Mrs. Greenbird is a German folk duo consisting of Sarah Nücken and Steffen Brückner. They are best known for winning season three of the German version of The X Factor.

Mrs. Greenbird
Mrs. Greenbird at a rehearsal for Unser Song für Österreich in 2015.
Mrs. Greenbird at a rehearsal for Unser Song für Österreich in 2015.
Background information
OriginNorth Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Genres
Years active2006–present
Labels
MembersSarah Nücken
Steffen Brückner

Career

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2006–2012: Formation and early career

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Nücken and Brückner met in 2006 in Cologne and formed Mrs. Greenbird.[1] The duo originally called themselves "Goldkehlchen und der Mann mit Hut" comedically before deciding on "Mrs. Greenbird". The name comes from a dead green parrot they found at their home.[2] At the time, Nücken was working as a singer in various choirs while Brückner worked with worship leaders at a church in Cologne.[2] Their first major gig as a duo was the opening act for actor and musician Tim Robbins.[3]

2012–2015: X Factor and breakthrough

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In autumn 2012, the duo participated in season three of X Factor. Throughout the show they were known for performing various songs of different genres in their folk style. Several of their covers, including "Frozen" (by Madonna) and "Blitzkrieg Bop" (by The Ramones) went on to chart in Germany and Austria. They performed an original composition "Shooting Stars & Fairy Tales" in the final round of the show and went on to win the competition. The song later charted in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland within the Top 20. On 21 December 2012 they released their début self-titled album which reached the number-one spot in Germany and Top 10 in Austria and Switzerland.[4][5][6]

2015–present: Unser Song für Österreich

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Mrs. Greenbird at a rehearsal for Unser Song für Österreich in 2015.

In January 2015, Mrs. Greenbird was revealed as one of the seven established artists taking part in Unser Song für Österreich. They competed with the songs "Shine Shine Shine" and "Take My Hand" on 5 March 2015, but did not make it to the second round of voting and were eliminated.[7][8]

Members

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  • Sarah Nücken (born (1984-01-20) 20 January 1984 (age 40) in Siegburg) – Singer, songwriter
  • Steffen Brückner (born (1976-03-25) 25 March 1976 (age 48) in Kamp-Lintfort) – Guitarist, singer, songwriter

Discography

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Albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures and certifications
Title Album details Peak chart positions
GER
[4]
AUT
[5]
SWI
[6]
Mrs. Greenbird 1 2 9
Postcards 47
Dark Waters 85

Singles

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List of singles as main artist, with selected chart positions and certifications
Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications
GER
[4]
AUT
[5]
SWI
[6]
"Blitzkrieg Bop" 2012 63 62
"Frozen" 92
"Falling Slowly" 97
"It Will Never Rain Roses" 54 58
"Shooting Stars & Fairy Tales" 14 15 16
"One Little Heart" 2013
"Everyone's the Same" 2014
"Shine Shine Shine" 2015
"Take My Hand"

References

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  1. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Mrs. Greenbird - Die Wahrheit über X-Faktor!. YouTube.
  2. ^ a b Vom Lieben und Hassen von Fernseh-Castingshows, pro Christliches Medienmagazin, Interview mit Martina Schubert, 2. November 2012
  3. ^ Sarah Nücken ist Mitglied der Band Mrs. Greenbird bei X Factor 2012, Vox, 2012
  4. ^ a b c "Mrs. Greenbird". GfK Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  5. ^ a b c "Mrs. Greenbird". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  6. ^ a b c "Mrs. Greenbird". Swiss Hitparade. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  7. ^ Sieben Vorentscheid-Acts stehen fest Archived 2015-03-04 at the Wayback Machine vom 14. Januar 2015
  8. ^ Brey, Marco (14 January 2015). "Germany: Seven national final acts announced". Eurovision.tv. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
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Preceded by X Factor (Germany)
Winner

2012
Succeeded by
Incumbent