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Helena Paparizou (; , ; born 31 January 1962) is a Swedish-born Greek singer, songwriter and television personality. Born and raised in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
to
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
parents, she enrolled in various arts schools before launching a career in Sweden in 1999 as a member of the
laïko Laïko or laïkó ( el, λαϊκό �ραγούδιlaïkó 'tragoúdi'' ; “ongof the people", "popular ong, pl: ''laïká'' 'tragoúdia'' is a Greek music genre composed in Greek language in accordance with the tradition of the Greek peop ...
(Greek folk music) and
Eurodance Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
duo
Antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
, who participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2001 The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the country's victory at the with the song " Fly on the Wings of Love" by Olsen Brothers. Organised by the Eu ...
and afterwards became popular. Antique disbanded in 2003, and Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
, releasing the chart-topping debut single " Anapandites Kliseis" and album '' Protereotita'' (2004), with emphasis on laïko, pop, and
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
sounds, but at first had modest sales. In 2005, she represented Greece in the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pri ...
with the song "
My Number One "My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou, written by Manos Psaltakis, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou and produced by Christos Dantis. It was the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, held in Kyiv, awardin ...
", which she won. It was the first Greek win in the contest's history and transformed her career. Her album was subsequently certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece. Paparizou attempted a career beyond Greece with English-language material, charting in a few countries abroad. Her three subsequent albums '' Iparhi Logos'' (2006), '' The Game of Love'' (2006) and '' Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'' (2008) all peaked at number one in Greece and reached platinum sales. Her fifth studio album '' Giro Apo T' Oneiro'' (2010) was also certified platinum. Paparizou's final release before she left Sony Music, '' Greatest Hits & More'', was released in 2011 and included " Baby It's Over", her biggest hit until 2016. Her biggest hit to date, ''An Me Dis Na Kleo'' featuring Anastasios Rammos was released in 2017 and has gained over 30 million views on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most vis ...
. Paparizou established herself as a
teen idol A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups. By region Asia East Asia possess ...
, particularly among young girls. She has endorsed the brands
Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...
and Ivi. For the period 2013-2015, she advertised hair colour products for Koleston company in Greece. In the 2010s she tried to move into television as a judge on ''Dancing on Ice'' (2011) and as a contestant on ''Let's Dance'' (2012). Since 2016, Paparizou has been a judge at '' The Voice of Greece''. She lived with her fiancé and manager Toni Mavridis from 1999 until their separation in 2011. Paparizou has been awarded three Arion Music Awards, a
European Border Breakers Award The European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) was an annual prize awarded to recognise the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. ...
, 30 MAD Video Music Awardsmore than any other Greek artistand an
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
. On 14 March 2010,
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
ranked her as the 14th top-certified domestic female artist since 1960, having won seven platinum and four gold records. Paparizou was the most successful debuting female artist of the 2000s and established herself as one of the top acts of the latter half of the decade. As of 2010, she has been certified for the sales of 300,000 albums, 47,500 singles, and 30,000 digital downloads by IFPI Greece, in addition to 100,000 total record sales in Greece as part of Antique, 24,000 certified albums in Cyprus, and 80,000 singles in Sweden during her solo career. In 2010, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...
'' listed Paparizou as the 21st most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece.


Early life

Paparizou was born on 31 January 1982 in Borås,
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
; she was the youngest child of Greek parents Georgios Paparizos (1948–2008) and Efrosynë "Froso" Paparizou. Paparizou's parents were from the
Karditsa Karditsa ( el, Καρδίτσα ) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly. Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the ...
region in western
Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thess ...
; she has a sister Aretë, known as Rita, and a brother Konstantinos, known as "Dinos." Paparizou's parents met and married in her mother's hometown and moved to Borås in 1970. In 1985, the family moved back to Greece to live in
Volos Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional uni ...
with relatives because Paparizou had contracted
asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
and her lungs could not cope with the cold Scandinavian climate. After two years, she was well enough for the family to return to live in
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a ...
, Sweden. As a result of the trip to Greece, Paparizou spoke
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
as a first language and did not make friends with many Swedish children, Elena Paparizou's Biography on
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
's "Kafes Me Tin Elene Menegaki". ''
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
'', 17 April 2008. Retrieved on 23 April 2008.
because she attended a Greek-language school. Paparizou continues to suffer from breathing problems and often carries an
inhaler An inhaler (also known as a puffer, pump or allergy spray) is a medical device used for delivering medicines into the lungs through the work of a person's breathing. This allows medicines to be delivered to and absorbed in the lungs, which prov ...
on-stage. Paparizou performed for the first time in front of a Greek audience when she was eleven, singing
Christos Dantis Christos Dantis ( el, Χρήστος Δάντης; born Christos Vlahakis, 26 September 1966), is a Greek multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, lyricist, and record producer best known for his hits such as "To Palio Mou Palto" and "Ena Tra ...
' "Moro Mou". Two years later, Paparizou had decided she wanted to be a singer and began to study Greek music. By the age of fourteen, Paparizou had formed her first group, ''Soul Funkomatic'' with three
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties form ...
teenagers. They played hip hop music while saving money to record songs; they disbanded two years later. On 29 October 1998, thirteen of Paparizou's close friends died in the Gothenburg nightclub fire during a hip hop party, when sixty-three people died and more than two hundred were injured. She had begged her mother to let her go to the party, but was not allowed to attend. After losing her friends, Paparizou decided to abandon singing. She started classes at the Art Performing School where she studied theater, acting, television and directing.


Career


1999–2003: Antique era

In 1999, some DJ friends of Paparizou's brother asked Paparizou to make a demo of the Notis Sfakianakis hit " Opa Opa", but because the lyrics are written from a male point of view, Paparizou wanted to sing with her childhood friend Nikos Panagiotidis. Some record producers, who were interested in signing a male/female duo to sing covers of traditional Greek songs, contacted Paparizou, who suggested Panagiotidis. The pair formed
Antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
, and signed to the independent label Bonnier Music. They called themselves "Antique" because it gave the impression of being "classical" and "timeless", and connoted Paparizou's association of
Greek music The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music. These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Greek ...
with the idea of it being distant, old-fashioned, and something of an acquired taste. Their debut single "Opa Opa" became a hit in Sweden and Norway, eventually entering the top ten in both countries, making "Antique" the first act to reach the Swedish top five with a song sung in Greek. Their later singles " Dinata Dinata", "
Follow Me Follow may refer to: * ''Follow'' (album), the third album by Pakho Chau * Follow (dancer), one member of a partner dance *"Follow", a song by Jerry Merrick, popularized by Richie Havens on his 1966 album '' Mixed Bag'' *"Follow", a song by Drowni ...
" and " Moro Mou" also charted in Sweden. Although relatively unknown in Greece in 2001, the duo entered the Greek national final of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song " (I Would) Die for You", composed by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Antonis Pappas. They won joint first place, but as "Antique" had also won the public vote were declared the overall winners and went to the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. Their song won third place with 147 points; the highest Greek Eurovision placing at the time. It became their biggest hit in Greece, reaching Platinum status, peaking at number three in Sweden and charting elsewhere. Antique's Eurovision success led to wider recognition in Greece. They recorded four studio albumswhich were only mildly successfulperformed a small European and North American tour and collaborated with artists including
Katy Garbi Katerina "Katy" Garbi ( el, Κατερίνα "Καίτη" Γαρμπή, ; born 8 June 1961) is a Greek singer active in Greece and Cyprus, with some popularity in Turkey. Her career has spanned over 35 years with over 2 million records sold in G ...
and Slavi Trifonov. Paparizou and Panagiotidis then decided to pursue solo careers. Initially, critics of the split accused Paparizou of abandoning her friend for her own career interests. Paparizou said the split was not permanent, but was a mutual decision to try other things, with plans of a reunion in mind.


