Babou (singer)

Babou
Birth nameBabou Nicolai Nelson Lowe
Born (1994-12-07) 7 December 1994 (age 30)
Denmark
GenresPop
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Years active2005–2015

Babou Nicolai Nelson Lowe (born 7 December 1994), better known by his mononym Babou, is a Danish singer of mixed Danish-Gambian origin. He came third in Danish X Factor in 2011. He has released one album and his single "Supernova" has charted in Denmark, becoming the theme song for season 10 of the Danish version of the reality television series Paradise Hotel.

Beginnings

Babou was born to a Gambian father and a Danish mother. He started very early in music. In the year 2005, only ten years old, he participated in the talent show Scenen er din broadcast on TV 2 coming second for the category "Junior Song".[1] Gaining huge popularity, he released an album of covers titled For Once in My Life.

He was just 12 when his mother, who had been diagnosed with an ongoing mental illness, finally opted to put the young Babou in foster care with foster parents residing in Aarhus.

In X Factor

In 2011, at age 16,[2] he took part in season 4 of the Danish version[3] of the competition The X Factor broadcast on Danish television channel DR1, from 1 January to 25 March 2011 auditioning as a contestant from Aarhus with the song "Cry Me Out" from Pixie Lott. He was put through with the three judges, Cutfather, Pernille Rosendahl and Thomas Blachman. Reaching the Final 9 stage, he was mentored by Cutfather in the "Under 25" category.

Performances during the live shows included:

Date Week (Stage) Song choice Original artist Theme Result
11 February 2011 Week 1 (Top 9) "Just the Way You Are" Bruno Mars Free choice Safe
18 February 2011 Week 2 (Top 8) "Can't Buy Me Love" The Beatles The Beatles songs Safe
25 February 2011 Week 3 (Top 7) "De første kærester på månen" tv.2 Songs from the 2000s Safe
4 March 2011 Week 4 (Top 6) "Numb" Linkin Park Rock songs Safe
11 March 2011 Week 5 (Top 5) "Hurt" Christina Aguilera Free choice (with Danish National Chamber Orchestra Safe
18 March 2011 Week 6 (Top 4) "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" Usher feat. Pitbull DJ Night with Rune RK and Kato Safe
"Baby" Justin Bieber Free choice
25 March 2011 Week 7 (Final 3)
"All the Right Moves" OneRepublic Free choice Third
"Back to the 80s" Aqua Joint song with guests Aqua

Despite heavy speculation he would win the title,[4] he finished third overall, with 26.23% of the popular vote in the Final 3 stage, to winner Sarah Skaalum Jørgensen (or just the mononym Sarah) and runner-up Annelouise.[2][5]

After X Factor

After staying away a couple of years, Babou came back with a single "Supernova" that has charted on Hitlisten, the official Danish Singles Chart entering the chart at number 8 in its first week of release.

"Supernova" had been written as a promotional theme song for the Danish reality television series Paradise Hotel in its tenth season in 2014. Footage of the venue used for the program as well as some of the participants on the show was used in a music video released for the song.

Dansk Melodi Grand Prix

Main article: Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015

In 2015, took part in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in a bid to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Manjana". He came 5th with 57 points.

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak positions
DEN
[6]
2005 For Once in My Life  –

Singles

Year Single Peak positions
DEN
[6]
2014 "Supernova" 8
2015 "Manjana" —

References

  1. ^ 'Billedbladet: Nu går Babou fra X Factor efter guldet – I 2005 fik Babou, der dengang var 10 år, en andenplads i Scenen er din. Nu er han lige fyldt 16 og går målrettet efter at vinde X Factor (in Danish)
  2. ^ a b BT.dk: X Factor-Babou har været i finalen før (in Danish)
  3. ^ Extrabladet: To 15-årige reddede X-Factor-showet – Babou fra Århus og 'drengepigen' Sarah fra Herlev trykkede den af og viste ægte talent og attitude (in Danish)
  4. ^ BT.dk: Ercan ryger hjem på fredag – Babou favorit (in Danish)
  5. ^ Politiken: 15-årige Sarah vinder tæt finale – Sarah og Annelouise kæmpede til det sidste i X Factor (in Danish)
  6. ^ a b "Babou discography". danishcharts.dk. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 February 2014.