Biography
Elena Paparizou achieved worldwide recognition in 2005 after her track "My Number One" secured victory at the Eurovision Song Contest. Born on January 31, 1982, in Västergötland, Sweden, to parents who had immigrated from Greece, she grew up in Gothenburg, where her name sometimes appears as "Helena" in global releases. During her childhood there, she pursued training in singing, dance, and acting. At age 17, she partnered with fellow Swedish resident of Greek descent Nikos Panagiotidis to establish the dance-pop act known as Antique. The pair's initial release, which reinterpreted Notis Sfakianakis' composition "Opa-Opa," achieved significant success by reaching the Top Ten throughout Scandinavia, and notably became the first Greek-language recording to enter Sweden's Top Five. Their next effort "Dinata Dinata" likewise performed strongly. Antique went on to achieve further hits with "Follow Me" and "Moro Mou." The group represented Greece in the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest performing "(I Would) Die for You," finishing in third position after Estonia and the host country Denmark. Although Antique maintained momentum, Paparizou parted ways with Panagiotidis during 2003 in order to launch her individual career, inking a deal with Sony/BMG before delivering the single "Anapantites Klisis" toward the close of that year. Early in 2004 came the album Protereotita, which spawned successes such as "Antithesis," "Anamnisis," "Katse Kala," and "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi," ultimately attaining double platinum status within Greece. Her increasing renown in Greece, the land of her heritage, led to her selection as the nation's entrant for the 2005 Eurovision, where "My Number One" earned her the distinction of becoming Greece's inaugural champion of the contest. An updated edition of Protereotita featuring the winning entry soon appeared in stores, after which she toured extensively for the remainder of the year with headline performances across Australia and North America. "Mambo!" followed as a single that dominated the Greek charts for ten straight weeks. Spring 2006 saw the arrival of her second studio album Yparhi Logos, which topped the charts. Toward the end of the year, her debut worldwide album The Game of Love came out, featuring six English adaptations of material from Yparhi Logos alongside six new tracks.