Agnes

Responsible for one of the biggest dance hits of 2009, vocal diva Agnes is one of the few European Pop Idol winners to make an impact in the U.K. charts. Born Agnes Emilia Carlsson in Vanesborg, Sweden in 1988, she began performing at a young age, singing in the church choir and playing the violin in school concerts. Influenced by Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Janet Jackson, she auditioned for Sweden's 2005 series of Pop Idol. Although she initially failed to make it through to both the final 11 and the wild-card round, she was eventually chosen as the Judges' Choice contestant. Thanks to stellar performances of tracks by Oasis, Irene Cara, and Avril Lavigne, she was crowned Sweden's first female Pop Idol, defeating runner-up Sebastian Karlsson with 57 percent of the vote. After signing to Sony BMG, both her debut single, "Right Here, Right Now," and self-titled first album reached number one. Follow-up LP Stronger also debuted at number one, but in 2008, she left the label due to creative differences. She soon landed a deal with Roxy Recordings and began recording her third album, Dance Love Pop, with Anders Hansson.