cassettes, which were albums of Bonnie Tyler and Phil Collins. She began writing stories, mini books, and poems at the age of 10 to escape from her "abusive" household to an "imaginary world". Despite being discouraged from doing so, Kerli dropped out of school at the age of 16 to pursue her musical career.
Career.
2002–2005: Career beginnings.
In 2002, Kerli competed in the singing competition "Laulukarussell" in the age group category 13–15 and on 18 May won with the song "Bridge over Troubled Water". Also in 2002, she falsified her age to enter the Baltic song contest "Fizz Superstar", as the minimum age was fifteen. She ended up winning the contest, gaining a singing contract to Universal Republic Records by Rob Stevenson. She was later dropped as Stevenson's position at the label changed. Later, Estonian media began to use the term "Kerli Syndrome" as a synonym for "failure". Kerli has stated, however, that she feels no resentment towards her home country. In a 2008 interview she said the following:
Stevenson later signed Kerli to his label Stolen Transmission but the label went bankrupt. At the age of 16, Kerli moved to Stockholm where she competed in Melodifestivalen in 2003 but was eliminated in the second semifinals. In 2004, she was the runner-up in that year's "Eurolaul" – a televised competition that determines the song that will represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest – with her song "Beautiful Inside". While in Stockholm for two years, she worked with numerous producers and due to lack of money as the contracts she had gained previously were unsuccessful, she ate nothing but rice for three months, lived in an abandoned house during winter and slept on a cot. At the age of 18, she moved to the United States where she continued to perform and write songs, ultimately getting an audition with L.A. Reid, who signed her to The Island Def Jam Music Group in 2006.
2006–2009: "Love Is Dead".
In 2006, Kerli worked with producer, songwriter, and mixer David Maurice on an autobiographical set of songs, the first set of which were released on a self-titled EP in 2007. She finally released her debut album, titled "Love Is Dead" on 8 July 2008, following her debut single "Walking on Air" which charted at number 75 on the European Hot 100, and a promotional single "Creepshow". "Creepshow" was featured in the TV series "Fringe", "The City", as well as in the video game "Burnout Paradise". The music video for the song "Love Is Dead" was released on 29 February 2008 and the music video for "Walking on Air" premiered on MTV Overdrive on 20 May 2008. "Walking on Air" was downloaded 550,000 times when it was featured as iTunes' "Single of the Week", which was a record at the time. The song appeared twice on "So You Think You Can Dance?" as well in an advertisement for "Fringe". "Love Is Dead" charted at number 126 on the "Billboard" 200 for the week of 26 July.
Later in 2008, she was selected to perform a song titled "When Nobody Loves You" for the video game ', as well as the song "Bulletproof" on of '.
In 2009, Kerli performed at the Estonian music festival Õllesummer in Tallinn. On 10 September 2009, Island Def Jam announced Kerli's iPhone application and the first song, "Saima", was released the following month. Kerli re-released her song "The Creationist" as a duet with the Italian songwriter Cesare Cremonini.
Kerli received a European Border Breakers Award for the success of the album "Love Is Dead" in Estonia.
2010–2014: "Utopia", and label change.
On 2 March 2010, "Almost Alice", a compilation album featuring music inspired by Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" was released. It contains two songs performed by Kerli, "Tea Party" and "Strange", the latter being a collaboration with Tokio Hotel. A remix album of "Tea Party" was released on 15 June 2010. She covered the song "Nature Boy" for a promo for the tenth season of "Smallville".
On 19 December 2010, Kerli performed a song in Estonian titled "Sa kuldseks jää" ("Stay Golden") at her grandparents' art show in Estonia. Kerli stated that she wished to officially release the song in Estonia to gain local airplay.
