Sandy Mölling

Sandy Mölling

Picture of Sandy Mölling

Mölling in 2013.
Born Sandy Mölling
April 27, 1981
Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actress
  • model
  • songwriter
Years active 2000–present
Children 1

Musical career

Genres
Labels
Website
sandy-moelling.com

Sandy Mölling (born April 27, 1981), known professionally as Sandy, is a German singer, best known as a member of the girl group No Angels formed in 2000 on the international television talent show Popstars.[1]

Mölling began her solo career when she released "Unnatural Blonde" and "Tell Me", both of which reached the top ten on the German Singles Chart, followed by the release of her debut album, Unexpected (2004). A top twenty success, it garnered her an ECHO Award nomination for Best National Rock/Pop Female Artist. Frame of Mind, her second studio album, was released in 2006 on Starwatch and produced two singles, including a cover version of The Primitives's "Crash". Between the years of 2008 and 2009, Mölling contributed vocals to several Disney film soundtracks.

Since 2004, Mölling has concentrated on a variety of non-singing projects. She was a judge on the fourth season of Popstars and in 2006, she became a contestant on the second season of Let's Dance, in which she finished third. In 2007, Mölling became the presenter of several television shows such as fashion design series Du bist… and dating series Damenwahl. In 2008, she appeared in the sketch comedy Sketch for Fun and became a judge on the casting show Die singende Firma. In 2010, Mölling made her stage in the musical Vom Geist der Weihnacht (2003), she has since starred in the musical productions Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2014) and Cabaret (2014).

Biography

Early life

Mölling was born in Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany to Lothar Mölling and his first wife, Dagmar Sprenger.[2] She has three brothers, Brian, Kevin and Dustin, and a younger half sister named Melina.[3] After her parents divorce Mölling, her mother, and her siblings moved from Remscheid to Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, where she finished secondary school and later quit the gymnasium to start an apprenticeship as a retail saleswoman at a jeans retailer.[3]

2000—2003: Breakthrough with the No Angels

Main article: No Angels

In 2000, Mölling auditioned for the debut installment of the German reality television program Popstars, entering the competition with thousands of other women. She earned a position in the top thirty finalists and immediately travelled to Majorca, Spain to join her competitors for a workshop, where she made it to the final ten on the show despite of her struggle with dancing choreographies. During a special episode in November 2000, jury member Moslener eventually disclosed that Sandy was chosen to become part of the final five-member girl group No Angels.

With the final five members of the band in place, Popstars continued tracking the development and struggles of the group who left homes to move into a shared flat near Munich, Bavaria. However, it took another four months until the band released their debut single "Daylight in Your Eyes," which would subsequently appear on the band's debut album Elle'ments (2001). Both the single and the album became an unexpected but record-breaking success, when both instantly entered the top position on the Austrian, German and Swiss Media Control singles, albums and airplay charts, making the No Angels one of the most successful debuts in years.[4]

In the following years, the No Angels released another two number-one studio albums, Now ... Us! and Pure, a live album and a successful swing album branded When the Angels Swing, totalling twelve singles altogether - including four-number one singles. Eventually selling more than five million singles and albums worldwide, the No Angels became the best-selling German girl band to date[1] and the second most successful girl group of Continental Europe between the years of 2001 and 2003 after Atomic Kitten.[1] On September 5, 2003, the four remaining members of the band (Jessica Wahls had left the band following the birth of her first child in March 2003) announced that they would no longer be performing together after three years of continual touring and increasing cases of illness. The release of The Best of No Angels in November of the same year marked the end of the band, with each member going their separate ways in early 2004.[1]

2004—2006: Career development

Mölling spend much of early 2004 with the recording of her solo debut album. After months of intensive recording sessions in Sweden and Great Britain Sandy released her first solo single "Unnatural Blonde," which became a Top 10 success and the highest charting single of all solo releases by all former band members. The summer-laid follow-up "Tell Me", a ballad, saw similar success in August of the same year, becoming another Top 10 hit.

Following the successful release of the singles, Mölling's full-length debut album Unexpected was released on September 13, 2004. It debuted at number 13 on the German albums chart. A third single, "Unexpected" (featuring German rapper Manuellsen), was released when Sandy was chosen to represent Rhineland-Palatinate in the Bundesvision Song Contest 2005. The singer eventually finished last with 10 points, while the single entered a moderate number 29 on the German singles chart. Around the same time Sandy received an ECHO nomination for "Female Artist National (2005)".

After a few hosting jobs and a sudden label change Sandy released her minor succeeded second album, Frame of Mind (#53), in May 2006 via Starwatch Music. The album's first single, "Crash", was a cover version of the same-titled 1988 UK hit (released by The Primitives) and peaked at number 24 on the German singles chart. Additionally Sandy was seen as a competitor in TV contest Let's Dance, eventually ending third. The album's second single, "Living without You" was released in November 2006 and entered the German single chart at number 36.The song was lyrically dedicated to her step father who died in early 2005.

2007—present: Reformation of the band

In mid-2006, Mölling agreed upon former bandmate Lucy Diakovska's request to reunite for a musical comeback. However, all band members have affirmed that they will continue to pursue individual careers as solo artists at suitable opportunities. Sandy has also presented three television programes on two different German networks, including Autsch TV on Das Vierte and both Du bist... and Damenwahl on the music channel VIVA.

Personal life

Sandy Molling has one son, Jayden Bernadina (born 27 March 2009), by her long-time friend and manager Renick Bernadina, whom she split from in 2008.[5] Since 2009, she has been romantically involved with Canadian singer/songwriter Nasri Tony Atweh. The two met while working on the No Angels album Welcome to the Dance.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUT
[6]
GER
[7]
SWI
[6]
Unexpected 13 73 91
Frame of Mind
  • Released: May 26, 2006
  • Labels: Starwatch
  • Formats: CD, digital download
53
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUT
[6]
GER
[7]
SWI
[6]
"Unnatural Blonde" 2004 8 29 41 Unexpected
"Tell Me" 10 34 46
"Unexpected"
(featuring Manuellsen)
2005 29 52
"Crash" 2006 24 Frame of Mind
"Living Without You" 36 71

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "BLITZ Spezial über die No Angels". Presseportal. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  2. RP (2007-12-17). "Eindrucksvoll und authentisch". RP Online (in German). Retrieved 2008-06-30.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Fritzsche, Lara (2005-12-02). "Oh Gott, ich hör mich an wie 'ne Nonne". Kölner Stadtanzeiger (in German). Retrieved 2008-06-30.
  4. "No Angels - Biography". Chart-King (in German). Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  5. Sandy Moelling is a Mama: http://www.t-online.de/unterhaltung/stars/id_18253282/no-angels-saengerin-sandy-moelling-ist-mama-geworden.html (German)
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Hung, Steffen. "Discographie Sandy" (in German). Austrian Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung). Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Charverfolgung / Sandy / Longplay" (in German). Musicline.de. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 4 July 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandy Mölling.