BeFour
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2007 in Cologne, Germany |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Cologne , Germany |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
beFour was a German Eurodance ensemble established in Cologne. Operating between 2007 and 2010, the group released four albums that included multiple reimagined versions of popular tracks.
Origins
In 2007, producer Christian Geller aimed to create a pop band for the German television channel Super RTL. After identifying Angel Garcia Arjona through a hip-hop competition, Geller completed the lineup by selecting Manou, Alina, and Dan through a dance audition. By May of that year, the quartet had moved into a shared apartment in Cologne.
Their formation and initial progress were captured in the Super RTL series beFour: Das Star-Tagebuch, which broadcast daily ten-minute episodes showcasing their recording sessions, photo shoots, dance rehearsals, and music video productions.
Professional journey
The group’s commercial breakthrough came with their debut album All 4 One and its lead single "Magic Melody", a cover of ATC's "Around The World". Produced by Christian Geller and Adam Bernau, the single was promoted through various appearances and was succeeded by tracks such as "How Do You Do?" and "Little, Little Love". Their first significant live event took place at The Dome 43 in Hamburg on 31 August 2007. The album All 4 One earned them a Golden Record award via RTL’s The Ultimate Chartshow, and they also released the DVD beFour - The Movie!.
Towards the end of 2007, beFour recorded their second studio album titled Hand in Hand (The Winter Album), which was launched on 17 November. The single "Hand in Hand" included a music video filmed at Phantasialand near Cologne. Their third album, We Stand United, was released in March 2008 and featured the single "Live Your Dream", which served as the German theme song for the movie Horton Hears a Hu!. That summer marked the start of a second season of their Star Diary series and a concert tour with Christian Petru as the supporting act. Additionally, an updated edition of Hand in Hand (The Winter Album) was issued in October 2008.
On 16 January 2009, beFour unveiled their cover of 2 Unlimited’s hit "No Limit". Their fourth studio album, Friends 4 Ever, followed shortly after on 6 February 2009. The single "Ding-A-Dong" reached number 61 on the German charts when it was released in April. The band officially ended their activities on 8 December 2010.
Manou
Manuela "Manou" Oeschger (born 18 February 1984 in Wil (Aargau), Switzerland) began performing professionally at age eighteen. She pursued studies in dance, acting, and music in New York.
Alina
Alina Bock (born 2 November 1984 in Geilenkirchen, Germany) started learning piano at six years old and trained as an actress. She gained prominence through her own television program on the German Disney Channel and as a member of the Euro pop band beFour. After touring across Europe and achieving multiple platinum and gold certifications, she relocated to Los Angeles to study and perform sketch and improvisational comedy at venues such as UCB, Groundlings, iO, and The Pack Theater. Alina has appeared in American television projects including "Stressed Out Caucasian Mom," "Jim & Helen Forever," and the YouTube series "Bad Boy." Furthermore, she works as a bilingual voiceover artist for numerous films, commercials, and animations, including providing voices for the German version of 20th Century Fox's Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears A Who.
Dan
Daniel "Dan" Mollermann (born 17 December 1987 in Berlin) is a German actor who previously competed as an athlete before becoming a member of beFour.
Angel
Angel Garcia Arjona (born 21 February 1982 in Velbert) is a professional German dancer and certified banker. He has featured in music videos, including Jessica Wahls' "Du bist wie Ich."
Criticism
In 2009, the group was criticized for engaging in covert marketing activities within schools on behalf of ASPECTA, a branch of the insurance company Talanx. Promotional materials offered a CD containing unreleased tracks along with a video message as complimentary items, contingent upon parents providing their contact details and agreeing to be approached by ASPECTA Lebensversicherung AG for insurance consultations.
School administrators were only notified that the band would visit and might make an appearance. Flyers were handed out to students, and if school leaders opposed, the scheduled appearances were canceled due to "insufficient support." Critics contended that children were used as "gateways," effectively pressuring parents into sales discussions in exchange for the "freebies."
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | SWI | ||
| 2007 | All 4 One
|
1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | Hand in Hand (The Winter Album)
|
10 | 3 | 13 |
| 2008 | We Stand United
|
10 | 4 | 10 |
| 2009 | Friends 4 Ever
|
7 | 6 | 9 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | SWI | EUR | |||
| 2007 | "Magic Melody" | 16 | 11 | 14 | 49 | All 4 One |
| 2007 | "How Do You Do?" / "All 4 One" | 12 | 5 | 11 | 30 | |
| 2007 | "Little, Little Love" | 27 | 30 | 27 | 176 | |
| 2007 | "Hand in Hand" | 27 | 8 | 73 | 152 | Hand in Hand (The Winter Album) |
| 2008 | "Live Your Dream" | 16 | 17 | 29 | - | We Stand United |
| 2009 | "No Limit" | 21 | 13 | 29 | 72 | Friends 4 Ever |
| 2009 | "Ding-A-Dong" | 61 | ||||
Additional Tracks
- 2009: "Happy Holiday"
- 2009: "Come Fly With Me"
Video Releases
- beFour: der Film! (Launched on 28 September 2007)
Accolades
- Platinum certification awarded for the album All 4 One
- Gold certification earned for the album Hand In Hand (The Winter Album)
- Gold certification granted for the album We Stand United