Editing Meja

{{short description|Swedish composer, artist and singer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist  <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name                = Meja
| image                 = Meja Beckman at the National Day celebrations 2009.jpg
| caption             = Meja performing live at Skansen in Stockholm, Sweden during celebrations of the Swedish National Day in June 2009
| image_size          = 200px
| background          = solo_singer
| birth_name          = Anna Pernilla Torndahl
| birth_place         = [[Nynäshamn]], [[Stockholm County|Stockholm]], [[Sweden]] 
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|02|12}}
| origin              = [[Sweden]]
| instrument          = [[Vocals]]<br>[[Guitar]]
| genre               = [[Pop rock]]
| occupation      = {{hlist|[[singer]]}}
| years_active        = 1992–present
| label               = C2/[[Columbia Records]]/[[Sony Music]]/[[Seven Sisters Network Records]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geocities.com/patmil007/aprill2189.JPG|date=27 October 2009|accessdate=16 April 2012|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027155404/http://geocities.com/patmil007/aprill2189.JPG|archivedate=27 October 2009}}</ref>
| website             = [https://www.mejaart.com/ mejaart.com]
}}

'''Meja Anna Pernilla Kullersten''' (formerly '''Beckman'''; born '''Anna Pernilla Torndahl''', 12 February 1969) is a [[Swedes|Swedish]] composer, artist and singer. Among her best known songs are "[[Happy (Legacy of Sound song)|Happy]]" (with [[Legacy of Sound (Swedish group)|Legacy of Sound]]), "[[Private Emotion]]", a duet with [[Ricky Martin]] from his multi-Platinum album ''[[Ricky Martin (1999 album)|Ricky Martin]]'' (1999), and "[[All 'Bout the Money]]", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.

==Biography==
{{BLP unsourced section|date=December 2017}}
Meja was born '''Anna Pernilla Torndahl''' in [[Nynäshamn Municipality|Nynäshamn, Stockholm County]]. She had her stage debut at "Ystads City theatre" at the age of 7. She was brought up in a musical family, her grandfather, Per Lundkvist, was a composer of both classical and contemporary music and her mother, a recording artist as a child before choosing a path as a painter.

In 1986, at the age of 16, she moved to [[Mallorca]], Spain, to study. She was introduced to American jazz trumpet player/singer Stephen Frankevich and started to take vocal lessons with singer Deborah Carter.

Meja went to Stockholm in 1990. She sang in different bands there before getting out on tour as a backup singer for the Swedish group [[Rob'n'Raz|Rob n Raz DLC]] in 1991. In 1992 Meja moved to Los Angeles to continue her studies at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. She graduated from the vocal program in late 1992 then returned to Sweden.

===Legacy of Sound (1993–1995)===
In 1993, Meja worked with the dance project [[Legacy of Sound (Swedish group)|Legacy of Sound]]. She co-wrote with [[Anders Bagge]] the first single, "[[Happy (Legacy of Sound song)|Happy]]", from the album ''Holy Groove''. The song reached the Top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, and it peaked at number 68 on the Top 100 during a 12-week stay on the chart.<ref>[https://www.billboard.com/music/legacy-of-sound-featuring-meja/chart-history/hot-100/song/18733p ]{{dead link|date=December 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> "Happy" was released in over 20 countries. Meja recorded one more album with Legacy of Sound in 1994, ''Tour de Force''.

===Solo artist ===
Meja teamed in 1995 with Swedish manager Lasse Karlsson, manager of [[Ace of Base]], and writer/producer Douglas Carr to provide the vocals for the demo [[The Juvenile]] titled The Goldeneye.

The first solo album ''Meja'', was released in 1996, with songs co-written by [[Billy Steinberg]]. In 1997 Meja had her first concert tour in Japan: The Flower Girl Jam Tour.

Meja released the album ''Seven Sisters'' in 1998. Later that year Columbia (Sony) launched the album in the U.S with the single "How Crazy Are You?" That song would later be notable for its use as the theme song for ''[[Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball]]''.

===''Realitales'' (2000)===
Meja went to Miami in 1999 to record "Private Emotion", a duet with [[Ricky Martin]] for his debut album ''[[Ricky Martin (1999 album)|Ricky Martin]]''. After shooting a video for the song, Meja stayed in Los Angeles to work on her next album ''Realitales'' (2000) with Steinberg. She also co-wrote two tracks for the album in London with [[Stephen Lipson]]. The artwork for this album was shot by Swedish director [[Jonas Åkerlund]].

