Person celebrates birthday by dancing enthusiastically

Rewritten Article:

Celebrating 65 with a Dance: Iconic Singer Nena's Birthday Bash

Nena, the beloved German music sensation behind the global hit "99 Luftballons," turns 65 today. With a career spanning over four decades and a catalogue of chart-topping songs, she continues to captivate audiences worldwide. However, she's no stranger to controversy, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this extraordinary day, Nena plans to celebrate with a "spring dance that symbolizes rebirth and a new start," as she told the Bild newspaper. "Every day is a gift, and today is no exception," Nena stated. "I don't dwell on age; I feel ageless and unbound by numerical constraints."

Expressing her gratitude, she added, "I wake up each morning thanking the heavens for another chance at life." Her parents, she emphasized, were the key to her journey, stating, "They made my life possible."

Born Gabriele Susanne Kerner

At 65, Nena boasts not only a successful music career but also a family of five children and multiple grandchildren. Sadly, her firstborn son passed away in infancy.

Born in Hagen, Germany on March 24, 1960, Nena rose to fame as part of the New German Wave (NDW) movement. The international success of "99 Luftballons" catapulted her into the limelight, making her a household name not just in Germany but across the globe.

Nena and her band made headways in the early 1980s with their hit single "Nur geträumt," but it was their debut album "Nena" in January 1983, with the chart-dominating "99 Luftballons," that skyrocketed them to stardom.

The Unforgettable "99 Luftballons"

The infectious anti-war tune reached the pinnacle of the German charts for an astounding 23 weeks, sparking a massive Nena craze that eventually spread across continents, albeit slightly delayed.

Ironically, Nena's fame can be traced back to Christiane Felscherinow, a Berlin musician and author made famous by the book "Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo" at the end of the 1970s. While promoting the film adaptation in Los Angeles, Felscherinow played "99 Luftballons" on radio DJ Rodney Bingenheimer's popular show, thanks to whom the song became popular in the USA.

Despite the song's German lyrics, it reached the second spot on the US charts in March 1983 and sold a million copies. The song's popularity then spread to Japan, Mexico, Canada, and Australia, with an English version of the track later topping the UK charts as well.

Evolving Success in Business

Additional Read: Nena: The Composer Still Thrives thanks to "99 Luftballons"

Nena may not have replicated her initial success, but she continues to be a force in the music industry, regularly gracing the German charts with her albums. A new generation recognizes her as a judge on reality TV shows like "The Voice of Germany" and "The Voice Kids."

Yet, Nena's polarizing nature surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic when she expressed support for "Querdenker" protesters, which included right-wing extremists. Her concert was halted when she encouraged the audience to ignore pandemic protocols from the stage. In 2021, she was spotted at a party with guests from the "Querdenker" scene and the Reich citizen movement. Several of Nena's performances were cancelled as organizers distanced themselves from her actions.

Source: ntv.de | vpr/dpa/spot

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Pop music

Nena, the iconic figure behind the pop music sensation "99 Luftballons" and a significant contributor to the New German Wave movement, celebrates her 65th birthday today, a milestone in her four-decade career that continues to made music history.
Despite the controversy surrounding her, Nena's debut album, simply titled "Nena," featuring the chart-topping "99 Luftballons," skyrocketed her and her band to stardom in the early 1980s, launching a career that spans across continents and genres.
As she turns 65, Nena reflects on the meaning of her success, attributing it to her passion, her resilience, and the support of her parents, who made her life possible, like the lyrics of her unforgettable hit "99 Luftballons" that continue to resonate across the charts.