Eric Khaled Saade (born 29 October 1990) is a Swedish pop singer and children’s television presenter. After two years with the boyband What’s Up!, he left in February 2009 to pursue a solo career. Eric Saade will represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Germany after winning the national Swedish selection Melodifestivalen 2011 with his entry “Popular”.
Saade grew up in Kattarp outside Helsingborg to a father of Palestinian origins and a Swedish mother. They divorced when Saade was four. He is the second of eight siblings and half siblings. Saade began writing songs at age 13. Football had been Saade’s number one interest up until he signed his first music contract at 15, which resulted in one album and three singles. None of them charted. He also came to prominence after he won the Swedish music contest Joker (now Popkorn).