2003–2005: Solo career, ''Protereotita'', and Eurovision Song Contest

In late 2003, Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
and released her debut single " Anapandites Kliseis", as a
double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...
with "Treli Kardia". The release reached number one on the Greek Top 50 Singles Chart and was certified Gold by
IFPI Greece International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece, or simply IFPI Greece, is the Greece, Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and is the official charts provider and music recording sales cer ...
. From late 2003, Paparizou was the opening act for various artists across Greece, including
Antonis Remos Antonis Remos ( el, Αντώνης Ρέμος, ; born Antonios Paschalidis, el, Αντώνιος Πασχαλίδης, links=no; 19 June 1970) is a Greek singer. Biography Early life He was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Later his family m ...
and
Giannis Spanos Ioannes "Giannis" Spanos ( el, Ιωάννης "Γιάννης" Σπανός, ; 26 July 1934 – 30 October 2019), also transliterated as Yannis Spanos, was a Greek music composer and lyricist. In his early days as a musician he was also a piano ac ...
,
Apostolia Zoi Apostolia Zoi ( el, Αποστολία Ζώη, ) is a popular Greek singer who was born in Elassona, Greece, and she grew up in Volos. She has released four studio albums. Biography Early life At the age of 14, Apostolia moved to Thessaloniki to ...
, Nino,
Thanos Petrelis Athanasios (Thanos) Petrelis (Greek: Θάνος Πετρέλης, born September 27, 1975) is a Greek singer. He has released four albums and several singles. Career ''Fame Story'' Petrelis was born in Athens, Greece. He finished third in the ...
,
Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...
and
Giorgos Mazonakis , birth_date = , birth_place = Athens, Greece , death_date = , genre = Greek Folk-Pop, dance , years_active = 1992–present , label = Universal Music Greece (1993–2001) Heaven Music (2001–2016) Minos EMI (2017;present) , webs ...
. Later in 2004, the video of "Anapandites Kliseis" won her a MAD Video Music Award for Best Dance Video, and was nominated for Best Video by a New Artist. At the award ceremony, Paparizou sang a duet of the song with its writer Christos Dantis. On 27 June 2004, Paparizou released her debut solo album '' Protereotita'', from which the tracks "Anditheseis", "Katse Kala" and "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi" were released as singles. It received mixed reviews from critics. The album earned Paparizou her first Arion Award for Best Female Pop Singer, and the videos for "Katse Kala" and "Treli Kardia" won her MAD Awards for Best Female Video and Best Direction, respectively. Paparizou moved permanently to Greece in 2004, and after a long selection process led by national broadcaster Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT), she was selected to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 held in
Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
, Ukraine. ERT originally considered Paparizou as a possible back-up singer for a high-profile artist, but those deals fell through. She said at the time that no-one had wanted her to participate in Eurovision. The song "My Number One", composed by Manos Psaltakis with lyrics by Christos Dantis and
Natalia Germanou Natalia Germanou ( el, Ναταλία Γερμανού; born 22 June 1965 ) is a Greek songwriter, television hostess, radio producer and journalist. Germanou has written lyrics for many popular singers such as Anna Vissi, Despina Vandi, Mihali ...
, was chosen by the jury vote and telephone vote in the Greek national final. Although her first name is "Elena", Paparizou promoted herself as "Helena" in the lead up to her Eurovision appearance to distinguish herself from popular names in other countries. She continues to call herself Helena on all non-Greek promotions and releases, although she prefers to be known as "Elena". Paparizou toured Europe to promote her Eurovision entry. During this time, she was appointed a Greek Ministry of Tourism ambassador by
Dimitris Avramopoulos Dimitris Avramopoulos ( el, Δημήτρης Αβραμόπουλος) is a Greek politician of the conservative New Democracy party, and former career diplomat. He has served in various high-level cabinet posts, including Minister for Foreign Aff ...
, the Minister of Tourism. He spent in her campaign to promote Greece through merchandise and advertisements that aired throughout Europe. On 21 May 2005, Paparizou won the Eurovision Song Contest; the first Greek win in its history. Her performance scored 230 points and the maximum 12 points from ten nations. Her performance was also responsible for the highest viewing ratings in Greek television history. Her win provoked mass celebrations on the streets of Athens, and on her return home she was congratulated at a State reception at the
Maximos Mansion The Maximos Mansion ( el, Μέγαρο Μαξίμου, ''Mégaro Maxímou'') has been the official seat and residence of the Prime Minister of Greece since 1982. It is located in downtown Athens, Greece, near Syntagma Square. Location The ''Maxi ...
by the
Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In ot ...
Theodoros Roussopoulos, Prime Minister
Kostas Karamanlis Konstantinos A. Karamanlis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Αλεξάνδρου Καραμανλής; born 14 September 1956), commonly known as Kostas Karamanlis ( el, Κώστας Καραμανλής, ), is a Greek politician who served as the ...
and various government officials. Paparizou's Eurovision victory transformed her from a relatively minor celebrity to a notable music act, cementing her solo career and giving her wide international exposure. On 14 July she performed at the birthday gala of
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland (Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée; born 14 July 1977) is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, as the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf. If she ascends to the throne as expecte ...
. While ascending the stage to greet the royal family,
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Du ...
stood to embrace Paparizou instead of offering a handshake, causing controversy for putting his hand lower on her back than is socially acceptable. The Royal Court later issued a statement saying that his hand had slipped. Paparizou toured Europe, performing in all the countries that gave her 12 points. A tour with Nikos Kourkoulis to the Greek diaspora in North America and Australia, followed. Paparizou stated that if she considered doing anything Eurovision-oriented again it be for her birth country Sweden, since she already had her turn with Greece. After performing as an opening act on numerous occasions, Paparizou headlined at Fever for the 2005–06 season, supported by Christos Pazis and with Giorgos Tsalikis. After Paparizou's Eurovision win and several reissues, the album certified double Platinum by IFPI Greece. To capitalise on this success, it was reissued as ''Protereotita: Euro Edition'' in single and double disc format, and released as a compilation in some European countries as ''
My Number One "My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou, written by Manos Psaltakis, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou and produced by Christos Dantis. It was the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, held in Kyiv, awardin ...
'', which peaked at number 13 in Sweden. The ''Euro Edition'' became Paparizou's first album to reach number one and earned her another Arion award for Best Female Pop Singer. The tracks "
My Number One "My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou, written by Manos Psaltakis, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou and produced by Christos Dantis. It was the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, held in Kyiv, awardin ...
", " The Light in Our Soul" and " A Brighter Day" were released as singles, which peaked at number one, three and twenty-four respectively in Sweden, and were minor hits in other countries as well. "My Number One" was released in the United States by Moda Records with remixes in August 2006, peaking at number eight on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart. "My Number One" was certified Platinum, and becoming her first number-one airplay hit, while "The Light in Our Soul"/"To Fos Sti Psyhi" peaked at two. In November 2005, Paparizou released a new CD single " Mambo!", which peaked at number one on the Greek Singles Chart for 10 weeks and the airplay charts, and gained Platinum status. It is her most successful single to date and was the second highest-selling single of 2005, surpassing "My Number One". She performed "My Number One" at the MAD VMAs in 2005, and in 2006 won awards for Best Pop Video ("The Light in Our Soul"), Best Video by a Female Artist ("My Number One"), and Artist of the Year ("Mambo!"). The album was reissued for a third time as ''Protereotita: Euro Edition + Mambo!'' in November. Paparizou won the
European Border Breakers Award The European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) was an annual prize awarded to recognise the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. ...
at the Midem Festival in
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The ...
for the international editions of her debut album in 2007.


2006–2007: ''Iparhi Logos'', ''The Game of Love'', and soundtracks

In January 2006, 25 artists including Paparizou formed the group Simmeteho Energa, and recorded a
charity single A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-ma ...
"Eho Ti Dinami" in support of the Greek Cancer Society. It was released as a CD single. The two-disc album contained previously released material and live recordings from her MAD Secret Concert held in December 2005, and formed the first edition of the series. On 12 April, Paparizou released her second album, '' Iparhi Logos'' in Greece where it had a good critical reception. While promoting the album, Paparizou performed the title track at the Arion Music Awards. The album included three hit singles; "Iparhi Logos", "
Gigolo A gigolo () is a male escort or social companion who is supported by a person in a continuing relationship, often living in her residence or having to be present at her beck and call. The term ''gigolo'' usually implies a man who adopts a lifest ...
" and "An Ihes Erthi Pio Noris". It topped the Greek Albums Chart for a number of weeks and was certified platinum by IFPI Greece after seven months, with shipments of 30,000 copies. It also reached number one in Cyprus and was certified Platinum there, with shipments of 6,000 copies. A cover of
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
's " Just Walk Away" was released as a promo single, with the Greek version of "Mambo!" included. Paparizou won MAD VMAs for Best Video by a Female Artist ("Gigolo") and Best-Dressed Artist in a Video ("An Ihes Erthi Pio Noris"), from five nominations and opened the show singing "
Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In "Medley: Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)" (commonly called "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In", "The Age of Aquarius" or "Let the Sunshine In") is a medley of two songs written for the 1967 musical ''Hair'' by James Rado and Gerome ...
" and "Min Fevgeis". The album was also nominated for two Cyprus Music Awards in 2007, where she also performed. The album was reissued in February 2007 as '' Iparhi Logos: Platinum Edition'' to include Paparizou's number one hit " Mazi Sou", one of two songs she sang for the soundtrack of the television series of the same name, "Fos" from the ''Barbie kai I Dodeka Vasilopoules'' soundtrack released in 2006, and her newest hit single, a cover of Voula Georgouti's
rebetiko Rebetiko ( el, ρεμπέτικο, ), plural rebetika ( ), occasionally transliterated as rembetiko or rebetico, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek music which have come to be grouped together since the s ...
" Min Fevgeis", which reached number two. Prior to the reissue, the singles were also released on the EP single '' Fos'', which reached number one on the Greek Top 50 Singles Chart and was certified Gold, making it her fourth consecutive number-one hit on that chart. On 20 May 2006, Paparizou opened the
Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Athens, Greece, following the country's victory at the with the song "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou. Organised by the European Broadcast ...
in Athens with "My Number One" and later performed "Mambo!", but ERT ran commercials during the performance so a number of countries missed the song. Paparizou's song "
Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
" was the official song of, and performed at the
2006 European Athletics Championships The 19th European Athletics Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, between 7 August and 13 August 2006. The competition arena was the Ullevi Stadium and the official motto "Catch the Spirit". Gothenburg also hosted the 1995 World Champions ...
in Gothenburg. The single was released in Sweden and
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Both ...
, becoming her second number-one hit in the former. Following Eurovision, Paparizou wanted to start an international career, Her debut English-language album '' The Game of Love'' was released on 25 October 2006. By April 2007, it had been released in 14 countries in Europe and in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. In Greece and Cyprus, the album peaked at number one and received Platinum certifications. Because it was considered a "foreign" release, the album was only eligible to chart on the Greek Foreign Albums Chart, which it topped. It also topped the mixed Greek Albums Chart, and was certified platinum by IFPI Greece after 11 weeks on the chart in January 2007, with shipments of 15,000 copies. "Teardrops" was released as the first Greek single from the album, and peaked at number one in Greece.. The album managed to peak at #18 in Sweden too. "Mambo!" charted in Sweden, peaked at number 5, helped by a new video that was targeted towards a broader audience. The single was certified Gold in Sweden. Although Paparizou was expected to promote the album abroad that winter, she chose to perform alongside Paschalis Terzis at Iera Odos from 27 October. In early 2007, Paparizou became the spokesperson for her previous sponsor, Nokia Greece, and released the song "Ola Einai Mousiki" in October 2007 for promotion. She collaborated with retailer Plaisio and released a limited edition
MP4 player A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...
called "MP4 Total Helena" (2GB) by Turbo-X, which contained a special compilation and music videos, which were also released as "TH4" MP4 in 2008 along with her new album material and exclusive content. She released a cover of
Blind Melon Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles by five musicians: three from Mississippi, one from Pennsylvania and one from Indiana. The band currently consists of guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, drummer ...
's "3 Is a Magic Number" in Sweden as part of a television advertisement for a mobile phone company; it peaked at number 18. Paparizou was featured on Greek television presenter
Nikos Aliagas Nikos Aliagas ( el, Νικόλαος "Νίκος" Αλιάγας, ''Nikólaos "Níkos" Aliágas''; born 13 May 1969) is a Greek-French journalist and entertainer, known for being the host of the French reality program ''Star Academy''. Biograph ...
' song "I Zilia Monaksia"a cover of the
Pascal Obispo Pascal Michel Obispo (; born 8 January 1965) is a French singer-songwriter. Biography Pascal Obispo, son of Max Obispo (a former Bordeaux Girondins football player of Basque origin) and Nicole Guérin (originally from Angers), was born on 8 J ...
hit "L'envie d'Aimer"for his album project '' Rendez-Vous'', and released the song " To Fili Tis Zois" for the soundtrack of the film of the same name. "To Fili Tis Zois" remained at number one for five weeks, becoming her most successful airplay single until 2011, and one of the most successful songs of the late 2000s.''Chart*Show: Your Countdown''.
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
. Airdate: 4 April 2010
It was nominated for four MAD VMAs, winning Best Pop Video, and Paparizou won Artist of the Year for "Mazi Sou" and was nominated for "I Zilia Monaxia", making six nominations in 2008. The single became the first digital single to be certified Gold in Greece since the marketing trend had become popular in 2006.