===''Mellow'' (2004)===
In 2003 Meja started to work with her former Sony Music boss, Richard Ogden. The album ''Mellow'' was released in 2004, with songs in Portuguese ("[[Água de Beber]]", "[[Dindi (song)|Dindi]]") and Spanish. She covered a [[Caetano Veloso]]  song "[[O Leãozinho]]" that she named "Little Lion." The album was produced by [[Hamish Stuart]]. One song, "Simple Days-Walking the Distance", was used in the Japanese film ''Lakeside Murder Case''.

===''NU Essential'' (2005)===
Sony Music Japan released Meja's album ''NU Essential'' in 2005.

===''Urban Gypsy'' (2009)===
In 2006 Meja went back to Los Angeles to collaborate again with Steinberg on a new album, also working with writers [[Jeff Barry]], [[Billy Gibbons]], Jed Leiber and Boz Boorer.

The first single "At the Rainbow's End" was released in June 2009, the second single "Regrets (I Have None)" in August, and the album ''Urban Gypsy'' was released on her own label Seven Sisters Network in October on a license deal with Sony Music. A remix of [[Mando Diao]]'s "Dance with Somebody" was released early 2010.

===''AniMeja'' (2010)===
As a tribute to the Japanese [[Studio Ghibli]], Meja released an album on which she covered soundtrack songs from Japanese films.

===''Stroboscope Sky'' (2015)===
The first release from the album ''Stroboscope Sky'' was the single "Blame it on the Shadows" (2013) produced by Ebbot Lundberg. Meja teamed with producer Nicolas Gunthardt and together with his sister Alessandra they wrote "Yellow Ribbon" which served as the theme song for the album. "Yellow Ribbon" was released as a single in collaboration with [[Amnesty International]]/Free the Angola 3 to help raise awareness of the case of [[Albert Woodfox]]. A remix EP was released with remixes by [[Deep Forest]], [[Dj Swami]], [[Gota Yashiki]], [[DF Tram]], NORD and more.

==Discography==
{{See also|Legacy of Sound (Swedish group)#Discography}}

===Albums===
====Studio albums====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:9em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Details
! scope="col" colspan="4"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| [[List of music recording certifications|Certifications]]
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Sverigetopplistan|SWE]]<br/><ref name="SWE Meja">{{cite web|url=http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Meja|title=Discography Meja|publisher=Swedishcharts.com. Hung Medien|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[The Official Finnish Charts|FIN]]<br/><ref name="FIN">{{cite web|url=http://finnishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Meja|title=Discography Meja|publisher=Finnishcharts.com|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Oricon|JPN]]<br/><ref name="JPN">{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/168353/|title=メイヤ|date=March 2002 |publisher=[[Oricon]]|accessdate=12 March 2018}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br/><ref name="NOR">{{cite web|url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Meja|title=Discography: Meja|publisher=Norwegiancharts.com. Hung Medien|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Meja (album)|Meja]]''
|
*Released: 11 April 1996
*Label: [[Epic Records|Epic]], [[Sony Music|Sony]]
*Formats: [[Compact disc|CD]], [[Cassette tape|cassette]], [[Music download|digital download]]
| 29
| —
| 7
| —
|
*[[RIAJ]]: Platinum
|-
! scope="row"| ''[[Seven Sisters (Meja album)|Seven Sisters]]''
|
*Released: 5 February 1998
*Label: [[Columbia Records|Columbia]], Epic, C2Records
*Formats: CD, cassette, digital download
| 8
| 40
| 6
| 1
|
* RIAJ: 3× Platinum
|-
! scope="row"| ''Realitales''
|
*Released: 31 January 2000 {{small|(JPN)}}<br/>5 March 2000 {{small|(SWE)}}
*Label: Columbia, Epic
*Formats: CD, cassette, digital download
| 37
| —
| 7
| —
|
* RIAJ: Gold
|-
! scope="row"| ''Mellow''
|
*Released: 18 February 2004 {{small|(JPN)}}<br/>15 March 2004 {{small|(SWE)}}
*Label: Epic
*Formats: CD, cassette, digital download
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| ''Urban Gypsy''
|
*Released: 7 October 2009
*Label: Columbia
*Formats: CD, digital download
| 60
| —
| —
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| ''AniMeja: Ghibli Songs''
|
*Released: 21 July 2010
*Label: Sony
*Formats: CD, digital download
| —
| —
| 97
| —
|
|-
! scope="row"| ''Stroboscope Sky''
|
*Released: 13 May 2015
*Labe: Seven Sisters Network
*Formats: CD, digital download
| —
| —
| —
| —
|
|}

====Compilation and live albums====
*''Live in Japan-The Flower Girl Jam'' (1997)
*''My Best'' (2002) (Certifications #[[RIAJ|JPN]]:Gold)
*''The Nu Essential'' (2005)
*''Original Album Collection'' (2010)
*''Kozmic Surfer: Flower Girl 25th Anniversary'' (2019)
*''Kozmic Surfer: Live in Japan (Acoustic)'' (2020)

