Awarded ‘Best Selling Benelux Artist Worldwide’ at the ‘World Music Awards’, Belgian singer Kate Ryan continues to conquer the charts and the hearts of pop/dance music lovers worldwide. Backed by the pan-European success of her rendition of Desireless’s 1986 dance hit Voyage, Voyage, that climbed the charts in the Benelux, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland and Austria, Kate Ryan released Ella, Elle L’a, a brilliant remake of French pop diva France Gall’s tribute to Ella Fitzgerald from Gall’s 1985 hit album Babacar, scoring a massive hit from Europe to Canada this year.
Kate Ryan’s music career took off in 2001 when she released Belgium’s best selling dance single Scream For More. One year later, with Désenchantée, upgrading French dance diva Myléne Farmer’s original to become an acclaimed dance floor filler, Kate Ryan first gave proof of international chart potential with top notch chart positions all over Europe - propelling the track into the European Chart top 10 and the UK Dance Charts - selling a solid 600.000 copies and posting an unprecedented success for a new and upcoming artist.
Different, Kate Ryan’s debut album, featuring both Scream For More, Désenchantée and the two follow-up hits Libertine (another Farmer remake) and Mon Coeur Résiste Encore was released in 2002 and sold over 250.000 copies Europe-wide, achieving gold and platinum status in many countries.
After two years of extensive touring all over Europe, Kate Ryan released in 2004 Stronger, her second studio album of which the singles Only If I and the Cock Robin remake The Promise You Made met with European chart success and opened the door to the U.S. dance market with top 10 positions in the Billboard Hot Dance charts.
In 2006, Kate Ryan was selected to represent Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens, Greece. The single Je T’Adore was widely promoted in a pan-European tour spanning twelve countries and co-financed by the Flemish Cultural Minister, the Belgian public broadcaster and her record company. Despite the fact that Kate couldn’t win the Eurovision, Je T’Adore became her next number one hit in Belgium and Poland, with huge sales in many other European countries.
Later that same year, Kate Ryan started touring with a live band, clearly depicting her abilities as a live performing artist, combining high energy dance and pop with rock and acoustic songs. On stage, Kate plays guitar and piano, amazing audiences that until then only knew her ‘dance’ image.
With her third studio album Alive, Kate perfectly wraps up her career over 2006. The album was released in all European countries, fuelled by hits such as Je T’Adore, Alive and All For You.
Alive was also the name of Kate Ryan’s first ever live concert in her own right - staged in October 2007 at the brand new 7.000 capacity Lotto Arena in Antwerp - crucial in the upward motion of Kate’s musical career, offering a stunning two-hour show combining her greatest hits with top notch choreography and an exciting production in sound and light.
In 2007, Kate Ryan decided to change both her management and record label and opted for the enthusiasm and drive of ARS Entertainment, the leading Belgian independent that made its way internationally with the eighties dance anthem Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic.
Kate’s first release with ARS Entertainment was Voyage, Voyage, going straight to the top of the Benelux charts, awarded with gold in Belgium.
Backed by the structure of Universal Music in Europe, Kate Ryan is determined to continue the path of success worldwide. June 2008 saw the international release of Free, her fourth album: a collection of 13 English and French language songs, with Kate appearing as songwriter on most of the tracks. Free also features Kate Ryan’s first song in Spanglish, Tonight we ride/No digas que no a duet with Spanish pop diva Soraya.
The album Free has gone gold in several territories, the single Ella Elle L’a achieved top ten positions in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and many other countries. In Spain, Ella Elle L’a has been the number one download for 8 consecutive weeks, selling over 200.000 copies, which is 10 times Platinum.
Kate was awarded with a World Music Award for Best Selling Benelux Artist Worldwide in November 2008. She performed on the same stage as Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Kid Rock, Alicia Keys and many more.
La Kate’s trademark is to remake big French hits from the past. Many of her versions even became bigger hits than the original. The new Kate Ryan concept album French Connection includes the floor filling ‘Kate Ryan-treatments’ of Voyage, Voyage, Désenchantée and Libertine, but also the worldwide hit single Ella Elle L’a and Babacar. French Connection also features remakes of other well known French tracks such as Les Divas Du Dancing, Sage Comme une Image, Toute Première Fois and Kate’s breathtaking version of Evidemment...
