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Marija ŠerifovićМарија Шерифовић
Šerifović in 2012
Background information
Born	(1984-11-14) 14 November 1984 (age 40) Kragujevac, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Genres	Pop adult contemporary
Occupations	Singer producer TV personality YouTuber
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	1998–present
Labels	City Records IDJTunes Dallas Records

Marija Šerifović (Serbian Cyrillic: Марија Шерифовић, pronounced [mǎrija ʃerǐːfovitɕ]; born 14 November 1984) is a Serbian singer. Born in Kragujevac, she is best known for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland with "Molitva", becoming Serbia's first and to date only winning entry.

Šerifović made her recording debut in 1998 and has released six studio albums as well as numerous standalone singles. Additionally, she has served as a judge on the Serbian reality-TV singing competition Zvezde Granda since 2015. She has won the Artistic Marcel Bezençon Award for "Molitva" and two regional MAC Awards. Predominately recognized for balladic songs, Šerifović is often regarded as one of the best female pop vocalists in Serbia.

Early life

Šerifović was born on November 14, 1984, in Kragujevac. She is the only child to musicians Verica and Rajko Šerifović. When Verica was nine months pregnant with Marija, Rajko left Verica for another woman with whom he had a son, Danijel Pavlović [sr], who is a singer and vocal coach. Marija described her father as a violent alcoholic who would regularly beat her mother. According to the column by The Guardian's Germaine Greer, she is of Romani descent and has been out as a lesbian since 2004. Šerifović graduated from the First Grammar School in Kragujevac.

In 1998, she made her recording debut with a television performance of the song "Moje bube", which she recorded with her mother.

Career

2003-2006: Career beginnings, Naj, Najbolja and Bez ljubavi

Her debut album Naj, Najbolja was released under City Records in 2003. The following year, Šerifović participated at the Pjesma Mediterana music festival in Budva with the song "Bol do ludila", winning the first prize. In 2006, she released her second album Bez Ljubavi, which was a year later promoted with her first solo concert at Sava Centar in Belgrade.

2007-2010: Eurovision Song Contest, Nisam anđeo and Anđeo

In March 2007, Šerifović competed at the Serbian national selection festival for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Finland, called Beovizija, with the song "Molitva". On the final on March 8, she was declared the winner by receiving most televotes and coming second on the jury's vote, and thus became the first Eurovision representative of Serbia since the country restored its independence as a sovereign state in 2006. At the Eurovision, Šerifović performed 15th during the semi-final on May 10, placing first with 298 points. Subsequently, at the grand final on May 17, she sang 17th. Her performance of "Molitva" scored the maximum of 268 points and was declared the winner of the 52nd Eurovision. Upon returning home, Šerifović was greeted by reportedly 70,000 people in front of the House of the City Assembly of Belgrade.

In 2008, she released her third studio album Nisam anđeo, which sold 120,000 copies. A year later, it was followed by Anđeo, which sold 100,000 copies. Same year, Šerifović announced a solo concert at the Belgrade Arena for 11 May 2009. In 2010, she participated on the second season of the reality television show Farma, which she voluntarily left after 27 days.

2011-2020: Hrabro, standalone singles and Zvezde Granda

Šerifović was the subject of a documentary film, titled Ispovest (Confession), in which she reflected on her sexual orientation as well as personal struggles, such as domestic abuse from her father. The documentary premiered at Sava Centar in November 2013. The following year, she also released an autobiography of the same name. In May 2014, Šerifović released her fifth album Hrabro. It sold 50,000 copies.

In September 2015, she became a judge on the singing competition Zvezde Granda. As a mentor on the show, she had the winning contestant for two consecutive seasons with Džejla Ramović in 2019 and Mahir Mulalić in 2021. In 2015 and 2016, she released a series of three songs: "Pametna i luda", "Sama i nervozna" and "Svoja i tvoja". In March 2016, Šerifović held a concert at Zetra Hall, Sarajevo. Same month she also performed at the National Theater in Belgrade, which saw polarizing reception from the general public and indignation from actors' union. In December 2016, Šerifović released "Deo prošlosti" under IDJTunes. A year later in November, she released the single "11". Šerifović again performed to a sold-out Belgrade Arena on 25 May 2018.

Between March and May of 2019, she embarked on a tour called Druga strana ploče, where she sang the covers of her favorite songs from other artists as well as her own hits. It featured seven sold out shows, six of which were held at Belgrade's Sava Centar and one in SPC Vojvodina, Novi Sad. The second rendition of the tour began a year later. It was supposed to include four live shows in Sava Centar, however, the last one was eventually cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic. Same year, she also released her The Best of compilation under Dallas Records.

2021-present: Dolazi ljubav

During March 2022, Šerifović held five concerts in Banja Luka, Zagreb and Belgrade under the title Druga strana ploče Vol.3. The one in Zagreb was held to an audience of 10,000 people. In late December 2022, she released the single "Dobar Vam dan", which scored over million views in the first 24 hours. On 6 October 2023, Šerifović released her sixth studio album, titled Dolazi ljubav, under IDJTunes.

