Loona

Marie Jose Van der Kolk, known by her stage name Loona, is from IJmuiden, Netherlands. She emerged in 1996 alongside DJ Sammy with the singles Life is Just a Game and You Are My Angel.

Her breakthrough came in 1998 with the summer hit Bailando, quickly followed by another number one, Hijo de la Luna; both songs achieved significant commercial success. In 1999 her single Mamboleo won an Echo Award for «Best Dance Single».

In 2001 Loona released Viva El Amor, which reached number one in Spain, followed by Sunlight (2002) and Boys of Summer (2003). After a break due to the birth of her child in 2005, she returned in 2008 as a judge on «Popstars» and with the single Parappapa.

Her 2010 hit Vamos a la Playa surpassed 150 million views on YouTube and was certified gold and platinum in several countries. In October 2020 she released the album Stars, revisiting some of her biggest hits.

In 2022 her victory on the German show «Kampf der Reality Stars» led to a new version of Life is Just a Game. To celebrate twenty-five years of her career in 2023 she released several singles, including Dreams (are my reality), and collaborated with Jerome and DJ Sammy on a viral remake of Bailando; her remake VAMOS with FiNCH was also a major success.