| Erika-Jo | |
 | |
| Erika-Jo in 2013 | |
| Born | Erica Sophia Elaine Malcolm 17 May 1980 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Hometown | Malmö, Sweden |
| Occupation | Singer, songwriter |
| Genres | Reggae, dancehall, R&B, soul |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Label | Universal Music Sweden |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Eurovision Song Contest | |
| Country |  Sweden
|
Erica Sophia Elaine Malcolm (born 17 May 1980), better known as Erika-Jo, is an American-Swedish singer and songwriter. She competed in Svensksong 1 with the song "Up Up Up".
Life and career[]
Early life[]
Erika-Jo was born on 17 May 1980 in The Bronx, New York City. Her father, Robert, is Jamaican, while her mother, Anna, is Swedish. She has two younger brothers. When she was seven years old, the family moved to Sweden, and settled in Malmö.
Erika-Jo graduated from compulsory schooling in 1996, and later began studying at a music school. She graduated from music school in 1999. After her graduation from high school, Erika-Jo returned to New York City, and studied at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. She graduated from university in 2003.
2003–2009: Career beginnings[]
After graduating from university, Erika-Jo settled in Astoria, Queens and began a career as a musician. She was signed to an independent label and released her debut studio album, Firefly, in 2006. The album was largely considered to be R&B and soul in character. However, the album was not a commercial success. After the release of Firefly, Erika-Jo was dropped from her label and returned to Sweden, settling in Stockholm.
2009–2016: Early Swedish career[]
In 2009, she was signed to Universal Music Sweden, and began to establish herself as a reggae and dancehall musician, channeling her Jamaican roots. She released her debut single, "Shooting Star", in 2011. While the song was not a massive commercial success, it peaked at number-76 in Sweden and number-100 in Denmark, and was also used in Swedish and Danish media.
Erika-Jo released various singles throughout the early-2010s, and in 2012 she released her debut Swedish album, Quicksand, which did not reach the top twenty in Sweden.
2016–present: Svensksong 1[]
In 2016, Erika-Jo was confirmed to be taking part in Svensksong 1, with the song "Up Up Up". She performed the song in the second semi-final, but did not advance to the final.
Personal life[]
Erika-Jo is a tri-citizen; having citizenship to Sweden, the United States, and Jamaica. She currently resides in Stockholm, Sweden. Erika-Jo married Danish sculptor Johannes Nyberg in 2012. They have one daughter, Lisabet, born in 2014.
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | DEN | ||
| Firefly |
|
— | — |
| Quicksand |
|
30 | 50 |
Singles[]
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SWE | DEN | ||||
| "Velveteen" | 2006 | — | — |
|
Firefly |
| "Shooting Star" | 2011 | 76 | 100 |
|
Quicksand |
| "My Oh My" | 2012 | — | — |
| |
| "Little Girls" | — | — |
| ||
| "Preacher" | 2013 | — | — |
|
Non-album single(s) |
| "Try Me" | 2014 | — | — |
| |
| "Daddy" | — | — |
| ||
| "Dance Alone" | 2015 | — | — |
| |
| "Up Up Up" | 2017 | — | — |
| |