Šerifović made a guest appearance on the Serbian show Kec na jedanaest on 15 October where she spoke about the album; she revealed how much love and emotions she put in while recording the songs. She also shared that two of the album's songs, "Pola sunca", featuring Matija Cvek which was also released as a single on 6 October 2023 and "Drugačija" were its highlights. The song was commercially very successful, peaking at number three on Billboard's Croatia Songs for the week ending 21 October 2023.

Legacy of "Molitva"

In May 2007, Serbian magazine Nedeljnik highlighted that Šerifović focused her Eurovision performance on vocal delivery rather than on spectacle, which is often linked to Eurovision entries, citing her quote: "I like to hear music, not to watch it". Furthermore, the article compared her international success to those of tennis players Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Janković and Novak Djokovic.

In 2010, The Eurovision Times declared "Molitva" as the third best Eurovision entry of all time. Moreover, in 2016, Special Broadcasting Service ranked Šerifović among the top ten most deserving winners of the Eurovision. In 2019, "Molitva" was also placed at number ten on The Independent's listing of Eurovision winners.

Personal life

Šerifović has not openly declared as a lesbian. In her 2014 documentary Ispovest, Šerifović admitted that she has had relationships with other women. Serbian LGBT magazine Optimist commented on it as "one of the clearest anti-identity coming-outs on the Serbian public scene". During her 2022 New Year's Eve concert in front of the House of the National Assembly of Serbia, Šerifović included an image of the rainbow flag with the quote "Ljubav je zakon" (Love is Law) in reference to the legalization of same-sex domestic partnerships in Serbia.

She became a mother to a son born via surrogacy in December 2023.

In January 2008, Šerifović performed at a pre-election rally organized by the Serbian Radical Party. She has since voiced her regrets about this, stating that it was not a statement of political affiliation, but a paid engagement. Because of the incident, her role as an ambassador for the European Union during the 'Year of Intercultural Dialogue' was questioned by a spokesperson of the European Commission.

During an interview held at the show Kec na jedanaest, Šerifović shared that she "feels most at home" in all the countries of former Yugoslavia.

Discography

• Naj, Najbolja (2003)
• Bez Ljubavi (2006)
• Nisam Anđeo (2008)
• Anđeo (2009)
• Hrabro (2014)
• Dolazi ljubav (2023)

Filmography

Awards and nominations

Tours

• A sad malo ja Tour (2018–2020)
• Dolazi ljubav Tour (2024–ongoing)

See also

• Music of Serbia
• List of singers from Serbia
• Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest

