Jelena Karleuša (Belgrade, August 17, 1978) is a Serbian pop singer and media personality. She started her career in 1995 with her debut album mirrors, whom she promoted as a sixteen-year-old with a hit song mirrors – The album sold 100,000 copies. later albums like witches, fairies (1997) and Jelena (1998) were sold out in circulations of about 150,000 and 300,000, respectively, 300,000 copies, which is an exceptional success for the domestic scene. During her career, Karleuša released several hit albums and singles that strengthened her among the leading regional performers. In addition to her musical career, she is also known for her television engagements – she was a member of the jury at the show Grand stars (2015–2021), and since the fall of 2025, she has also become a member of the jury of the popular music competition Pink stars.
Early life and education
Jelena Karleuša was born on August 17, 1978 in Belgrade. He is the only child of the famous radio journalist Diva Karleuša and police captain Dragan Karleuša. She grew up in the Belgrade settlement of Fontana, and was educated at the Zemun high school and at the Novi Belgrade High School of Touristics. She also attended elementary music school – she played the flute, and in her childhood she always showed a penchant for art and performances in front of the audience. As a person, she was curious and extremely confident from a young age; Many have noticed her unique style of dressing and expression, which will later follow her throughout her career.
music career
Karleuša made her 1995 album debut with the album mirrors (disco), on which all the texts were written by Dragan Brajović, and the music was composed by Zoran Tutunović. The album immediately became a commercial success (100,000 copies sold). In the following years, she released a number of studio albums that also sold well:
- ‘Get Married Boys’ (1996) – Second album, collaboration with Zlaja band, circulation of 100,000 copies.
- ‘Witches, Fairies’ (1997) – Third album with the title song ‘Veštice, vile’, circulation of 150,000 copies.
- ‘Jelena’ (1998) – the fourth album, which includes the hits ‘Jelena’ and ‘Kume’, with a circulation of 300,000 copies.
- ‘Gili, Gili’ (1999) – The fifth album, the title song is also a big hit; sold out in 250,000 copies.
- ‘For your age’ (2001) – After a short break, she returned to the scene with this album; 200,000 copies, single madman It became the hit of the year.
- ‘Only for your eyes’ (2002) – The seventh album recorded in collaboration with Greek producers (Phoebus), distributed in 220,000 copies in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
- ‘Magic’ (2005) – The eighth studio album released for City Records, he did a fashion and music experiment, without precise circulations (album was accepted by fans).
- ‘Revolution’ (2008) – the ninth album that focused on club and hip-hop music; He was preceded by a single Casino. Album Revolution It was published in 400,000 copies.
- ‘Diva’ (2012) – The tenth album, named after the song of the same name, which confirmed the status of the pop diva.
- ‘Alpha’ (2023) and ‘Omega’ (2023) – The latest albums released in August 2023 (one after the other) in collaboration with Virgin Music.
Jelena Karleuša is known for her energetic performances, spectacular concerts and attractive videos. Some of her most famous singles are ‘Karleus’, ‘crime work’, ‘Evidence’, ‘Marijuana’ During her career, she won numerous regional music awards (eg for the best pop-folk singer, hit or music video), and many media gave her epithets such as ‘Balkan Madonna’ because of her unique style and great popularity on social networks. Indeed, Karleuša was among the first from Serbia to reach one million followers on Instagram, which testifies to her wide popularity and influence on the younger audience.
Television engagements
In addition to her music career, Karleuša was also involved in television. Her most famous role was as members of the jury in the regional talent show Grand stars (Prva tv production), where she evaluated young singers from 2015 to 2021. In 2024, her participation in another big show was announced: the owner of TV Pink, Željko Mitrović, announced that Karleuša would become the fifth member of the jury of the music competition Pink stars. As reported by the media, Mitrović and Karleuša signed the contract, and Mitrović called it a ‘symbol of reconciliation’ in the show’s unique jury. With this, Karleuša continued her television engagement even after Zvezda Granda, confirming that she still has a significant role in the region.
personal life
- Family: Her mother was the legendary radio journalist Divna Karleuša, and her father Dragan was the police captain.
- Marriages: She married businessman Bojan Karić for the first time in 2004, but the marriage broke up after a few monthsbiography.org. She entered into her second marriage in June 2008 with soccer player Duško Tošić. She had two daughters with him – Athens (born in 2009) and Nika (born in 2011). In July 2022, Karleuša announced that she was divorcing Tošić after 14 years, ending one of the most famous pop love stories.
- Other activities: In addition to music and television, Karleuša collaborated on various fashion projects and humanitarian actions (eg dedicating part of the fee for some concerts for charity). She often points out that she wants to be an example of expressing freedom and self-confidence for young women in life, which is evident in her interviews and public appearances.
Stylistic image and public perception
Throughout her career, Jelena Karleuša built the image of an eclectic, provocative artist. Her fashion style is often eccentric and inspired by world trends, which is why she was remembered in the media as the ‘Balkan Madonna’ or ‘Serbian Lady Gaga’. The public was also intrigued by her undisguised sincerity: Karleuša often speaks openly about politics, pop issues or personal beliefs. This led her to many public conflicts – on social networks she knew how to enter into a discussion with colleagues such as Svetlana Ražnatović, Aca Lukas, Severina, Viki Miljković and many others. Like some foreign stars, even she had outbursts ‘without a hair on her tongue’ – for example, she joked with famous world names such as Kim Kardashian and Madonna. Because of this, she gained a reputation as an extremely direct and sometimes controversial person in the public, but also great media attention. At the same time, many praise her for not being afraid to criticize social injustices and cause discussions on important topics.
Conclusion
Jelena Karleuša remains one of the most recognizable pop stars in the region. With her charisma, voice and fearless public appearances, she created faithful followers, but also caused numerous controversies. Today, as a member of the jury Pink stars, is still often in the center of attention of the media. If you are interested in more about her work – upcoming concerts, new albums or television performances – we recommend that you follow her official profiles on social networks and relevant music news.
Sources: Detailed data on Jelena Karleuša’s career and life were collected from media reports and interviews, and from proven online encyclopedias.