2008–2010: ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'', ''Giro Apo T' Oneiro'', and tours

Paparizou released her fourth album, '' Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'' on 12 June 2008. The tracks "
Porta Gia Ton Ourano "Porta Gia Ton Ourano" ( el, Πόρτα Για Τον Ουρανό; en, Door to the Sky) is a song recorded by Greek pop singer Helena Paparizou and the first single from '' Vrisko To Logo Na Zo''. ''MAD TV'', May 11, 2008. Retrieved on April 19 ...
", " I Kardia Sou Petra", " Pirotehnimata", and " Eisai I Foni" were released as singles. The music video of "Pirotehnimata" was nominated for Sexiest Video and won the sixth MAD Video Music Awards for Best Pop Video and Video of the Year. "I Kardia Sou Petra" won the award for Female Artist of the Year, while "Porta Gia Ton Ourano" was nominated for Artist of the Year. Paparizou promoted a rock-inspired image for the album; a change from her pop/laïko style. The album and its concept received mixed reviews. In its first week, the album was certified Gold, eventually peaked at number one in Greece and was certified Platinum after three months. It became the second best-selling album of the year in both domestic and mixed domains, peaking in Cyprus at number two and was certified Platinum. To promote the album, two songs were released as digital downloads and promo singles, while Paparizou's duet version of Spanish group Chambao's single "Papeles Mojados" was played in some Spanish clubs. In June, Paparizou opened the MAD Video Music Awards 2008 with a remix of "Porta Gia Ton Ourano" with
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's song " 4 Minutes ", and was featured in a performance of hip hop group Stavento. Paparizou embarked on her first national tour To Party Arhizei Tour from 2 July to 19 September 2009. The finale concert of the tour, set for
Herakleion Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban Ar ...
,
Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cypru ...
three days later, was cancelled because of the weather conditions and instead, Paparizou performed two shows in October 2009 at a club called Anadromes. The tour was attended by 192,000 people in its 29 venues, selling out the
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
venue. The album was reissued after the tour as ''The Deluxe Edition'' in December 2009 and included a video of the show titled ''Live in Concert'', which was also available individually. A further reissue of the album, set to include Paparizou's newly recorded material including the new single " Tha 'Mai Allios" and MAD Secret Concert tracks, was scheduled for late 2009, but this was abandoned when the singer recorded a new studio album for 2010. Paparizou was featured on the Bonnier soundtrack project ''Alla Himlens Änglar'', released in August, where she contributed her first Swedish-language songs "Allt jag vill" (Everything I want) and "Genom krig och kärlek" (Through war and love). On 23 October 2008, she performed with other artists in a concert at the Siemens Arena in
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
, Lithuania, that was attended by approximately 10,000 people. From 30 October to 9 April she again performed alongside Paschalis Terzis at Iera Odos with Manos Pirovolakis as the opening act. Paparizou was the main act at the Thalassa: People's Stage, a concert-themed club stage, from May to September. At this venue she was supported by acts 15.50, Stavento and Loukas Giorkas. Paparizou returned to the stage of MAD Secret Concerts on 26 May, the eighth edition of the series. A video titled ''MAD Secret Concert Vol.II'' was released in mid-late 2009. During the winter, Paparizou went to Sweden where she worked on her new album and spent time with her mother. An English-language album had been announced for 2009, however those plans did not materialise because of Paparizo's father's sudden death. Three songs were recorded, one of which is a tribute to him. Paparizou joined the new marketing trend of releasing albums with Sunday newspapers; on 28 March her fifth studio album '' Giro Apo T' Oneiro'' was released in the Greek newspaper '' RealNews'', with a physical release the next day in standard and deluxe editions featuring a video. Eleven days later, the album had achieved total shipments of 140, 000 units physically and via the newspaper. Newspaper shipments are not taken into consideration by IFPI, however; in a radio interview in August 2010, Paparizou said that the album had sold enough physical copies to be certified Platinum by IFPI. On 6 November 2010, Paparizou was awarded platinum certification, with shipments of at least 12,000 units of ''Giro Apo T' Oneiro'' by IFPI Greece at the grand opening of the new Metropolis music store at The Mall Athens. The tracks "Tha 'Mai Allios", " An Isouna Agapi", " Psahno Tin Alitheia" and " Girna Me Sto Htes" were released as singles. "Tha 'Mai Allios", released a year before the album, became the singer's first advertisement for the soft drink brand Ivi's. Paparizou won the MTV Europe Award for Best Greek Act, and received a preliminary nomination for the Best European Act but finished sixth, missing the official nominations by one spot. The video for "Tha 'Mai Allios" won the MAD Video Music Award for Video of the Year and was nominated for Best Pop Video, while the video for "An Isouna Agapi" won the award for Sexiest Video and received nominations for Female Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year. On 30 June 2010, Paparizou and
Onirama Onirama is a Greek pop rock band that has had a number of hits in Greece. They are known for their wide range of music, and party-like concerts. ''Onirama.gr''. Retrieved on July 10, 2008 Career 2000-2005: Beginnings & First successes Onirama was ...
embarked on their joint Fisika Mazi Tour beginning at Theatro Petras as part of the Stone Festival in Petroupoli. However, a surprise inspection by the SDOE at the
Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...
venue stopped the tour. 8,500 concert tickets had not been stamped and the contract fees of the performing artists had not been submitted. The production was found guilty of tax violations. Paparizou said she had no knowledge of the occurrences and that she had no affiliation, except as a performer, with the production group. At the first MAD Fanatics concert, a tribute to
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 ...
, Paparizou performed with seven other artists; she closed the show with covers of Jackson's "
Heal the World "Heal the World" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson from his eighth studio album, '' Dangerous'' (1991). It was released on November 23, 1992 as the fifth single from the album. It was written and composed by Jackson ...
" and "
You Are Not Alone "You Are Not Alone" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson from his ninth studio album, '' HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I'' (1995). It was released on August 15, 1995, as the second single from the album. An R&B ballad, "You ...
". During the winter season, Paparizou appeared with Antonis Remos at the Diogenis Studio for a reported fee of per night, fewer than her previous season of performances. Paparizou was featured on
Albert Hammond Albert Louis Hammond OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a British- Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific songwriter, he also collaborated with other songwriters such as Mike Hazlewood, John Bettis, Diane Warren, Holly Knight ...
's greatest hits album ''Legend'' on the tracks "Enredao" and its English-language version, "Tangled Up in Tears".


