Katie Melua

Katie Melua is a Georgian British singer-songwriter known for her sophisticated blend of jazz, folk, blues and pop. Born in Georgia when it was still part of the USSR and raised in Belfast, Melua discovered music through her uncle's Queen and Led Zeppelin records. Her talent emerged early, winning a competition on the British game show Mad for It in 2000. She later honed her craft at London's BRIT School for the Performing Arts, where a showcase performance led to a career-defining meeting with producer and future manager Mike Batt. Melua’s 2003 debut album, Call Off the Search, topped the UK charts for six weeks and achieved sextuple platinum status. Her follow-up, 2005’s Piece by Piece, reached No. 1 in multiple countries, including the UK and the Netherlands. In the decades to follow, she continued to release albums at a steady pace, particularly in the 2020s. Her third live LP—Live at the Royal Albert Hall—came out in 2024.