We’ve all seen the talent shows on television where singers compete to be their country’s next big musical superstar. But even if you don’t end up winning the show, the exposure can be enough to propel your career. Max Giesinger is a great example of how losing can still be winning.
The smooth and soulful pop singer only finished fourth in the debut season of The Voice of Germany. But looking at his career trajectory you would have no idea. Giesinger’s songs have been on the music charts of the German-speaking world. And his success has kept him on those television competition shows: but not in quite the same way. Instead of being a competitor, Giesinger has coached the ambitious singers of the next generation on The Voice Kids.
Giesinger’s clear vocal style makes it ideal for ambitious German language learners who want to practice their language skills and sing along. So this month, let’s better get to know Max Giesinger!
Get to Know Max Giesinger
Max Giesinger was born on October 3, 1988, in Waldbronn, near Karlsruhe, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. After his parents separated, he lived with his mother while his brother lived with his father.
Giesinger caught the music bug early on. At 13 he played in his first band, the Deadly Punks. But it wouldn’t be his last band as he played in a number of groups during his school years. During a foreign work program to Australia and New Zealand, Giesinger continued to pursue music by working as a street musician.
In the mid-2000s, he started a YouTube channel where he posted videos of him playing covers as well as his own original songs.
But it was in 2011 when Giesinger competed on the debut season of The Voice of Germany that really gave his musical career a bump.
Music of Max Giesinger
After his exit from the TV singing competition show, Giesinger released the 2013 EP entitled Unser Sommer (Our Summer). But due to differences with his record label, a pop singer’s debut album experienced a bit of a delay.
In order to release his first album, Giesinger went straight to his fans. Using a crowdfunding campaign he raised the financing for 2014’s Laufen lernen (which translates to Finding your feet or Learning to walk). His original goal was to raise ten thousand Euros to cover production costs. Giesinger’s fans came through for him, providing more than double that amount.
The resulting album was exactly what you would expect from Giesinger: smooth, soulful ballads and gentle upbeat tracks. The album, however, failed to make an impact on the German, Austrian, or Swiss music charts.
But Giesinger’s luck changed with 2016’s Der Junge, der rennt (The boy who runs). The album’s debut single, “80 Millionen,” went to number two in the German charts and subsequently became a platinum single. It also won Giesinger the 1 Live Krone that year in the “best single” category. Where Laufen lernen was gentle and happy to fly under the radar, Der Junge, der rennt is less passive. There is more insistence and drive in both Giesinger’s vocals and his songs.
With his third album, 2018’s Die Reise, Giesinger nearly reached the top of the German charts. His number two album spent 44 weeks on the charts thanks to soaring anthems like “Legenden” as well as a pop collaboration with singer Lotte on “Auf das, was da noch kommt.”
Giesinger continues to entice his fans. In 2021, he has released a few new singles for a forthcoming album. “Der letzte Tag” harkens back to earlier Giesinger: thoughtful, poppy, and melodic. But this time there’s clear and definite confidence. Giesinger’s fourth album is tentatively planned for a late-2021 release.
Looking for another Ohrwurm to help you learn German? Check out previously featured musicians and bands!
Photo by Christoph Köstlin, courtesy of Karsten Jahnke Konzertdirektion. This post contains affiliate links.