2011–2012: ''Greatest Hits & More'', new label and management, and television

On 2 February 2011, Paparizou was one of eight acts performing at MAD TV's first charity fashion music show MADWalkGreece's version of the international
Fashion Rocks Fashion Rocks is an annual international charity fundraiser event, which features fashions by the world's top designers presented as live performances by popular music acts. Fashion Rocks Worldwide is the owner of the intellectual property rights ...
. She represented fashion designer Apostolos Mitropoulos and performed her new single " Baby It's Over", which was the lead single from her three-disc compilation '' Greatest Hits & More''.''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
''.
ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντέννα). It lau ...
. Airdate: 11 February 2011
She appeared at the Flight Night Club in
Sofia, Bulgaria Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and has ...
on 8 February. "Baby It's Over" debuted at number one the ''Billboard'' Greek Digital Singles Chart; it was her fourth number one hit on that chart and her first single to top any Greek chart in three years. It also topped the Greek Airplay Chart for ten non-consecutive weeks, becoming the most successful single of her career. The song won two awards at the 2011 MAD Video Music Awards for Female Artist of the Year and Fashion Icon of the Year. Paparizou was nominated for Artist of the Year and received a fourth nomination for Best Pop Video for "Psahno Tin Alitheia". The album's second single, "Love Me Crazy"released in Greek as "O, ti Niotho Den Allazi"was released in May 2011, and peaked at number five on the airplay chart. The songs' lyrics, particularly those of the lead single, caused speculation that Paparizou's twelve-year relationship with Mavridis had ended, which was proved to be correct. ''Greatest Hits & More'' was released on 23 May; it debuted at number two on the Greek Albums Chart where it stayed for three weeks, and was the best-selling domestic album of the week. Paparizou spent the next six months in Sweden with family and friends. In June 2011, she announced that Mavridis would no longer be her manager and that she had recruited a new team of Swedish collaborators. Her only professional appearances were at a four-date tour to Cyprus. Paparizou wanted to revive her career in Swedenwhich had declined since 2006and to expand her career outside music. She announced a second English-language album and European tour, along with possible participation in
Melodifestivalen Melodifestivalen (; literally "the Melody Festival") is an annual song competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television (SVT) and Sveriges Radio (SR). It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song C ...
which she had turned down in the past. She also considered moving back to Sweden permanently. She also said that any future collaborations with Mavridis in the future would be decided by her label. In the third quarter of 2011, Paparizou recorded a duet of the nisiotiko classic "Dari Dari" with
Nana Mouskouri Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( el, Ιωάννα "Νάνα" Μούσχουρη ) (born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer. Over the span of her career, she has released over 200 albums in at least twelve languages, including Greek, French, English, Ge ...
for her duet album ''Tragoudia Apo Ta Ellinika Nisia'' (Songs from the Greek islands), and was a guest performer at the Mouskouri's anniversary concert at the
Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was f ...
on 29 November. Although she had originally declined offers to perform during the winter season 2011–12, from 18 November she performed as a supporting act for Yiannis Parios in Thessaloniki. Paparizou made her television debut as a judge on the first season of
ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντέννα). It lau ...
's ''
Dancing on Ice ''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series presented by Phillip Schofield alongside Holly Willoughby from 2006 to 2011, who then returned in 2018, and Christine Bleakley from 2012 to 2014. The series features celebrities and their profe ...
'' from 6 November to 22 January withshow polarised critics. Following her television debut, Paparizou received offers to appear on ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series ''Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...
'', including as a contestant. She instead appeared on the Swedish version, '' Let's Dance'' in early 2012, partnered with David Watson. Initially considered one of the favourites to win, she received moderate scores and was voted off in the third episode, placing ninth out of ten contestants. In December, Paparizou released the single " Mr. Perfect", which peaked at number seven on the digital chart and reached the top 30 in the airplay chart. The song was remixed by Playmen, who with Paparizou performed it along with
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts Joan Jett (born Joan Marie Larkin, September 22, 1958) is an American singer, guitarist, record producer, and actress. Jett is best known for her work as the frontwoman of her band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and for earlier founding and per ...
' "
I Hate Myself for Loving You "I Hate Myself for Loving You" is a song by American rock band Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, '' Up Your Alley'' (1988). The song reached number eight on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ...
" at the 2012 MADWalk on 2 February 2012. The song's video earned her three nominations for Best Pop Video, Female Artist of the Year, and Artist of the Year at the 2012 MAD Video Music Awards, while "Baby It's Over" gained a fourth nomination for MAD 106.2 Track of the Year; she won the awards for Female Artist and Track of the Year. Paparizou performed a cabaret version of
Eric Saade Eric Khaled Saade (; ar, إريك سعادة, ʾĪrik Saʿāda, ; born 29 October 1990), is a Swedish singer and songwriter. He spent two years with the boy band What's Up!, leaving the band in February 2009 to pursue a solo career. After winn ...
's "
Popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the tota ...
" for the final of
Melodifestivalen 2012 Melodifestivalen 2012 is a Swedish song contest that was held between 4 February and 10 March 2012. It selected the fifty-second Swedish entry to be internationally represented in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 (ESC 2012). As in the editions be ...
. At the 2012 MAD Video Music Awards, Paparizou performed a new version of the ballad "Poios" from ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'', and was also featured in Playmen's " All the Time"a remix of the
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
songalong with Courtney and RiskyKidd. The song peaked at number two on the Official Greek Airplay Chart and became the thirty-fourth most played tracks in Greece for 2012. Both songs were released to radio the next day, and from the end of June to mid-August Paparizou toured Greece and Cyprus with Melisses. It was reported that she might perform from late 2012 to early 2013 with Natasa Theodoridou at Votanikos. While Paparizou's contract with Sony Music Greece had formally ended in early 2011, she remained attached to the label for several months. On 22 June, her A&R representative Giannis Doxas officially announced the end of their collaboration and her departure from the label. In mid-2012, Paparizou started recording a new album. She said in radio interviews that she was searching for a new style for her upcoming Greek album. She told
MTV Greece MTV Greece was a Greek free-to-air regional television channel launched on 1 September 2008, replacing Smart TV. Owned by Radio TV Piraeus S.A., it closed down suddenly on 11 January 2016, one year prior the proper MTV copyrights come to an end, ...
that the album have 10 tracks. During October she recorded a laiko duet titled Lathos Agapes with Natasa Theodoridou; this peaked at number eleven in the official Greek Airplay Chart by Mediainspector. On 9 November, she performed a live, acoustic version of
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
song " Imagine" at a dinner for the 2012
Athens Classic Marathon The Athens Classic Marathon The Authentic is an annual marathon road race held in Athens, Greece, normally in early November (the second Sunday of November), since 1972. It also often serves as Greece's national marathon championships. The race ...
. On 1 February 2013,
Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...
released digitally in Greek
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
a second compilation album titled ''The Love Collection'', which consisted of love ballads from previous albums.


2013–2015: ''Ti Ora Tha Vgoume?'', ''One Life'', Musical, and tours

In early 2013, Paparizou's official fan club announced that she had signed a multi-territory deal with
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, which has exclusive agreements with labels across the Universal Music Group, including EMI Music Greece and Lionheart Records in Sweden. On 3 June 2013, Paparizou will release her seventh studio album Ti Ora Tha Vgoume? with EMI Music Greece. The album was preceded by two singles: the lead single " Poso M'Aresei" on 19 March and " Ena Lepto" on 15 April. A music video was made for the former, which was released on 17 April. She has also released an English song called "Save Me (This Is an SOS)" on Lionheart Records in Sweden following a six-year absence from the Swedish market. During mid-2013, Paparizou performed at several Greek music festivals to promote her new album "Ti Ora Tha Vgoume?". An EP, which included four remixes of Save Me (This Is An SOS) by Sound Factory, was released; it reached number 27 on the Swedish Dance Chart. In February 2013, Paparizou performed as a guest at Greece's Eurovision national final, singing "My Number One" with Vegas and " Apres Toi" with Vicky Leandros. On 27 May, Paparizou performed at "Gabby Awards 2013" in
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
and singing some of
Melina Merkouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...
's songs. On 1 February she performed at
Melodifestivalen 2014 Melodifestivalen 2014 was the Swedish music competition which selected Sweden's 54th entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Sanna Nielsen won the competition with the song "Undo". This was one of the closest results in Melodifestivalen hist ...
, an event to select Sweden's entry for the
Eurovision Song Contest 2014 The Eurovision Song Contest 2014 was the 59th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Copenhagen, Denmark, following the country's victory at the with the song " Only Teardrops" by Emmelie de Forest. Organised by the European ...
in Copenhagen. An official announcement was made by the Swedish broadcaster, SVT in November 2013. Paparizou performed " Survivor" in the first heat on 1 February. On 1 March, Paparizou reached the final of Melodifestivalen 2014 after being voted into the top two of the Second Chance round of the competition. In the final, Paparizou came in fourth place. On 26 March, her third English-language album, titled '' One Life'', was released in Sweden by Lionheart Music Group. Paparizou performed at the semi-final of '' The Voice of Greece'' her new single "Don't Hold Back On Love" on 2 May 2014. "Survivor" was certified gold in Sweden selling over 20,000 copies. On 14 November up to 13 December 2014, Paparizou joint the Swedish Christmas Tour "Julgalan 2014" in Sweden along with Danny Saucedo, Alcazar, Mattias Andreasson, E-type, Erik Segerstedt, Linda Bengtzing and Albin. On 14 December, Paparizou sang in the Swedish church to celebrate Santa Lucia, which was broadcast by SVT. In February 2015, Paparizou was featured on the house duo's HouseTwins single "Love Till It's Over", and later released her Greek single Otan Aggeli Klene. On March, Paparizou performed the singles as a guest at the Eurovision Greek Final along with the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, "
Rise Like a Phoenix "Rise Like a Phoenix" is a pop song performed by Austrian singer Conchita Wurst, and the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Selected to represent Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in Denmark, its official release on 18 March 2014 ...
". On 23 May 2015 Paparizou was the spokesperson for the points of
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
at
Eurovision Song Contest 2015 The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...
. In a bizarre twist, she gave the twelve points not to Cyprus (its representative, John Karayiannis and his song " One Thing I Should Have Done" ended up with ten), but to Italy's
Il Volo Il Volo (; Italian for "The Flight") is an Italian operatic pop trio, consisting of baritone Gianluca Ginoble, and tenors Piero Barone and Ignazio Boschetto. They describe their music as " popera". Having won the Sanremo Music Festival 20 ...
with their song " Grande Amore". On 29 May Paparizou performed "
Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...
" at the final of " Let's Dance" in Sweden. Paparizou joined the Swedish summer tour "Diggiloo" from 6 June to 15 August with Magnus Carlsson, Martin Stenmarck, Charlotte Perrelli, Andreas Johnson, Björn Kjellman, Hanna Hedlund, Oskar Bly, Jessica Andersson and Magnus Johansson. Paparizou made her theatrical debut on the musical "Nine" at Pantheon Music Theatre as 'Saraghina'.


