Vanilla Ninja
Vanilla Ninja is an Estonian all-female rock band from Tallinn, formed in 2002. The group achieved commercial success in Estonia and across Europe, particularly following the release of their second studio album, Traces of Sadness (2004), which reached the top five of the album charts in Germany and Austria and was certified gold in both countries and platinum in Estonia. The album produced several of the group's best-known singles, including "Tough Enough", "Don't Go Too Fast", "Liar", and "When the Indians Cry".
The band's original lineup consisted of Maarja Kivi, Lenna Kuurmaa, Katrin Siska, and Piret Järvis. Their self-titled debut album, Vanilla Ninja (2003) reached number one and was certified platinum in Estonia. Kivi left the group in 2004 and was replaced by Triinu Kivilaan. Following Kivilaan's departure in 2005, the group continued as a trio and released Blue Tattoo (2005) and Love Is War (2006). Blue Tattoo became their highest-charting album in Switzerland and reached the top ten in Estonia, Germany, and Austria.
Vanilla Ninja represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Cool Vibes", finishing eighth in the final. The group had previously competed in Eurolaul 2003 with "Club Kung-Fu", finishing ninth, and returned to the competition in Eurolaul 2007 with "Birds of Peace", which finished fourth. After a period of inactivity, Vanilla Ninja reunited in 2021 and released their fifth studio album, Encore.
In 2022, Kerli Kivilaan joined the band following the departures of Siska and Triinu Kivilaan. In 2026, the group won Eesti Laul 2026 with the song "Too Epic to Be True" and represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, where they finished eleventh in the first semi-final. The 2026 lineup consisted of Kuurmaa, Järvis, and Kerli Kivilaan.
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