Kerstin Ott

Although she performed in German folk singer Rolf Zuckowski’s choir as a child, singer-songwriter Kerstin Ott initially passed on a music career to become a painter. ∙ Now one of the best-selling singles in German history, her breakout hit, “Die immer lacht,” didn’t gain traction until 2015—a decade after it was written—when electronic duo Stereoact remixed it. ∙ “Scheissmelodie,” the lead track from her 2016 debut, Herzbewohner, landed in the Top 10 on iTunes within a day of its release and has since racked up more than 54 million views. ∙ German superstar Helene Fischer sang with her on the smash “Regenbogenfarben,” an inspirational marriage-equality anthem that was the theme song for Berlin’s Pride Week in 2018. ∙ A four-time Echo Music Prize nominee, Ott was named Singer of the Year in 2019 by Das Große Fest der Besten. ∙ Breaking show norms, she was the first female contestant to have a same-gender partner when she competed on Let’s Dance, the German version of Dancing With the Stars, in 2019.