2016–2018: ''Ouranio Toxo'', The Voice of Greece, and tours

Paparizou recorded her new song in November 2015. "Misi Kardia" is written by Chris Mazz, Andy Nicolas & Yiannis Doxas and it was exclusively released on 89,8 Dromos FM. The music video was released on 15 February, along with the official release of the song. On 20 March 2016 Paparizou performed in "Dromos Superstar Voices" at BOX Athens with special host the Greek band "Melisses". On 25 March 2016 it was officially announced that the song "Pou Pige Tosi Agapi", previous released on her album Iparhi Logos would be a part of the soundtrack album for the American comedy film " My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2". From 26 April up to 6 May 2016, she was the commentator in the Swedish TV show "Inför Eurovision Song Contest" along with
Oscar Zia Oscar Zia (born 10 October 1996) is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and actor. In 2012, he first came to national attention for coming eighth in the Swedish version of ''X Factor''. In 2014, Zia finished as runner-up on the eighth season of '' L ...
, Njol Badjie and Wiktoria Johansson. Paparizou performed as a special guest star in the "Euroclub" and in the "Eurovision Village" during the
Eurovision Song Contest The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pri ...
week. After 3 years of absence at the annual MAD Video Music Awards, Paparizou returned on the VMA's stage, performing her brand new single " Fiesta", which was officially released on 4 July and You Are the Only One along with
Sergey Lazarev Sergey Vyacheslavovich Lazarev ( rus, Серге́й Вячесла́вович Ла́зарев, , sʲɪrˈɡʲej vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ ˈlazərʲɪf; born 1 April 1983) is a Russian singer, dancer and actor. He is most famous for his sin ...
. Paparizou also performed at the semi-final of The X Factor Greece on 1 July, supporting the duo Stereo Soul. In Summer 2016, Paparizou toured in Greece along with Mironas Stratis and Isaias Matiaba. In September 2016 Paparizou joined "My Way" show in Sweden with Claes Malmberg and Jan Malmsjö. On 2 November 2016 it was officially announced that Paparizou would be one of the coaches at the third season of '' The Voice of Greece''. The show premiered on Skai TV on 16 November. The single "Agkaliase Me" was sent to the radios on 9 December 2016. On 28 April, Paparizou released "Haide", her first ever collaboration with Phoebus. Afterwards, released a digital EP "Extended Summer 2017" which included six tracks alongside the number one hit by her and Anastasios Rammos "An Me Dis Na Kleo'. The music video released in October. In mid 2017, Paparizou toured Greece and Cyprus along with
Despina Vandi Despina Vandi - ΣΤΑ 'ΔΩΣΑ ΟΛΑΑ ( el, Δέσποινα Βανδή, ), born as Despina Malea () on 22 July 1969, is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six ye ...
in 16 cities in total. Later that year she was back as coach at the fourth season of ''The Voice'' in Greece. In December she released her sixth Greek album titled '' Ouranio Toxo'', which was issued by Minos EMI/Universal. According to IFPI Statistics, 'Ouranio Toxo' Album peaked at Number 1. In September of the same year Paparizou released her final single ''Haide'' (English Version) from Capitol Music Group Sweden. Afterwards her contract expired. In January 2018, Minos Emi/Universal announced that 'Etsi ki Etsi' is Paparizou's new single, and thus the successor of her Smash hit 'An me dis na kleo'. The mid-tempo song peaked at Number 5 on Official Greek Airplay. According to the Greek Media, the song 'Etsi ki Etsi' was regarded as the 2nd most played song in the radio by a Female Artist for the year (1st being 'An me dis na kleo'), making Paparizou the most radio played Female Artist in Greece/Cyprus for 2018. An English Version of 'Etsi ki Etsi' was released, titled 'Totally Erased'. Nektarios Tyrakis wrote the lyrics of the English Release. Along with the English Version, Paparizou's record label (Minos EMI) released an EP which consisted of 6 remixes. During the Summer, Paparizou toured in Greece & Cyprus with Anastasios Rammos on her side. Further, Paparizou did 6 appearances alongside the Greek star Antonis Remos. In May 2018, it was announced that Paparizou was nominated for 4 Mad Video Music Awards(a.k.a. Mad VMAs). She won 2 awards in the night; Best Female Adult and Best Collaboration(An me dis na kleo ft. Anastasios Rammos). Paparizou is regarded as being the most awarded Mad VMA artist to date, having a total of 26 awards. During the night Paparizou made 2 appearances; One in which she performed Ouranio Toxo ft. Idra Kayne, and one where she dueted with the Pop-rock Band, Melisses. Melisses & Paparizou performed one of the group's hit single, 'Ola moiazoun Kalokairi'. Their duet received mostly positive feedback, surpassing the 18 million views on YouTube making it the most viewed performance of the night. On 14 September, Serhat released his single "Total Disguise" in collaboration with Paparizou. The song peaked at Number 1 in Greek DJs Dance Chart. In October 2018, Paparizou returned at the Talent Singing Competition 'The Voice of Greece' for the 3rd consecutive year (5th season), alongside Rouvas, Mouzourakis & Maraveyas. Paparizou's new single called 'Kati Skoteino'is a ballad & is written by the creators of the song 'An me dis na kleo';ARCADE (consisting of Anastasios Rammos, Diveno, Pavlos Manoli, Gaby Russell). The song premiered in Greek Radios on 8 October and was officially released on 15 October. The song was released by Minos EMI/Universal. The song peaked at Number 1 on Greek iTunes and reached the Top 20 of the Official Greek Airplay in just 3 weeks. Paparizou is the only Greek Artist to have managed to have 3 of her songs in the Top 20 of the Greek Airplay for the year 2018. Paparizou's latest album 'Ouranio Toxo' has been certified Platinum after surpassing the 70 million streams in the digital platforms. In regards to the physical sales, the Album peaked at Number 1, making it the most successful album by a Female Artist for the year 2018 in Greece. On 3 December, Paparizou released a Christmas song in both Greek & English (Hristougenna Xana - It is Christmas). The song was written by Anastasios A. Papanastasiou and ARCADE. Even without a video clip, the Greek version of the song saw immediate success, peaking at #3 on Greek iTunes and #4 on YouTube Trending videos. It was broadcast exclusively on Skai TV network.


2019–2021: ''Apohrosis'', Antique reunited, tours and Sweden Comeback

According to Paparizou, "Kati skoteino" serves as the lead single for her next album, which is being produced by Arcade (Anastasios Rammos, Pavlos Manoli, Diveno, Gaby Russell and Loukas Damianakos). The second single 'Askopa Xenihitia" was released on 26 March 2019 along with a music video. During Summer 2019, Paparizou toured with
Marinella Marinella ( el, Μαρινέλλα) (born 20 May 1938, Thessaloniki) is one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades. She has sung professionally since 1957. Since the beginning of her career, she has release ...
, Makedonas and Ivi Adamou in Greece, Cyprus and Germany. Paparizou later took part in the MAD VMAs. On 3 April, Paparizou returned to Sweden to celebrate 20 years of Antique with Nikos Panagiotidis, appearing in several concerts and shows. On 10 June, Paprarizou released her third single titled "Kalokairi Kai Pathos", sponsored by Carroten. In late 2019, Paparizou returned as coach at The Voice of Greece Season 6. On 19 October she started her lives with
Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...
and Stelios Rokkos at the Athens nightclub ''Estate''. In 2020, she released a duet with Sakis Rouvas titled "Etsi Einai I Fasi" and the single "Mila Mou". On 29 July, she announced that her new album titled '' Apohrosis'' would contain a phase of different kind of music, more in 80's pop, ballads and Greek folk. Her seventh single is out titled ''Se Xeno Soma'' a erotic ballad with social message videoclip about
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
composed by Arcade, Padé (Loupasakis Pantelis) and Rene (famous Greek writer). The album was released by Minos EMI on 29 January 2021 with 13 songs in total. In December 2020, Paparizou performed at the MAD Video Music Awards, singing her new duet with Marseaux, "Deja Vu". At the show, she won the Best Female Adult award. On December 22, Helena made an online concert in favor of Karditsa's flood victims and tickets prices will be given to hurted people. In January 2021, she released her 10th album ''Apohrosis'' in full. On February 13, she won Season 7 of The Voice of Greece as a mentor marking her first win at the talent show since she joined in 2016. On May 22, she performed at the
Eurovision Song Contest 2021 The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's win at the with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was set to host the , ...
held in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Neth ...
as an interval act alongside other Eurovision winners. In Summer 2021, she will go on a tour to promote the ''Apohrosis'' album alongside
Tamta Tamta Goduadze ( ka, თამთა გოდუაძე; el, Τάμτα Γκοντουάτζε, Támta Gkontouátze; born 10 January 1981), known mononymously as Tamta, is a Georgian-Greek singer. She first achieved popularity in Greece in ...
. On June 25, she performed on MAD VMA 3 songs. 'Gia Pia Agapi' feat Anastasios Rammos. 'Mi' & Twist In My Sobriety cover with Joanne. She also won the Best Female Adult award. 4 years after Helena's last project in Sweden, she is coming back with a brand new english song titled ''Day And Night'' produced by
Magnus Carlsson Lars Magnus Carlsson (born 24 June 1974) is a Swedish singer and former member of the bands Alcazar and Barbados as well as a solo performer. Early life Magnus Carlsson was born in Borås and grew up in Fristad. He attended comprehensive up ...
. The song released on June 4, 2021 worldwide. In September she will be the coach at The Voice of Greece for Season 8. At the end of 2021 Paparizou released her brand new English song titled "Lightning" performing on MADWALK 2021.


