TIRANA, Sept. 8 – “So exited to be going to Albania, you guys, it’s gonna be a blast,” tweeted rising American pop star of Albanian origin Bebe Rexha ahead of her Tirana Sept. 9 concert, the first in an Albanian-speaking country.
The famous 27-year-old singer-songwriter who has featured David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Afrojack and wrote songs for the chart-topping Eminem and Rihanna single will perform in Tirana on Friday at the Mother Teresa square in a much-awaited concert by a rising star proud of her Albanian origin, just like Rita Ora and Dua Lipa who have also performed in Tirana and Prishtina.
Born in New York to ethnic Albanian parents who moved to the U.S. from Macedonia in the 1980s, Bebe Rexha is an up-and-coming pop star who this year has released the singles “No Broken Hearts,” featuring Nicki Minaj and “In the Name of Love” with Dutch DJ and record producer Martin Garrix.
Drawing on her Albanian heritage and youth in New York City, Bebe whose real name is Bleta meaning bumble bee in Albanian, stirs up a musical melting pot of her own.
“I feel like I’m just starting to show who I am,” she says. “I’m going even further though. I’m embracing my roots and the artists I love. At the same time, I want to tell stories. The new music is more about empowerment. You work on yourself, and you focus on your happiness. That’s the message. I’m saying what I want to say. Life isn’t easy. We’re all going through something. I hope people know they’re not alone when they hear my songs.”
Rexha’s concert in Tirana comes one month after rising U.K.-based pop star of Kosovo origin performed in Tirana and Prishtina.
Born in London to Kosovar-Albanian parents, 20-year-old Dua Lipa has recently released her “Hotter than hell” single which follows previously released “New Love,” “Be the One” and “Last Dance.”