References

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2. Vesović, M. (9 November 2017). "One su vlasnice moćnih vokala! Koja je naša najbolja pop pevačica?". Pulsonoline.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 22 December 2022.
3. "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ OTKRIVA: Lezbijka sam, seks sa devojkom je divan! (FOTO)". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). 27 November 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
4. Greer, Germaine (21 May 2007). "Go, Marija! Eurovision's triumphant lesbian Gypsy". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
5. Sabotinovski, A. (27 October 2022). "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ JEDVA ZAVRŠILA SREDNJU ŠKOLU Sad ima jednu od najuspešnijih karijera, a išla na razredne ispite: "VIŠE SAM BILA ISPRED NEGO U ŠKOLI"". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
6. "Prvi nastup: Marija Šerifović kao tinejdžerka". Tracara.com (in Serbian). 12 January 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
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8. "Semi-Final of Helsinki 2007". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
9. "Grand Final of Helsinki 2007". European Broadcasting Union. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
10. Dejanović, M. (21 May 2021). "Kako je Srbija 2007. godine slavila pobedu na Evroviziji". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
11. D. B. (22 May 2021). "СРБИЈА "ОДУВАЛА" ЕВРОПУ: Пре 13 година Марија је победила на Евровизији - "Молитва" одзвањала широм земље". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 4 March 2023.
12. • First series: Nisam anđeo [Zvučni snimak] (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-7808-545-1. Retrieved 4 March 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
    • Second series: Nisam anđeo [Zvučni snimak] II (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-7808-544-4. Retrieved 4 March 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
    • Second series: Nisam anđeo [Zvučni snimak] III (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-7808-551-2. Retrieved 4 March 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
13. • First series: Anđeo [Zvučni snimak] (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-7808-740-0. Retrieved 4 March 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
    • Second series: Anđeo [Zvučni snimak] II (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-7808-710-3. Retrieved 4 March 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
14. "Koncert Marije Šerifović pomeren za 11. maj". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 12 April 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
15. "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ UŠLA U REALITY I ODMAH NAPRAVILA HAOS: Objavljen video, ovo niko nije očekivao". Novi.ba (in Bosnian). 27 December 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
16. "Ispovest Marije Šerifović: Lezbejka sam, super je imati odnos sa ženom!". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). 27 November 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
17. "Ispovest - Marija Šerifović". Knjizare-vulkan.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 30 November 2021.
18. Hrabro [Zvučni snimak] (in Serbian). ISBN 978-86-527-0067-7. Retrieved 4 March 2023. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
19. "ZVEZDE GRANDA: I članovi žirija su..." Grand.rs (in Serbian). 16 September 2015. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
20. "Počinje snimanje nove sezone: Evo ko su novi članovi žirija "Zvezda Granda"!". Blic.rs (in Serbian). 15 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
21. "Džejla Ramović pobjednica Zvezda Granda". N1 (in Bosnian). 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
22. V. M. (27 June 201). "MAHIR JE POBEDNIK ZVEZDA GRANDA Trofej ponovo otišao u komšiluk! Publika dala svoj sud". Blic.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 June 2019.
23. N. M. (10 May 2016). "Zašto plače Marije Šerifović". Tracara.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
24. Milošević, T. (20 March 2016). "Haos u Sarajevu: Marija Šerifović zaprošena na koncertu!". Tracara.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
25. Golubović-Trebješanin, B. (3 February 2016). "Коме смета Марија Шерифовић у Народном позоришту". Politika (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
26. "Bura zbog koncerta Marije Šerifović u Narodnom pozorištu". RTS (in Serbian). 2 February 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
27. N M. (5 December 2016). "Premijaer: Marija Šerifović 'Deo prošlosti'". Tracara.com (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
28. "Singl Marije Šerifović: Sve u znaku broja 11". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). 10 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
29. Aleksovski (22 May 2018). "Dva dana pred koncert Marija Šerifović rasprodala arenu". Tracara.com (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
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34. ^ Dejanović, M. (24 February 2022). "Marija Šerifović najavila koncert na neobičnom mestu u Beogradu". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
35. "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ "ZAPALILA" BANJALUKU: Spektakularan koncert u prepunom "Boriku"". Večernje Novosti (in Bosnian). 9 March 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
36. Janković, D. (13 March 2022). "Nezaustavljiva! Nakon Banjaluke, Marija "zapalila" Zagreb: Čime sam ovo zaslužila?!". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
37. Krkeljić, B. (21 December 2022). "Marija Šerifović postavlja rekord: Za samo 12 sati njena pesma na vodećoj poziciji na svim EX YU prostorima". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 21 December 2022.
38. "Izašao novi album Marije Šerifović". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
39. ^ Marija Šerifović o uspehu albuma "Ljubav je došla" i saradnji sa pevačem Matijom Cvekom I Kec Na 11 [Marija Šerifović on the Success of the Album "Ljubav je došla" and Collaboration with Matija Cvek on Kec na 11]. Kec na 11 (in Serbian). 15 October 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2024 – via YouTube.
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44. Kelly, Ben (18 May 2019). "Eurovision Song Contest: Every winner ranked from worst to best". The Independent. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
45. Nemanja, M. (1 April 2014). "Marija Šerifović: Neuspela gej ikona ili totalno kvir?". Optimist (in Serbian). Retrieved 11 April 2023.
46. "Marija Šerifović iznenadila sve kada je na koncertu ispred Skupštine razvila duginu zastavu". Noizz.rs (in Serbian). 1 January 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
47. Gajić, J. (15 December 2023). "Prvi snimak sina Marije Šerifović! Pevačica podelila neodoljiv trenutak: "Ljubav je došla!"". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 27 December 2023.
48. "MARIJA ŠERIFOVIĆ: Kajem se što sam pevala radikalima!". Telegraf.rs (in Serbian). 1 March 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
49. Manojlović, J. (4 September 2022). "Marija Šerifović se kaje zbog podrške radikalima: Shvatila sam da je to greška". Nova.rs (in Serbian). Retrieved 11 April 2023.
50. "EU ispituje političke izjave Marije Šerifović". Politika (in Serbian). 24 January 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
51. "Marcel Bezençon Awards". Eurovision.tv. July 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
52. "DODELA MAC NAGRADA: Najbolji muški izvođač je Toni Cetinski, Marija Šerifović najbolja pevačica". Novosti.rs (in Serbian). 29 January 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2022.

External links

• Marija Šerifović discography at Discogs
• Marija Šerifović at IMDb

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lordi with Hard Rock Hallelujah	Winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007	Succeeded by Dima Bilan with Believe
Preceded by No name	Serbia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007	Succeeded byJelena Tomašević with Oro
Preceded byFlamingosi feat Louis	Beovizija winner 2007
Preceded bySaša Matić Dado Topić	Music Festival Budva winner 2004	Succeeded byTijana Dapčević

• 1984 births
• Living people
• Musicians from Kragujevac
• 21st-century Serbian women singers
• Serbian pop singers
• Serbian women pop singers
• Eurovision Song Contest winners
• Serbian lesbian musicians
• Serbian people of Romani descent
• Megatrend University alumni
• 21st-century Serbian LGBTQ people
• Lesbian singers
• Romani LGBTQ people
• Serbian LGBTQ singers
• Beovizija winners