2022-present: Lightning, Antique Reunion, The Voice & Votanikos

For 2022 Helena Paparizou opens a new music era returning to her international hits abroad like "Lightning". On March Helena and Nikos Panagiotidis reunited as
Antique An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
after 19 years covering ''Ti Ti'' song by Giorgos Alkaios that became hit during 90's. In summer Antique performed at 'We Who Love 90's' Festival in Sweden while Helena started her summer tour in Greece. On 11 April, Stelios Rokkos released a song featuring Helena titled ''Kommatia'' (Pieces). On 27 April, Helena sang at Night at Rhythm 9.49 fm songs from her discography. In September she has booked some live appearances for first time in
Odeon of Herodes Atticus The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Greek: Ωδείο Ηρώδου του Αττικού; also called Herodeion or Herodion; Greek: Ηρώδειο) is a stone Roman theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. Th ...
with Marios Frangoulis. The 9th Season for The Voice of Greece just begun on SKAI TV while in November Helena will comeback at Votanikos residency show next to
Giorgos Sabanis Giorgos Sabanis (Greek: Γιώργος Σαμπάνης, born 15 May 1983) is a Greek singer-songwriter and athlete. He was the runner in the segment honouring of all previous Olympiads, at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Giorgos Saba ...
and Anastasia for first time collaboration on stage. Paparizou released a remake version on her 2004 hit song Katse Kala produced by Arcade featuring Marseaux and Joanne. On the occasion of the World Mental Health Day on October 10, UNICEF Greece and its First Goodwill Ambassador, Helena Paparizou, joined their forces and re-released the song The Light in Our Soul, in collaboration with Spyros Lambrou children's choir , aiming to raise public awareness about mental health issues and eliminate the stigma that unfortunately still accompanies people facing them. On November 17th, Helena performed
My Number One "My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou, written by Manos Psaltakis, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou and produced by Christos Dantis. It was the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, held in Kyiv, awardin ...
] along with dancers doing the same choreography bringing back nostalgia from 2005. The event was held in Amsterdam, one of the biggest Eurovision Parties, called
Het Grote Songfestivalfeest ''Het Grote Songfestivalfeest'' () is a Dutch television concert programme starring artists of the Eurovision Song Contest, produced by PilotStudio in collaboration with the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS and held at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. Th ...
, with guests in many Eurostars. Just before the end of 2022, in 9th December Paparizou started a new music chapter in her career releasing a new power ballad song titled ''Fevgo'' written by
Giorgos Sabanis Giorgos Sabanis (Greek: Γιώργος Σαμπάνης, born 15 May 1983) is a Greek singer-songwriter and athlete. He was the runner in the segment honouring of all previous Olympiads, at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Giorgos Saba ...
& Eleana Vrahali.


Musical style and performance


Influences

Paparizou has said that her parents had no musical background and the only person in her family who sang was her paternal grandmother, who inspired Paparizou to sing. Paparizou's first musical experiences were with international musicpredominantly
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
; her musical roots are in traditional Greek music such as laiko and rebetiko because she was exposed to the music of
Vassilis Tsitsanis Vassilis Tsitsanis ( el, Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης 18 January 1915 – 18 January 1984) was a Greek songwriter and bouzouki player. He became one of the leading Greek composers of his time and is widely regarded as one of the founders o ...
, Markos Vamvakaris,
Stelios Kazantzidis Stelios Kazantzidis (Greek: Στέλιος Καζαντζίδης; 29 August 1931 – 14 September 2001) was one of the most prominent Greek singers. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's fore ...
, Mimis Plaisas, and Giannis Spanos.Elena Paparizou ''Number One'' DVD As a child, Paparizou considered those genres to be distant and old-fashioned, and associated them with her summer holidays in Greece. In her teenage years, she listened to a broad range of music, including R&B and
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
.''Mera Me Ti Mera'' liner notes. (1999). Bonnier Music. Her biggest musical influences were female pop singers, including Madonna,
Céline Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...
,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
and
Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
.''Music Bee''
ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντέννα). It lau ...
. Airdate: 7 October 2006
Later, she was influenced by her frequent collaborator Paschalis Terzis, who taught her to improve her technical vocal skills. Paparizou has also stated that she was a big fan of the Eurovision Song Contest for years before she first participated in 2001.


Music and themes

During her solo career, Paparizou has changed her musical style from laiko, to pop and rock-inspired styles on a whim. Some critics attribute this to a lack of personal style and following trends for commercial success rather than as an artistic expression. Paparizou has been known to follow the trends of international female pop stars; music critics have compared songs like "The Light in Our Soul" to Celine Dion, "Let's Get Wild" to
Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums ''Not That Kind'' (2000) and ''Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred on ...
, "Gigolo" and "Carpe Diem (Seize the Day)" to
Shakira Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...
, "Somebody's Burning (Put the Fire Out)" to
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
, and "Dancing Without Music" to
Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
c. ''
Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
'' (2010). She had also great reputation in Italy. Similar to Antique's work, all of Paparizou's albums have included cover versions and translations. Following Antique's blending of traditional Greek music with Nordic disco sounds, Paparizou's debut solo album ''Protereotita'' focused on pop sounds and laiko, and the songs were directed towards the club market. Giorgos Mastorakis of Music Corner stated that despite the image change, the album was similar to those of Antique, being described as "pop moments (with keen laiko ... 'garnish')". The album featured songs from both Greek and Swedish writers, which according to Mastorakis, led to the album's sound varying. The stylistically interesting songs from the album includes the title track, which followed an R&B style, while the song "Katse Kala" was described as having an "original sound." Following her Eurovision win, Paparizou's popularity increased and she was often promoted as a pop singer by the media. In his review of the ''Euro Edition'' of ''Protereotita'', Pavlos Zervas of Music Corner was impressed with the album and said that its contemporary style could potentially be an international hit, supporting the singer more so in English-language recordings. In his review of ''Iparhi Logos'', Zervas said that apart from Sakis RouvasGreece's pop performerPaparizou was the only artist supporting the pop/dance genre so well in Greece. He also said that anything that she chose to sing would become a hit. He used Paparizou to illustrate that big name producers like
Giorgos Theofanous Giorgos (George) Theofanous (, ) (born in Larnaca, Cyprus on 9 January 1968) is a Greek Cypriot composer and producer. He has sold more than two million records and written more than 500 songs in the 1990s and 2000s. Recording artists for whom h ...
and
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
are not needed to create hits. Zervas said that the numerous covers were the album's strong point, while "Gigolo" was characterized by "witty" lyrics in an overall pattern that followed her hit "Mambo!" and previous hits. He said that the album's laiko material contradicted the pop songs and made her overall sound less focused. Paparizou's second English-language album ''The Game of Love'' was anticipated by Greek consumers and featured a similar sound to ''Iparhi Logos''; over half of the album's material was taken from the latter album. Zervas also reviewed this album, saying that it contained many different styles such as dance, hip hop,
slow jams "Slow Jams" is a song by American musician Quincy Jones, taken from his studio album '' Q's Jook Joint'' (1995). Written and produced by Rod Temperton, vocals for the song were initially recorded by Babyface, Portrait, Barry White and Coko. A rem ...
and
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, following a typical recipe of American music. Zervas said that international female pop singers did not have much above Paparizou, and that the album's success would depend solely upon promotion efforts, although internationally affiliated record companies were less impressed. Zervas' impression was that while he believed in the material's potential, he thought that if Paparizou continued her current trends and performance style at laiko nightclubs, her ambitions for an international career would come to a disappointment. For ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'', her fourth album, Paparizou minimized the laiko influences and changed to a pop/rock sound and image in contrast to her previous albums. Evianna Nikoleri of Music Corner said that the album was carefully crafted and had a good, European-like production. For ''Giro Apo T' Oneiro'', Paparizou worked with the same group she had two years before, with small changes. She toned down the image she had created with her previous album; while many of the songs have rock influences and some songs include dance-pop and pop-folk,
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...
and
lounge music Lounge music is a type of easy listening music popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It may be meant to evoke in the listeners the feeling of being in a place, usually with a tranquil theme, such as a jungle, an island paradise or outer space. The rang ...
elements, with an overall pop theme.'' Greek Idol''.
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
. Airdate: 21 June 2010
Paparizou has written two tracks on all of her studio albums except ''Iparhi Logos''; she also wrote the lyrics of the Antique song "Why?". These writing ventures were mostly collaborations with at least one other songwriter. She contributed lyrics to "Treli Kardia" (''Protereotita''), "Carpe Diem" and "Teardrops" (''The Game of Love''), and "Mathe Prota N'agapas" (''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo''), while she made her first musical contributions to ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'', "Den Tha 'Mai 'Do" and "Filarakia" (''Giro Apo T' Oneiro'')her first solo writing credit.Paparizou, Elena. ''Giro Apo T' Oneiro'' liner notes (2010). Sony Music Entertainment Greece. Around 2013, Paparizou released her fifth Greek-language album titled ''Ti Ora Tha Vgoume?''. The music theme of this cd was similar to her previous with more pop, ballads and folk modern songs. Her next english album ''One Life'' followed pure pop sound while ''Ouranio Toxo'' in 2017 was a total bunch of mix kinds like pop, dance, ballads, folk and more containing in total 21 tracks.


