Era Istrefi

Era Istrefi is an Albanian-Kosovar singer born on 4 July 1994 in Pristina, Kosovo. She began her career in 2013 performing simply as Era, releasing the single «Mani Per Money», followed by «E Dehun» in 2014, both blending pop with Balkan and reggae influences and finding success across Albania and Kosovo. Her breakthrough came with «Bonbon» in 2015, a dance-pop track that became a viral international hit, eventually leading to a deal with Ultra Music and Sony Music and a re-release of the song for global audiences.

Istrefi's sound sits at the intersection of pop, R&B, electronic and rap, often built around catchy hooks and playful, sing-song melodies delivered in both Albanian and English. Following her breakout she released an English-language version of «Bonbon» and collaborated with Post Malone on a remix, further cementing her crossover appeal. Tracks like «Redrum», «Oh God» and «No I Love Yous» showed her range across moodier electronic-pop and more radio-friendly material.

Her song «Prisoner» and continued output such as «Nuk E Di» kept her relevant in both Balkan and Western pop markets. Istrefi remains one of the most internationally recognized artists to emerge from Kosovo, known for bridging regional pop traditions with mainstream electronic and hip-hop-inflected production.