Artist: Maria Mena
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
White Turns Blue
Year: 2002
Tracks: 12
In 2001, native Norwegian Maria Mena became a teen sign language sensation when her single "My Lullaby" blew up in that nation on ringtone and radio set. More singles followed, as did the hot-selling album Some other Phase, and Mena's street credibility scatter end-to-end Europe. By 2004 Mena was 18, and ready to take her dark-eyed glamour and smooth, faintly-alternative pop (aided in trade by Norwegian songwriter/producer Arvid Solvang) on to the international stage. First, her Mellow LP byword Scandinavian and European number in January of that year. It was supported by the exclusive "You're the Only One," a transonic sister to Alanis Morissette's "Custody Clean," and likewise first person confessional ("You're the solely one wHO holds my haircloth back when I'm sot and get sick of"). Then, in springtime, the exclusive appeared on U.S. shores, with aegir adds at tastemaking Top 40 outlets. By May, the picture time for "You're the Only One" -- which might as well take been a Noxema ad with its shots of squeaky-clean teens horsing around and in general look vibrant and great -- was entrenched at MTV's TRL. Something called the Teen People Rock 'n' Shop Mall Tour was next for Mena. As crazy as the spear sounded, direct-to-audience marketing of this type had been successfully introducing stripling pop stars from the hair spray years of Tiffany to the neckties and scowls of Avril Lavigne. White Turns Blue, Mena's full-length domestic debut, dropped in July 2004. It featured slightly tweaked tracks from Mena's European output, and put a point on her seasonable U.S. pop takeover.
