Albert Stanaj (; born 12 February 1994), known professionally as Stanaj, is an Albanian-American singer and songwriter.

Life and career

1994–present: Early life and continued success

Albert Stanaj was born to

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

parents on 12 February 1994 in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

and was raised in the city of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, the United States. Stanaj attended the

Archbishop Stepinac High School Archbishop Stepinac High School is an American all-boys' Roman Catholic high school in White Plains, New York. It was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York until the 2009–2010 school year, when it became independent of the ...

White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...

. He also participated in numerous music festivals in Albania, Europe as well as the United States. At 18, he moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

to continue his professional musical career. His debut single "Ain't Love Strange" released in 2016 peaked at number two in Albania.

Artistry

Stanaj has cited

Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...

, Maxwell,

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

and

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

as his major influences.

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

Songwriting credits

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanaj, Albert 1994 births 21st-century Albanian male singers 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers Albanian guitarists Albanian pianists Albanian songwriters American people of Albanian descent American guitarists American pianists American songwriters English-language singers Living people Musicians from New York City