After the release of "Love Is Dead", Kerli began working on her second studio album, which later became her third major release and second EP titled "Utopia". She has stated that she has developing a "new musical style called Bubble Goth" and that the "Love Is Dead" album was "really moody and dark and introverted, so this album is actually more fun, but it still has that twistedness" and that she has "trying to develop a whole new sound-scape that [she does not think she has] heard before". She has also said that it is "a very strong album" about "overcoming the darkness in [her]..overcoming blaming the world for what's wrong...taking responsibility, being inspired and inspiring others." "Army of Love" was released for free via download on Kerli's official website. It was then released as a single for purchase on 12 April 2011. The song was considered for promotion to become the album's lead single. The music video for "Army of Love" was filmed over several days in Estonia during early November. The video "sets the undertone of [her] entire new album". The music video officially premiered on December 22, 2010. "Army of Love" peaked at number one on "Billboard"'s Hot Dance Club Songs chart for the week of 7 May 2011.
A song titled "Skyscraper" was written by Toby Gad, Lindy Robbins, and Kerli for "Utopia" however the song did not make it to her album and instead Kerli gave it to be recorded by American musician Demi Lovato for her album "Unbroken". Kerli was very pleased by Lovato's recording and responded by saying "I really think that artists are story tellers and are here to deliver a message and there's no better person that I can think of right now than her to deliver that very story. So although I did write this song for my album, it's really her song. She nails it, she owns it. I am just the Santa's little helper here." Gad, Robbins, and Kerli also penned a song titled "I Feel Immortal" for Kerli that also did not make it to her album. The song was eventually recorded by Finnish musician Tarja for her album "What Lies Beneath". A version of the track titled "Immortal" recorded by Kerli appears on "Frankenweenie Unleashed!", an album consisting of tracks from and inspired by the Tim Burton film "Frankenweenie".
The music video for "Zero Gravity" began production on 25 January and premiered on 21 March. It is directed by Canadian director Alon Isocianu. It was supposed to be the first single from the new album as well as "Army of Love", but later Kerli stated that neither "Zero Gravity" nor "Army of Love" were official singles and that they were only buzz singles. In May 2012, Kerli wrote on Facebook the album was finished and mastered, and in September confirmed that a single from the album titled "The Lucky Ones" would be released on 29 October 2012. It was written by Kerli, Svante Halldin, and Jakob Hazell. A press release by Warner Music Group stated the album would be released in spring 2013. The music video for the song is directed by Ethan Chancer, and was released on 5 December. In March 2013, the official tracklist as well as the artwork for "Utopia" EP was released. It was actually first supposed to be a full LP, but as it completely leaked in the middle of December, the label wanted to cut out some songs for March and wanted to release it as an EP; the final official track listing for the EP only includes "Can't Control the Kids", "The Lucky Ones", "Sugar", "Love Me or Leave Me", "Here and Now", "Chemical" and a "The Lucky Ones" remix by one of the Estonian rising DJs Syn Cole, leaving out six songs: "Made For Loving You", "Last Breath", "Supergirl", "Speed Limit", "Kaleidoscope" (which was later released as a Benny Benassi collaboration featuring Kerli), and also "Zero Gravity" was left out, which was first supposed to be on the album too. The EP was finally released digitally on 19 March and physically on 13 May (only in the Baltic states and Finland).
In October 2012, Kerli participated in ASCAP's week-long songwriting retreat at the Château Marouatte in Dordogne before joining Warner/Chappell Music. Kerli also collaborated with Australian trance musician tyDi on the tracks "Glow in the Dark" and "Something About You", as well as with Cash Cash on a track titled "Here and Now". Kerli is currently working on her third studio album and has stated that she would like it to be "a little more punk rock" and "a little more raw" than her previous work.
In November 2013, Kerli parted ways with Island Records and joined Ultra Music. Kerli collaborated with Seven Lions in two songs for his EP "Worlds Apart", with the title song being released as a single by Ultra Records at 3 June 2014. An accompanying music video for the song was released by 16 August. Kerli teamed up with Benny Benassi on 21 July; for a re-edit of "Kaleidoscope", a song originally recorded for her shelved second album "Utopia". By the end of September, Kerli worked again with Australian DJ tyDi in a song called "Perfect Crush" for tyDi's