Velvet

Velvet is the stage name of Swedish pop singer Jenny Pettersson, who is from Helsingborg, Sweden and was born in 1975. She moves from Helsingborg to Stockholm in 1993 to study ballet at Balettakademien. While studying, she works at Wallmans cabaret and decides that singing is her preferred path.

Early career

Before recording under the name Velvet, Pettersson spends eight years touring as a choir singer and dancer with a range of Swedish and international artists, including Carola, Lena PH, Markoolio, Sanne Salomonsen, Orup, Meat Loaf, Martin Stenmark and Jessica Folcker. She also sings in the house choir for the Swedish Eurovision organisation for five years and travels to Eurovision Song Contests across Europe.

Recording career

Velvet is discovered in 2005 and releases her first single, Rock Down To (Electric Avenue). The song becomes a major hit in Sweden and abroad and spends 22 weeks at number one on the Swedish Dance Chart. Her follow-up single, Don’t Stop Movin’, is also a large hit and is followed by a tour.

Melodifestivalen and album work

In 2006, Velvet enters the Swedish Eurovision selection Melodifestivalen with Mi Amore. The song becomes popular in several countries and is named song of the year in Bulgaria in 2006. She returns to Melodifestivalen in 2008 with Déjà vu, which does not qualify from the semi-finals but becomes a fan favourite across Europe. In 2009, she enters again with the title track from her album The Queen. The album is released in 2009 and reaches number 44 on the Swedish Albums Chart.