It’s rare to come across the perfect mix of talent, charisma, and star power, but one example of this full package is SALENA, an Austrian singer-songwriter who is exceptionally gifted. On Instagram, the 26-year-old shares snippets of her daily life and her musical journey under her handle @whothehellissalena – time to answer this question and explain what makes SALENA so special.
SALENA has been calling the stage her home for quite some time now. In 2017, she appeared in the music competition The Voice of Germany, and four years later she participated in the Austrian casting show Starmania. Her undoubtedly biggest competition came in 2023, when she represented her home country Austria at Eurovision together with TEYA.
Photo Credit: Zuzana Suly
The song they performed in Liverpool, titled ‘Who The Hell Is Edgar?’, remains a fan favourite among the Eurovision community and garnered a lot of attention for its sharp take on the music industry. This is a topic SALENA is very outspoken about.
Her most recent release, titled ‘Vacation’, is a testament to her ingenious songwriting as well as her musical versatility. She’s clearly not afraid of trying out different genres such as pop, soul, and RnB. While not every one of her songs falls into the genre of soul, there is plenty of soul in all of her songs. One of her first releases, ‘Pretty Imperfection’, is a refreshingly honest commentary on modern beauty standards.
Judging by her music, SALENA is the very definition of a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants and is not afraid of saying it. There is no beating around the bush, neither in SALENA’s music nor on her social media accounts. By sharing her thoughts, doubts and hopes, she inspires others, and she does the exact same thing with her music. Amongst her most outstanding songs is the track ‘Picky Promise’ – no, this is not a typo, it is in fact called ‘Picky Promise’ –, in which she shows her serious side. While some of her other songs have a humorous, tongue-in-cheek tone to them, this one is a grave stance on patriarchy. For its cover art, she involved her fans by incorporating their pictures into the background, proving her devotion to her fans.
Two other things SALENA certainly isn’t lacking are dedication and commitment to her art. Although she’s currently living in London, you can still find her busking all over Vienna whenever she comes back home. Now, she is ready to take the next step and record her debut EP. As with many other topics, she is open about the struggles that come with trying to make it in the music industry. It’s competitive, it requires a lot of endurance and above all, it’s expensive. So, SALENA started a fundraising project to raise money for the production of her EP. While fans are hoping to hear the new songs as soon as possible, it’s safe to say that no matter how long it takes for them to see the light of the day, it will be worth it in the end.
Written by: Melanie Falkensteiner
Edited by: Nèri Cliteur
