Samra Rahimli
Who was Samra Rahimli?
Pop singer who represented Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2016 with "Miracle" and has released several successful albums in Azerbaijan.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Samra Rahimli (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Samra Rahimli, born on October 20, 1994, in Baku, Azerbaijan, is an Azerbaijani singer and rapper who gained attention through televised singing competitions and later represented her country at Eurovision. Her vocal talents and stage presence made her a notable young artist in Azerbaijan during the 2010s.
Rahimli's rise began in 2015 on O Ses Türkiye, the Turkish version of The Voice, where she reached the quarterfinals—an impressive feat for an Azerbaijani on Turkish TV. She then competed on Səs Azərbaycan, the Azerbaijani version of The Voice, in early 2016, where her consistent performances led to her becoming a finalist and catching the eye of Azerbaijan's national broadcaster.
On March 10, 2016, Rahimli was announced as Azerbaijan's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. She performed 'Miracle' in Semi Final 1, advancing to the Grand Final and finishing in 17th place with 117 points, a strong result in a competitive event. Eurovision boosted her international profile and established her as a key pop artist in Azerbaijan.
After Eurovision, Rahimli continued her music career in Azerbaijan. On June 22, 2017, she released the single 'Badminton' with a music video, marking her studio return post-Eurovision. In December 2020, amid significant national developments, she released a patriotic song, 'Shusha, we are back,' reflecting on the Azerbaijani Armed Forces' control over the city of Shusha during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. This release connected with Azerbaijani audiences.
In February 2024, Rahimli released 'Tamagotchi,' her first English song in four years, aiming to reach beyond Azerbaijan. The next month, she released another English track, 'I Need A Man,' suggesting a plan to broaden her music and international reach in the mid-2020s.
Before Fame
Samra Rahimli grew up in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, a city that has developed a lively pop music scene since the country became independent in 1991. Growing up in the 2000s and early 2010s, she was part of a generation influenced by the rapid spread of digital media and international music, as well as Azerbaijan's rising presence on the European cultural scene, especially with its Eurovision Song Contest victory in 2011.
She gained recognition through televised talent competitions, a popular path for young singers in the region. Her choice to compete on the Turkish edition of The Voice before the Azerbaijani version began highlights the close cultural and language connections between Azerbaijan and Turkey, showing her ambition that reached beyond her home country from an early age.
Key Achievements
- Represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm with the song 'Miracle', finishing 17th with 117 points
- Reached the quarterfinals of O Ses Türkiye (The Voice of Turkey) in 2015
- Became a finalist on the first season of Səs Azərbaycan (The Voice of Azerbaijan) in 2016
- Released the nationally significant song 'Shusha, we are back' in December 2020 commemorating Azerbaijan's recapture of Shusha
- Expanded into English-language music with the releases 'Tamagotchi' and 'I Need A Man' in early 2024
Did You Know?
- 01.Rahimli competed on O Ses Türkiye, the Turkish edition of The Voice, before the Azerbaijani version of the same show even launched its first season.
- 02.Her Eurovision 2016 entry 'Miracle' earned Azerbaijan 117 points and a 17th-place finish at the Grand Final held in Stockholm, Sweden.
- 03.She released 'Shusha, we are back' on 1 December 2020, the same period when Azerbaijani forces retook the city of Shusha in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
- 04.Her 2024 single 'Tamagotchi' was her first English-language release in four years, with a second English track 'I Need A Man' following just one month later.
- 05.Rahimli made it to the quarterfinals of O Ses Türkiye in 2015, a significant achievement as a foreign contestant competing on a major Turkish national broadcast.