Edita Abdieski
Edita Abdieski | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 14, 1984 Bern, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Pop vocalist |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | Winning the inaugural season of the German X Factor in 2010 |
Edita Abdieski (born 14 November 1984) is a Swiss pop vocalist who rose to fame after winning the inaugural season of the German X Factor in November 2010.
Early life
Abdieski is the oldest of four children, born to a Macedonian Albanian father and a Montenegrin Albanian mother. She grew up in Bern, where she completed her primary and secondary education in the Bümpliz-Oberbottigen district. Her father died of cancer in 1992. At age eleven, she became part of her first school band and started writing songs by the time she was thirteen. Following her schooling, Abdieski qualified as an office clerk but chose to pursue singing professionally by enrolling at the Swiss Musical Academy in Bern. Despite her mother's doubts, she moved out to live on her own in 2002 and supported herself through various part-time jobs while studying.
2002—2009: Early career developments
In 2002, Abdieski teamed up with her schoolmate Vanessa Tancredi to work on a mundart music project, which led to the release of their debut album as Vanessædita after two years collaborating with producers Thomas Fässler and Ben Mühlethaler.
During this timeframe, Abdieski provided backing vocals for the Swiss pop–rock group Lunik and contributed to Santiago Cortés’ 2005 debut album Welcome to My Airline. The album’s lead track, "Don't Leave Me," which Abdieski co-wrote and performed, reached number forty on the Swiss Singles Chart. In the fall of 2005, she played Kimberly in the musical Dance Me! – The Streetdance Musical, accompanied by a same-titled album released in January 2006 that did not enter the charts.
After signing with Muve Recordings, Vanessædita launched their album Z'Debü ("The Debut") in March 2006. Its lead single "Wenn ig nume wüsst" made it into the Swiss top fifty, yet the album itself peaked at only number eighty-two on the Swiss Albums Chart. In 2007, Abdieski and Tancredi parted ways amicably due to differing musical directions. Abdieski later admitted that singing in mundart was "not [her] thing."
2010: X Factor
In 2010, Edita Abdieski took part in the inaugural season of X Factor, where she auditioned with Joss Stone's "Tell Me 'Bout It". Under the guidance of mentor Till Brönner, she emerged as the winner on 9 November 2010, earning a recording contract with Sony Music.
| Episode | Theme / Date | Song title | Original performer | Result (Placement) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casting | Free choice | "Tell Me 'bout It" | Joss Stone | advanced to Bootcamp |
| Bootcamp | Free choice | "Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)" | Pixie Lott | advanced to Judges' House |
| Judges' House | Free choice | "With a Little Help from My Friends" | Joe Cocker | advanced to Live Shows |
| Live show 1 | Playlist 2010 (21 September 2010) | "Empire State of Mind" | Alicia Keys | 13.92% (4/9) |
| Live show 2 | Blockbuster Night (28 September 2010) | "Street Life" | Randy Crawford | 12.91% (5/8) |
| Live show 3 | Kings and Queens of Pop (5 October 2010) | "Respect" | Aretha Franklin | 15.33% (3/7) |
| Live show 4 | Mystery Night (12 October 2010) | "Heavy Cross" | Gossip | 18.15% (3/6) |
| Live show 5 | Laut und leise (Loud and Quiet) (19 October 2010) | "Just Like a Pill" | Pink | 19.43% (3/5) |
| "Russian Roulette" | Rihanna | |||
| Live show 6 | A Night at the Club (26 October 2010) | "Release Me" | Agnes | 27.42% (1/4) |
| "Why Don't You Love Me" | Beyoncé Knowles | |||
| Live show 7 | Michael Jackson & Friends (2 November 2010) | "Blame It on the Boogie" | The Jackson Five | 41.53% (1/3) |
| "You Are So Beautiful" | Diana Ross | |||
| Live show 8 | Finale (9 November 2010) | "Run" | Leona Lewis | 74.10% (1/2) |
| "Wo Willst Du Hin" | Xavier Naidoo | |||
| "I've Come to Life" | Edita Abdieski |
2010: Debut Album One
Towards the end of 2010, Edita recorded her first studio album titled One, which was officially released in March 2011. This album includes her top ten single "I've Come to Life", along with "The Key," a track crafted by songwriter Jörgen Elofsson, renowned for his collaborations with artists such as Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Il Divo. Among the album's highlights is a duet with Latin icon Ricky Martin on the song "The Best Thing About Me Is You", co-written by Swedish songwriter Andreas Carlsson. Production contributions came from Nordic teams like Norwegian groups Dsign Music and Tracksville, alongside writers Mads Hauge and Torgeir Bjordal. In January, Edita was honored with the DIVA Award recognizing her as "Talent of the Year," and she shot the music video for "The Key" in Tenerife. Additionally, the album features "Give A Little Love, Get A Little Love," written by Ben Cullum, sibling of jazz artist Jamie Cullum.
2011: Club Tour and Release of New Album
In June 2011, Edita launched her inaugural Club Tour, performing in four cities across Germany and two in Switzerland. During this tour, she introduced two freshly composed tracks, "Done With You" and "Really Love Me," which were featured on her forthcoming second studio album.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Positions | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | SWI | EU | |||
| 2011 | One | 32 | 52 | 10 | – | Worldwide: – |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | SWI | EU | |||
| 2010 | "I've Come to Life" | 9 | 27 | 8 | 37 | One |
| 2011 | "The Key" | 51 | – | – | – | One |
Featured Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER | AUT | SWI | EU | |||
| 2011 | "The Best Thing About Me Is You" (Ricky Martin feat. Edita) |
– | – | – | – | Música + Alma + Sexo |
Awards
| 2010 | Edita Abdieski | Diva Award – Talent of the Year | Won |
| 2011 | Edita Abdieski | Prix Walo – Newcomer of the Year | Nominated |