Demet Akalın is a Turkish singer and former model. Due to the popular songs she has released since the middle of the 2000s, she has become one of the most recognizable names of Turkish pop music.
Akalın, who was born in Gölcük, Kocaeli, initially decided to pursue a career in modeling and started working as a model for Neşe Erberk's agency. She also acted in a number of motion picture films and television series in the 1990s. Simultaneously with modeling, she started singing in the casinos, and released her first studio album, Sebebim in 1996 which was not successful. With the release of the album Banane in 2004, she became well-known in Turkey. The album's lead single, "Aşkın Açamadığı Kapı", earned Akalın a Turkey Music Award for the Song of the Year. Kusursuz 19 received a gold certification from Mü-Yap and with the success of Dans Et, she became one of the influential figures of Turkish pop music. Her album Pırlanta was the best-selling album in Turkey, in 2015. Many of her songs, including "Afedersin", "Mucize", "Toz Pembe" and "Hayalet", have been number-one hits in Turkey.