Annett Louisan

Annett Louisan (born Annett Päge; 2 April 1977) is a German singer. Louisan is her stage name, derived from the name of her grandmother, Louise. Her first album, Bohème, was listed on the German charts for almost a year, with a peak ranking of third place. Musical style Louisan plays a wide variety of music with blues, soul, jazz and swing. The lyrics of her songs are mostly about love, failure and disappointment. Annett Louisan is one of the few German artists who have obtained a high-profile with chanson-style songs. Apart from Louisan's own musical interpretation this is due to the lyrics of her producer, Frank Ramond, as well as the compositions of her songwriters, Hardy Kayser and Matthias Hass. Her lyrics also deal with the politicized issues of female self-conception and societal roles, creating a complex ambivalence. This became most apparent with her first single Das Spiel. In this song roles with contrary approaches to sexuality and interpersonal relationships (i.e. the child, the woman and the emancipated career) are combined. Musically, her second album moves away from pop and concentrates more on the French-German chanson-tradition. Bal-musette, Tango and Bossa Nova rhythms give the songs diversity. Unobtrusive backings allow the often breathy voice of Louisan to remain prominent.