Anne Lilia Berge Strand
| Annie | |
|---|---|
Annie performing at Popscene in San Francisco, California, November 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anne Lilia Berge Strand |
| Born |
21 November 1977 Trondheim, Norway |
| Origin | Bergen, Norway |
| Genres | Synth-pop |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels |
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| Associated acts | |
| Website | anniemelody |
Anne Lilia Berge Strand (born 21 November 1977), better known by her stage name Annie, is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. Annie began her recording career in 1999 with the underground hit single "The Greatest Hit" and gained international acclaim, particularly from music bloggers, for her debut album Anniemal (2004).
After completing secondary school, Annie started DJing in Bergen, where she met house producer and soon-to-be boyfriend Tore Kroknes. In 1999, Annie and Kroknes released the single "The Greatest Hit", which sold out in two days and became popular in Norwegian and British nightclubs. Before Annie and Kroknes could release an album, Kroknes died from a congenital heart defect in 2001. Annie went on to sign a record deal with Britain's 679 Recordings in 2003, releasing her debut album Anniemal in 2004, for which she received widespread critical acclaim and several Norwegian music awards.
Annie has been praised for her unique, "indie" style of electropop and synth-pop music and has been described as "a pop singer with credibility, an indie artist with one eye on the dancefloor", and "the Kylie it's cool to like". Annie describes her music as "pop with strange edges".
Annie released her second studio album, Don't Stop, on the Smalltown Supersound label on 19 October 2009. Annie currently lives in Berlin.
Annie was born in 1977 Trondheim, Norway and was raised in the coastal town of Kristiansand. Annie's father, a church organist, died of cancer when Annie was 7. After a series of moves, Annie and her mother, a teacher of English and religion, moved to Norway's second largest city Bergen when Annie was 13. By this time, Annie sang in choirs.
At age 16, Annie and a group of friends formed Suitcase, an indie rock band. Suitcase only performed once, before a panel of judges for a music competition where they did not reach the finals. A few years after Suitcase's inception, Annie left the band when "the other members wanted to make trip hop."
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