FRIDA GOLD

Fronted by part-time model Alina Süggeler, co-ed dance-pop band Frida Gold have a strong following in Germany. The band took root in Hattingen, where Süggeler attended high school with guitarist Julian Cassel. After playing together in the local band Amnesia, the two formed Linarockt, a guitar-based rock group that also featured drummer Thomas Holtgreve. Linarockt eventually dissolved into Frida Gold, with Andreas "Andi" Weizel playing bass and a bright, danceable pop sound replacing the band's rock-oriented beginnings. Frida Gold signed with Warner Music and released their debut single, "Zeig Mir Wie Du Tanzt," in 2010. Although "Zeig Mir Wie Du Tanzt" cracked the German Top 40, aided in part by its inclusion in a cell phone commercial, the band's next two singles -- "Wovon Sollen Wir Träumen" and the gold-certified "Unsere Liebe Ist aus Gold" -- charted even higher, establishing Frida Gold as one of Germany's hottest pop acts and driving up anticipation for the group's full-length debut. Juwel eventually appeared in April 2011, and the band supported its release by opening several dates for Kylie Minogue. The band traveled to Los Angeles to record their follow-up album, 2013's Liebe Ist Meine Religion. The album featured the breakout hit "Love Is My Rebellion," which charted at number four in Germany and eventually went gold. ~ Andrew Leahey