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:2.5em;"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="5"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Sverigetopplistan|SWE]]<br /><ref name="SWE Meja"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AUS">{{cite Ryan|page=184}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br /><ref name="NOR"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br /><ref name="UK">{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/5312/meja|title=MEJA|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Mainstream Top 40|US<br />Pop]]<br /><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/310377/meja/chart?f=381|title=Meja – Chart history|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "I'm Missing You"
| rowspan="5"| 1996
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="5"| ''Meja''
|-
! scope="row"| "How Crazy Are You?"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Welcome to the Fanclub of Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "I Wanna Make Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Rainbow"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "Pop & Television"
| rowspan="5"| 1998
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
| rowspan="6"| ''Seven Sisters''
|-
! scope="row"| "[[All 'Bout the Money]]"
| 4
| 77
| 3
| 12
| 37
|-
! scope="row"| "Lay Me Down"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Beautiful Girl"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "Radio Radio"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "Intimacy"
| 1999
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Spirits (Meja song)|Spirits]]"
| rowspan="2"| 2000
| 24
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Realitales''
|-
! scope="row"| "Hippies in the 60's"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "I'm Here Saying Nothing"
| 2001
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| ''My Best''
|-
! scope="row"| "Wake Up Call"
| rowspan="2"| 2004
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Mellow''
|-
! scope="row"| "Life Is a River"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "At the Rainbows End"
| rowspan="2"| 2009
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="2"| ''Urban Gypsy''
|-
! scope="row"| "Regrets (I Have None)"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
! scope="row"| "Dance with Somebody"
| rowspan="2"| 2010
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| {{N/A|Non-album single}}
|-
! scope="row"| "Totoro"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| ''AniMeja: Ghibli Songs''
|-
! scope="row"| "Blame It On the Shadows"
| 2013
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| rowspan="3"| ''Stroboscope Sky''
|-
! scope="row"| "Yellow Ribbon"
| rowspan="2"| 2015
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "Bohemian Behaviour"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
|-
! scope="row"| "I Know How You Feel"
| 2019
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
| ''Kozmic Surfer: Flower Girl 25th Anniversary''
|-
! scope="row"| "Strange Kinda Love"
| 2020
| —
| —
| —
| —
| — 
| {{TBA}}
|-
|colspan="8" style="font-size:90%"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}

====As featured artist====
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:2.5em;"| Year
! scope="col" colspan="7"| Peak chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Sverigetopplistan|SWE]]<br/><ref name="SWE Meja"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[ARIA Charts|AUS]]<br /><ref name="AUS"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[The Official Finnish Charts|FIN]]<br/><ref name="FIN"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[VG-lista|NOR]]<br/><ref name="NOR"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[UK Singles Chart|UK]]<br/><ref name="UK"/>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Billboard Hot 100|US]]<br/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/365051/ricky-martin/chart?f=379|title=Ricky Martin – Chart history|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| [[Mainstream Top 40|US<br/>Pop]]<br/><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/365051/ricky-martin/chart?f=381|title=Ricky Martin – Chart history|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=26 February 2016}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Private Emotion]]"<br/>{{small|([[Ricky Martin]] featuring Meja)}}
| 2000
| 8
| 59
| 6
| 7
| 9
| 67
| 32
| ''[[Ricky Martin (1999 album)|Ricky Martin]]''
|}

==Awards==
{{BLP unsourced section|date=May 2019}}
* Grammy Nomination, Category Best Modern Dance ''Legacy of Sound'', 1994
* The North Wave Award, newcomer of the year, 1996, Japan
* Pop album of the year, ''Meja'' Japan 1996
* Grammy Nomination, Category Song of the Year "All 'Bout the Money" 1998
* Grammy Nomination Category Female Pop/Rock Artist 1998
* Artist of the year, Japan 1999
* 14th Japan Gold Disc Awards, 1999, Pop Album of the year, "Seven Sisters"
* World Music Awards 1999 Best Selling Female Scandinavian Artist, Monte Carlo, Monaco
* The Swedish Society of Popular Music Composers Prize Award (SKAP) 2001

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Meja Beckman}}
*{{IMDb name|id=1355878|name=Meja}}
*[http://www.mejaart.com Profile], mejaart.com; accessed 19 December 2017.
*[http://www.nonviolence.com]

{{Meja|state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kullersten, Meja}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Swedish pop singers]]
[[Category:English-language singers from Sweden]]
[[Category:Swedish dance musicians]]
[[Category:Swedish women pop singers]]
[[Category:Musicians Institute alumni]]