Vocal style

Paparizou has the
vocal range Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of study ...
of
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
; from her Antique years until 2005, she performed in a vocal range of C4 to B6. Her vocal
timbre In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
has been described as "deep, sensual", "dramatic" and "metallic". Critics have frequently debated over whether laïko or pop material best suits her voice; while some found her equal in both genres, Greek critics tended to prefer her pop and dance repertoire and often that in English. This was partially caused by expectations arising from Paparizou's Swedish upbringing and Eurovision win. Also, having been raised abroad, her accent in English was different than that of a native Greek speaker. Native listeners of Western music contradicted this view; Swedish critic Dan Backman of ''
Svenska Dagbladet ''Svenska Dagbladet'' (, "The Swedish Daily News"), abbreviated SvD, is a daily newspaper published in Stockholm, Sweden. History and profile The first issue of ''Svenska Dagbladet'' appeared on 18 December 1884. During the beginning of the ...
'' said that Paparizou was no exception to the rule that musical artists sound better in their native languages, describing her vocal performances as "expressive" in Greek and "bland" in English. He also consistently selected her pure laïko songs, such as "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi", "I Zoi Sou Zari", "M'angaliazei To Skotadi" and "O, ti Axizi Einai I Stigmes", as suiting her voice best; he said it may possess "the right dramatic nerve" for the style. A writer for ''Nitro'' was skeptical of Paparizou's musical ability, writing in a piece titled "If the World Was Fair" that her image and the aid of backing vocalists should be recognized as playing a significant role for Paparizou. Pavlos Zervas of Music Corner wrote favourably of her voice; he said that on the ''Euro Edition'' EP, it was "adaptable" and "pliable" to the necessities of each of the songs, from the ballads to the uptempo ones. Critic Georgia Laimou of ''Eleftheros Typos'' disagreed with Zervas. Laimou found her deliveries monotonous and possessing no nuances between songs and styles. She also said that Paparizou's limited range meant she had to repeat a similar set of notes. Paparizou's tendency to strain her voice through oversingingspecifically shoutingwhich grew worse with age has been a common complaint. Laimou said that particularly after her Eurovision victory, Paparizou sang with a new-found confidence and force. Circa 2008, critics noticed an improvement in her voice and said that the album ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'' contained her best vocal performance. Compared to her previous simplistic tunes, ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'' presented Paparizou with more challenging material. However, as the difficulty of the songs progressed, her excessive shouting became noticeable as a result of having to push her voice further because of insufficient volume and high notes. Although most critics agree that her "vigorous" interpretations reduce the quality of her songs, on occasion her style has served to augment the entertainment factor. Kalamaris, who said her 2008 and 2010 albums were very dull and mediocre, wrote that Paparizou was "able to give life to even the most boring tracks with her delivery".


Image


Fashion and style

During her career with Antique, Paparizou had a simplistic look, representing a young girl; after going solo she made a transition into a more feminine and sexualized style. Paparizou was known for wearing revealing clothes, which was a contrast from her "good girl" image. Her signature look was
hot pants Hotpants or hot pants are extremely short shorts. The term was first used by ''Women's Wear Daily'' in 1970 to describe shorts made in luxury fabrics such as velvet and satin for fashionable wear, rather than their more practical equivalents th ...
, showcasing her legs as her most prominent physical feature. She also wore mini-dresses and five-inch high heels. To promote her album ''Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'', Paparizou adopted a rock-inspired image, appearing aggressive in dark tones of clothing and make-up. The look was completed with multiple piercings, including her ears, tongue and most notably her nostril, on which she wore a wire chain connected to her ear piercing. Evianna Nikoleri said that Paparizou was following the concurrent trend of pop/laiko female singers promoting a rock imagea trend she credited to Despina Vandi. Makis Kalamaris of Avopolis also said Paparizou's new image was for mainstream success rather than artistic expression, and added that Paparizouknowing her limitationswas slowly easing into it rather than suddenly presenting a rock persona. Kalamaris also said that Paparizou was probably the only Greek female singer able to imitate the trends of international females without singing in skiladiko clubs and cloning herself into Madonna, which made her stand out against the concurrent mainstream scene. Paparizou's make-up artist Giannis Marketakis stated that Paparizou always gives input to her look and fashion, and closely follows fashion trends. Paparizou said that she avoids extremes in her fashion choices. In ''The Game of Love'', Paparizou gives credit to her stylist Al Giga for making her love fashion and herself, while she also acknowledges
Roberto Cavalli Roberto Cavalli (; born 15 November 1940) is an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He is known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. The high-end Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli sells luxury clothing, perf ...
who has provided most of her wardrobe since Eurovision 2005for his input.Paparizou, Elena. (26 October 2006) ''The Game of Love'' booklet. Sony Music Entertainment Greece


Public image

Paparizou established a public image described as that of the "Greek every-girl" or the "
girl next door The girl next door is a young female stock character who is often used in romantic stories. She is so named because she often lives next door to the protagonist or is a childhood friend. They start out with a mutual friendship that later often ...
", making her an icon for teenagers. Her songs have become a staple for young people during auditions at reality music shows such as '' Greek Idol'', and she has inspired younger artists such as ''Idol'' runner-up Nicole Paparistodimou.''Greek Idol''.
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
. Airdate: 21 March 2010
Paparizou became known for the way she approached the media; she has been known to apologize in her interviews, laugh throughout, and "embodies the good girl and not the femme fatale, she wants to be likeable" and projects an image of "child-woman", staying family-friendly. During her role as a television personality, Paparizou became known for frequent outbursts of cackling laughter. Paparizou has spoken candidly to reporters about her personal life, plastic surgery, and weight. She has been referred to as an "anti-star"; A biography of Paparizou on Alpha TV's ''Kafes Me Tin Eleni'' stated that her appeal was not her voice, her songs or her body, but that she represents the qualities and limitations of the average person. Paparizou has said that she likes to present herself in moderation; she ranked her star power in the Greek star system as moderate, the level she finds appropriate for artists. She also said she believed her public image would never be able to overcome that of the girl next door in the eyes of the Greek public.
E! Entertainment Television E! (an initialism for Entertainment Television) is an American basic cable channel which primarily focuses on pop culture, celebrity focused reality shows, and movies, owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of NBCUnivers ...
described her as "sultry", ranking her at number 16 on their ''25 Sexiest Women'' and ''25 Sexiest Pop Divas'' of 2008, making her one of only two Greek celebritiesalong with
Kostas Martakis Kostas Martakis ( el, Κώστας Μαρτάκης; born 25 May 1984) ERT. Retrieved on February 19, 2008 is a Greek singer, model, television host and actor, who rose to fame after appearing on Greek talent show ''Dream Show'' aired by Alpha T ...
to be featured on one of the network's lists. In 2009, she underwent
breast augmentation Breast augmentation and augmentation mammoplasty is a cosmetic surgery technique using breast-implants and fat-graft mammoplasty techniques to increase the size, change the shape, and alter the texture of the breasts. Augmentation mammoplasty is ...
at the age of 26 after wishing to do so since she was 18the first Greek celebrity to admit having done so. Paparizou performed as the main act at the artistic portion of the Athens Pride 2010
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
event. She has had promotional deals with
Skechers Skechers USA, Inc. is an American multinational footwear company. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, it was founded in 1992 and is now the third largest footwear brand in the United States. History Skechers was founded in 1992 by Rob ...
,
Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...
, Organics Hair Care and Ivi, and through record label association has promoted
Sony Ericsson Sony Mobile Communications Inc. ( ja, ソニーモバイルコミュニケーションズ株式会社) was a multinational telecommunications company founded on October 1, 2001, as a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and Ericsson. ...
in both Greece and Sweden, TIM Hellas, Vivodi, and
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlan ...
. Ivi reportedly selected her to be the face of its "Fersou Fisika" (act natural) campaign because she represented qualities such as freshness, naturalness, authenticity, goodwill and humor. In 2008, Paparizouwho was known for her slim figurewas scrutinized for gaining during the 2007–08 season when she took a break from performing. Paparizou said she had gained ; however she had already lost . She had previously stated that she gains at least that amount every time she goes on a break and that she could possibly gain up to . In 2006, she said she was dissatisfied with discriminative ideals towards both men and women, and threatened to gain weight the following year. This was followed by another weight gain in 2009. As the media became more concerned with her weight, Paparizou expressed her disapproval of this, stating "I am a singer, not a model." Paparizou also faced scrutiny for her weight during the Eurovision 2001, where media reported that she had
anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
. Paparizou said that for her appearance in the contest, she had lost too much weight, which had dropped to .Love Radio 97,5 Interview. Love Radio. Airdate: 22 March 2010


Accolades

On 14 March 2010,
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
ranked Paparizou as the 14th most-certified female artist in the history of Greece's recording industry on a list titled the "30 Most Popular Greek Female Singers of the Past 50 Years," with seven Platinum records and four Gold records. Paparizou was the youngest artist on the list, the only one under 30 and the only one to emerge in the 2000s (decade) in her solo career.''Chart*Show: Your Countdown''.
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by A ...
. Airdate: 14 March 2010.
In 2010, ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...
'' listed her as the 21st most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece, and the fourth highest ranked singer. She is regarded as the most successful female pop singer of the second half of the 2000s (decade).


