She’s the Eurovision 2010 winner who transformed from sweet girl-next-door into sexy vixen for her return in 2011.
And earlier this week Lena Meyer-Landrut lived up to her reputation as a musical chameleon with the release of “Lang lebe die Gang” (Long Live the Gang) — her collaboration with the popular German hip-hop act GENETIKK.
The dark song will appear on the soundtrack for the Netflix series “Marvel’s The Defenders”.
The dark rap charts the ups and the downs of life in a gang, and suggests that members wear masks to reveal their true selves. It’s a new direction for Lena, a former judge on The Voice Kids and the winner of our Top Tracks of 2015. A song that references the highs of being in a gang was sure to draw criticism. But Lena is challenging herself and playing with her musical style — and for that we definitely applaud her.
Lena also embraces another dimension that fans have been longing for: She sings in German. The “Satellite” singer started that journey earlier this year on the VOX show “Sing meinen Song” (Sing my Song), where artists from Germany cover each other’s songs. Lena has always told her fans and the press that she feels more comfortable singing in English. But now things are changing as the superstar has finally answered the prayers of her fans.
Neues Video ? lang lebe die Gang @genetikk1 @NetflixDE
— Lena (@Lenas_view) 27. August 2017
The song also marks a change for Genetikk. In a recent radio-interview, lead-singer Sikk said that in the USA collabs between artists from different genres are normal, but in Germany they are still a red flag.
Lena’s bright voice lightens the dark rap in “Lang lebe die Gang”and gives the song a different touch. The idea of the collaboration came from the producer of the Netflix series. As Lena has said: “The different characters in The Defenders don’t really work out together, and that’s why it was a good idea to bring two different pieces of music together that usually would not fit.”
What do you think of Lena’s foray with hip-hop? And what genres do you want her to explore next? Let us know in the comments section below.
She makes me question my sexuality :/
Germany can do very well in Eurovision again if they would follow an Austrian or Belgian-like pattern: internally select a young singer, give them a really good song like Blanche’s.
@azaad: The sooner the next fiasco cramps their already-floundering reputation (for what would be a 4th year in a row, starting with Andreas giving his ESC ticket to Ann Sophie)…
…Germany will go BEGGING Lena to enter the contest again. I actually thought her 2011 song was better.
Desperation is not nice. UK was desperate and bought Emmelie de Forest’s name to sign that silly song, now we know that she only helped with the lyrics (big deal lol). Probably next will be Germany sending Lena again. I can’t wait to see her last.
Germany needs something like Marco Mengoni 2013, with that staging, a good ballad, not formulatic, in German language, by German song-writers, not ”the genius” Emmelie again.
I’m German and I hate this. ‘German rap’ is so awkward.
go away, delete this article if you want germany to be voted ever again
I hate German rap so much >.<
There’s something about her I don’t like. What about the song about her father? Was it successful? She seems unscrupulous snake. I just don’t like her.
Good for her. I’m always glad when people leave ESC with more fame and glory than they entered it. She’s one of our biggest success stories. Go Lena! (And her songs are good as well).