Elissa (singer)

Elissar Zakaria Khoury (إليسار زكريا خوري; born 27 October 1972), commonly known as Elissa (إليسا), is a Lebanese singer.

She is one of Lebanon's most famous singers and one of the best-known artists in the Arab world.

Elissa's musical career began in 1992, when she won the silver medal in Studio El Fan, a Lebanese music competition.

Her debut studio album, Baddy Doub (I Want to Melt Away), was released in Lebanon in late 1998 and later distributed across the Arab world by EMI Music Arabia in 1999.

On the album's titular single, she collaborated with Spanish singer, Gerard Ferrer.

In the same year, Elissa got her first big brand deal when shampoo brand Head & Shoulders took her on as the empowering and bold face of the company in the Middle East.

Elissa released her second album, W'akherta Maak (To the End with You) in September 2000.

The album included the duet "Betghib Betrouh" (You Disappear, You Go), featuring Ragheb Alama.

She was the only Arabic artist to perform in front of former United States President Bill Clinton at the Stars Charity show in Dubai.

In that year, she won the Murex d'Or award for Best Female Artist.

Her third studio album, Ayshalak (I Live for You), was released in June 2002.

For the album's titular hit single, she filmed a music video in Paris, dressed by Christian Dior.

This was the first time the fashion house had worked with an Arab artist.

The music video for "Ajmal Ihssas" (Best Feeling) won an Arabic Music Award for Best Video Clip in Dubai.

On the same year, Elissa inaugurated Kuwait's Virgin Megastore with Sir Richard Branson.

She appeared on a collaboration with Irish singer Chris De Burgh in the duet "Lebanese Nights", featured on his 2002 album Timing is Everything.

In December 2003, Elissa signed a four-year promotional deal with Pepsi, becoming the Middle East's brand ambassador.

In January 2004, she appeared at a Pepsi press conference in London, England, alongside American recording artists Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Pink.

Subsequently, she shot two Pepsi advertisements with Christina Aguilera for the World Football Cup; both of which were shot in Los Angeles.

In 2004, Elissa signed with Saudi Arabian entertainment group Rotana, under which she released her fourth studio album, Ahla Dounya (The Most Beautiful World), on 19 April.

The album had various singles and accompanying music videos including "Koul Youm Fee Oumri" (Every Day of My Life), "Irjaa Lilshowk" (Return to Love) and "Hobak Wajaa (Inta Lameen)" (Your Love Hurts / Who Do You Belong To?).

The tracks "Koul Youm Fee Oumri", "Karibli" (Come Close to Me) and "Law Nirjaa Sawa" (If We're Together Again) were featured in Pepsi advertisements.

By the end of 2004, Ahla Dounya had sold about 3.4 million copies.

She has been among the highest-selling female Middle Eastern artists since 2005.

In 2005, she became the first Lebanese singer to receive the World Music Award for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist, an award that she received again in 2006 and 2010.

She has currently sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

Elissa is also one of the richest celebrities in Lebanon, with a reported estimated wealth of over $40 million.

In 2005, Elissa became the first Lebanese artist to ever receive a World Music Award for Best Selling Artist from the Middle East.

The ceremony took place in Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.

In December 2005, she received the Murex d'Or for Best Lebanese Artist and Best Video Clip for "Hobak Wajaa".

Despite the huge success, Elissa revealed in an interview in 2017, she felt that this album was a step back from "Ayshalak", although it is a fan favorite.

In 2018, Elissa appeared as a judge on The Voice: Ahla Sawt, the Arab edition of The Voice.

Elissa was born in Deir Al-Ahmar to a Lebanese father and a Syrian mother from Wadi al-Nasara.

She has three brothers Ghassan, Kamil and Jihad and two sisters Norma and Rita.

Elissa was raised in the Beqaa Valley with her other siblings.

She graduated from the Lebanese University with a degree in political science.

Although she had a degree in politics, she was additionally interested in making music.

Therefore, after graduating, she decided to pursue a professional career in show business and in music.

To successfully combine her passion of politics and theatre, Elissa joined Le Théâtre de Dix-Heures, a Lebanese Theatrical Group.

As of 2019, Elissa has over 50 million followers on social media.