Alessandra Watle Mele (born 5 September 2002), known mononymously as Alessandra, is an Italian-Norwegian singer. She competed in the seventh season of The Voice – Norges beste stemme in 2022, reaching the live shows.[1] She represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with "Queen of Kings", which finished in 5th place at the grand final with 268 points.[2][3] Her track peaked at number one in Norway and was a top ten hit in eleven countries.
Early life and education
Mele was born on 5 September 2002 in Pietra Ligure, Savona to an Italian father from Albenga and a Norwegian mother from Stathelle,[4] and grew up in Cisano sul Neva.[1][5][6] At the age of twelve, she won the fifth edition of VB Factor, a local talent show in the Val Bormida region.[5] After graduating from high school in 2019, she relocated to Norway and moved in with her maternal grandparents in Porsgrunn,[7] before moving to Lillehammer to study at the Lillehammer Institute of Music Production and Industries.[8]
Career
2022: The Voice Norway
In 2022, Mele was a participant in the seventh season of The Voice – Norges beste stemme, the Norwegian version of the The Voice franchise.[9][10] After her Blind Audition, she joined the team of coach Espen Lind.[10] She was eliminated in the live shows.
2023–2024: Melodi Grand Prix and Eurovision Song Contest
On 4 January 2023, Mele was announced as one of twenty-one artists to compete in Melodi Grand Prix 2023, the Norwegian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.[11] She performed her entry "Queen of Kings" in the first semi-final on 14 January 2023, and was among the three acts from that semi-final that qualified for the final on 4 February 2023.[12] She went on to win the competition, receiving the most points from both the public and the international jury, thereby winning the right to represent Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.[13] She performed in the semi-final on 9 May 2023 and qualified for the grand final. She finished fifth in the final.[14]
Mele participated as the duet partner of the Ghost in the fourth season of Maskorama.[15]
On 10 May 2024, she was announced as Norway's spokesperson for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 final.[16] However, the day after in the hours before the final was due to take place, she announced that she would step down from the role, with NRK's channel hostess Ingvild Helljesen replacing her as spokesperson.[17]
Personal life
In an interview with Eurovision Fun, Mele reported that she is bisexual, with her song "Queen of Kings" representing her experiences as a bisexual woman.[18]
Mele was previously in a relationship with Ludwig Gassner.[19][20]
^Ness Aksnes, Elise Violeta; Gaathaug Nielsen, Jonathan; Ryland, Ørjan (11 May 2024). "Trekker seg" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
^Horsinek, Tuva Mathilde Løland, Håvard Hjorthaug Vege, Jesper (24 November 2023). "Alessandra Mele røper brudd". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
"Queen of Kings": "OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay" (Select week 08.07.2023–14.07.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2023.