Personal life

Paparizou at one point during her youth followed
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, but eventually began following
Eastern Orthodoxy Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical" ...
because she believes it suits her better. She was involved in a long term relationship with fellow Swedish-born Greek Toni Mavridis, to whom she was introduced by a friend of her sister at a restaurant when she was 17, while Mavridis is 11 years her senior. Mavridis became an
impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...
for Antique and has written songs on all of Paparizou's solo albums. He also served as her manager. Mavridis had known Paparizou for a month before their relationship began; she left her parents' home to live with him in Stockholm. The two had a traditional Greek engagement celebration with their relatives on 24 December 2000, and had been engaged since. Paparizou has said that Mavridis has never officially proposed to her and that she would prefer that he does this in the Western tradition of going down on one knee. Mavridis suggested getting married in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, while Paparizou has also already chosen a koumbara (the person selected by the groom and/or bride to "crown" the couple, which is the Orthodox manner in which a couple marries). On many occasions, Paparizou talked about starting a family with Mavridis; in ''Celebrity'', Paparizou said "I believe that family is the most natural thing, the thing I want in my life. And what is my preference? To not have kids so I can continue my career? One day it will end. I cannot be on stage everyday, like I am now at the age of 25". In ''Nitro'' she said, "No avridis is not my first relationship but I think he is my last. He is the person I want to have kids with. I think he is the best father they could have. If I don't have kids with him, then I will adopt." In the August 2010 issue of Life & Style, Paparizou said that she would like to have a child within the next two years. In 2011 Paparizou took a break from the Greek music scene and returned to Sweden alone. It was reported that she and Toni Mavridis had been separated for nearly three months and were in the process of splitting their shared wealth and selling their home. On 29 June 2011, Mavridis confirmed that he and Paparizou had ended their twelve-year relationship. Paparizou moved out of their home, while Mavridis stayed. Reportedly, he has requested half of their shared wealth and assets, which apart from their Glyfada home, included a second home in
Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; el, Χαλκιδική , also spelled Halkidiki, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos region co ...
, property in Sweden, a
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car ...
and joint bank accounts; their estate was valued at between and . Mavridis' argument was that as her manager he put the same amount of effort into the accumulation of assets as he arranged and was present at all of her affairs. The couple could not agree on the financial issues and have involved their lawyers with a possibility of letting the courts decide. Paparizou and Mavridis settled their disagreements out of court and their Glyfada home was placed on sale for ( less than its purchase price). A portion of the money was due to be used to pay off their existing debts while the remainder would be divided evenly between the two. On 25 December 2008, Paparizou's father died suddenly from a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
during the family's Christmas Day celebrations in Backa,
Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a ...
. Paparizou stopped her performances at Iera Odos in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
to be with family in
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
before resuming her show. She later said she believed that her father would have lived if the ambulance had been prompt, blaming medical incompetency. According to medical authorities the ambulance could not enter the area without police protection because it was considered a '
no-go area A "no-go area" or "no-go zone" is a neighborhood or other geographic area where some or all outsiders are either physically prevented from entering or can enter at risk. The term includes exclusion zones, which are areas that are officially kept o ...
'. After her father's death, Paparizou suffered from depression, citing it as the second occurrence since she was a teenager. In October 2012, Paparizou started dating the civil engineer Andreas Kapsalis. They got married secretly in Athens in mid 2015.


Discography

* '' Protereotita'' (2004) * ''
My Number One "My Number One" is a song recorded by Greek-Swedish singer Helena Paparizou, written by Manos Psaltakis, Christos Dantis, Natalia Germanou and produced by Christos Dantis. It was the at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005, held in Kyiv, awardin ...
'' (2005) * '' Iparhi Logos'' (2006) * '' The Game of Love'' (2006) * '' Vrisko To Logo Na Zo'' (2008) * '' Giro Apo T' Oneiro'' (2010) * '' Ti Ora Tha Vgoume?'' (2013) * '' One Life'' (2014) * '' Ouranio Toxo'' (2017) * '' Apohrosis'' (2021)


Filmography


Television


Theater


Tours and residencies


Concert tours

Headlining * "My Number One" Eurovision Promo Tour (2005) * Helena Paparizou European Tour (2005) * European Concerts (2006–07) * To Party Arhizei (2008) * Fysika Mazi Tour (with Onirama) (2010) * Helena Paparizou Live in Cyprus (2011) * Helena Paparizou & Melisses Live (2012) * Greek Summer Concerts (2013) * Swedish Concerts (2013–14) * Summer Tour 2016 (with Mironas Stratis and Isaias Matiaba) (2016) * Ouranio Toxo Live (with Anastasios Rammos) (2018) * Greek Summer Concerts (2019) * Oloi Ena (with Tamta) (2021) * Greek Summer Tour (2022) Joint * North American and Australian Tour (with Nikos Kourkoulis) (2005) * Playmen VS Helena Paparizou Club Tour (2012) * Julgalan 2014 - Christmas Tour (with Danny Saucedo, Alcazar, Mattias Andreasson, E-type, Erik Segerstedt, Linda Bengtzing, Albin) (2014) * Diggiloo (with Magnus Carlsson and Martin Stenmarck, Charlotte Perrelli, Andreas Johnson, Björn Kjellman, Hanna Hedlund, Oskar Bly, Jessica Andersson, Magnus Johansson) (2015) * Summer Tour 2017 (with Despina Vandi) (2017) * Summer Live 2018 (with Antonis Remos) (2018) * I Mousiki Einai Zoi Summer Tour 2019 (with Marinella, Kostas Makedonas, Ivi Adamou) (2019) Opening or tertiary act * Live at Last Tour (opening act for Anastacia) (2005)


Concert residencies

Headlining – primary or solo act * Thalassa: People's Stage (with Stavento and 15:50, Pt.2: Loukas Giorkas and 15:50) (2009–10) * Kajskjul 8 (with Claes Malmberg and Jan Malmsjö) (2016) * Votanikos (with
Giorgos Sabanis Giorgos Sabanis (Greek: Γιώργος Σαμπάνης, born 15 May 1983) is a Greek singer-songwriter and athlete. He was the runner in the segment honouring of all previous Olympiads, at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony. Giorgos Saba ...
and Anastasia) (2022–2023) Secondary act * Fever (with Giorgos Tsalikis and Christos Pazis) (2005–06) * Iera Odos (with Paschalis Terzis and Nino) (2006–07) * Odeon (with Paschalis Terzis and Nino) (2007) * Iera Odos (with Paschalis Terzis and Manos Pirovolakis) (2008–09) * Diogenis Studio (with Antonis Remos) (2010–11) * Pyli Axiou (with Giannis Parios) (2011–12) * Votanikos (with Natasa Theodoridou) (2012–13) * Pyli Axiou (with Marinella, Kostas Makedonas, Ivi Adamou and Tsahourides Brothers) (2018–19) * Diogenis Studio (with Marinella, Kostas Makedonas, Ivi Adamou and Tsahourides Brothers) (2019) * Estate (with
Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...
and Stelios Rokkos) (2019–2020) Opening or tertiary act * Studio Piraios (opening act for Antonis Remos and Giannis Spanos) (2003–04) * Fever (opening act for Sakis Rouvas and Giorgos Mazonakis) (2004–05) * Thalassa (with Apostolia Zoi, Nino, and Thanos Petrelis) (2004)


Awards

Paparizou has been awarded three Arion Music Awards, a
European Border Breakers Award The European Border Breakers Award (EBBA) was an annual prize awarded to recognise the success of ten emerging artists or groups who reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year. ...
, 30 MAD Video Music Awardsmore than any other artistand an
MTV Europe Music Award The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...
.


See also

* Eurovision Song Contest winners discography *
List of Eurovision Song Contest winners 69 songs written by 139 songwriters have won the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual competition organised by member countries of the European Broadcasting Union. The contest, which has been broadcast every year since its debut in 1956 (with t ...
*
List of Greeks This is a list of notable Greeks. Actors/actresses Ancient period * Metrobius * Thespis Adventurers * Constantine Phaulkon (1648–1688), first counsellor of King Narai of Thailand, Siam Athletes & sports figures Ancient period * Alexander ...
* List of number-one singles (Sweden) *
List of Swedes This is a list of lists of notable Swedes. __NOTOC__ By country or ethnicity * List of Sami people * List of Lebanese people in Sweden * List of Swedish Americans * List of Swedish Jews By university * List of Lund University people * List of ...
*
Music of Greece The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music. These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Greek ...
*
Music of Italy In Italy, music has traditionally been one of the cultural markers of Italian national and ethnic identity and holds an important position in society and in politics. Italian music innovationin musical scale, harmony, notation, and theatreen ...
*
Pop-folk Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria ( chalga), Romania ( man ...
* Schlager


References


External links

*
YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paparizou, Elena 1982 births Antique (band) Arion Music Awards winners Bonnier Amigo Music Group artists Dancing on Ice English-language singers from Greece Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2001 Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2005 Eurovision Song Contest winners Eastern Orthodox Christians from Greece Greek laïko singers Greek dance musicians Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Greece Greek female models 21st-century Greek women singers Greek pop singers Greek singer-songwriters Greek television personalities Living people MAD Video Music Awards winners Modern Greek-language singers People from Gothenburg People from Borås Municipality Reality television participants Schlager musicians Sony Music Greece artists Swedish dance musicians Swedish expatriates in Greece Swedish female models Swedish people of Greek descent Swedish pop singers Swedish singer-songwriters Eastern Orthodox Christians from Sweden 21st-century Swedish women singers MTV Europe Music Award winners English-language singers from Sweden Musicians from Volos