Vanessa Mai - Biography and discography, all albums and songs

Vanessa Mai (born Vanessa Marija Else Mandekić; May 2, 1992, Backnang, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) — is a German singer, songwriter, actress and television presenter of Croatian descent. After marriage, her legal surname became Ferber, although professionally she continues to use the stage name Vanessa Mai. The name Mai comes from the German word for May, the month in which she was born.

Vanessa Mai first gained widespread recognition as the vocalist of the German schlager project Wolkenfrei. Since 2016, she has released music under her own name, gradually expanding her sound from pop-schlager toward pop music, dance, electropop and urban-pop.

Among Vanessa Mai's best-known songs are «Wolke 7», «Ich sterb für dich», «Meilenweit», «Regenbogen», «Wir 2 immer 1», «Venedig (Love Is in the Air)», «Sommerwind», «Happy End», «Melatonin», «Unendlich», «Himbeerrot (One Kiss)» and «Rohdiamant».

Childhood and First Performances

Vanessa Mai was born in Backnang and grew up in nearby Aspach. Her father is of Croatian descent and worked professionally in music, so performing in front of audiences became part of her life from an early age.

At around six or seven, Vanessa Mai began appearing on stage with her father, playing a small tambourine, and by approximately the age of ten she was already singing independently in front of an audience.

During her school years, Vanessa Mai took part in musical productions, including a version of «The Wizard of Oz», and trained seriously in dance. She was a member of the hip-hop team Getting Craz'd. In 2008, the group became German champions and traveled to Las Vegas for the Hip Hop World Championship. The team finished near the bottom of the international competition, but for the fifteen-year-old Vanessa Mai the trip became her first experience of performing at a major international event.

After school, Vanessa Mai completed vocational training in media design. She later used those skills in the visual presentation of music releases, music videos and her stage image.

The Origin of the Stage Name Vanessa Mai

At the beginning of her professional career, Vanessa Mai decided not to use the surname Mandekić as her stage name. The pseudonym was formed from her real first name and the word Mai — German for «May».

The genre-neutral name later proved especially convenient as Vanessa Mai moved away from traditional German schlager and began working with contemporary pop, dance and urban music.

Wolkenfrei

Vanessa Mai's professional music career began in 2012 with the group Wolkenfrei. The project was founded by Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski and was originally known as Marc-Fischer-Band. Before Vanessa Mai joined, the group's vocalist was Heike Wanner.

After Heike Wanner left for health reasons, the group needed a new singer. Vanessa Mai met the members of Wolkenfrei during a concert at Sonnenhof in Aspach, where her father's group Musik-Express was also performing during the same period. Marc Fischer invited Vanessa Mai to join the project.

The first official single by the new Wolkenfrei lineup, «Jeans, T-Shirt und Freiheit», was released on July 19, 2013. The group's early sound combined pop-schlager, dance-oriented rhythms and melodic romantic songs. It was followed by «Du bist meine Insel», «Ich versprech dir nichts und geb dir alles» and «Champs-Élysées».

Endlos verliebt and Wachgeküsst

In February 2014, Wolkenfrei released its debut studio album Endlos verliebt. The record entered the charts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and peaked at number 18 on the German albums chart.

At the time, Wolkenfrei was still a full group: Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski were publicly part of the lineup alongside Vanessa Mai. The act performed regularly at schlager concerts and on television, which gradually made Vanessa Mai known beyond the regional music scene of Baden-Württemberg.

In 2015, the second album Wachgeküsst followed. Its biggest hit was «Wolke 7», which entered the official German singles chart and topped several specialized schlager and airplay rankings.

Wachgeküsst reached number seven in Germany and number six in Austria. In spring 2015, Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski left the public lineup, after which Wolkenfrei effectively became a Vanessa Mai project.

For the album Wachgeküsst, Wolkenfrei received the Echo 2016 award in the Schlager category.

The Beginning of Her Solo Career

In 2016, Vanessa Mai stopped using the Wolkenfrei name for new releases and continued her career under her own stage name. This was not a fresh debut: by that point, Vanessa Mai already had two studio albums, several years of live experience and the hit «Wolke 7» behind her.

That same year, Vanessa Mai joined the judging panel for the thirteenth season of the television show Deutschland sucht den Superstar. She appeared alongside Dieter Bohlen, Michelle and H.P. Baxxter of Scooter. Vanessa Mai left the show after one season in order to focus on recording music and preparing her own live program.

Für Dich and Collaboration with Dieter Bohlen

On April 15, 2016, Vanessa Mai released her first studio album under her own name, Für Dich. A significant part of the material was produced by Dieter Bohlen.

The album reached number four in Germany and Austria and number six in Switzerland. In Germany, Für Dich later received multiple gold certification.

The biggest hit of this period was «Ich sterb für dich». The song was certified gold and became one of Vanessa Mai's most recognizable tracks. Other songs from the same period include «Meilenweit», «Ich hör auf mein Herz», «Phänomenal», «Herz an Herz» and «Ohne dich».

Let's Dance and Regenbogen

In spring 2017, Vanessa Mai competed on the television show Let's Dance. Her professional dance partner was Christian Polanc.

Vanessa Mai and Christian Polanc reached the final and finished in second place behind Gil Ofarim. One of the pair's most notable performances was a final freestyle inspired by «Zorro», which received maximum scores from the judges.

On August 11, 2017, Vanessa Mai released the album Regenbogen, her second major project with Dieter Bohlen. The record became the first album of Vanessa Mai's career to top the official German albums chart.

Regenbogen included «Und wenn ich träum», «Nie wieder», «Regenbogen», «Sternenmeer», «Ich kann heut' Nacht nicht schlafen» and other songs.

After the album's release, the collaboration between Vanessa Mai and Dieter Bohlen came to an end. Their ideas about the singer's future musical direction differed, and Vanessa Mai began looking for a freer approach to working with pop music.

Schlager and the Expansion of Her Musical Style

On August 3, 2018, Vanessa Mai released the album Schlager, which also reached number one on the German albums chart.

The title emphasized Vanessa Mai's connection to the genre, although the music itself was already moving beyond its traditional formula. One of the most notable experiments was the single «Wir 2 immer 1», recorded with German rapper Olexesh.

The collaboration between a schlager singer and a representative of the German rap scene received a mixed reaction from part of the traditional audience, but it matched Vanessa Mai's desire to work across different areas of contemporary popular music.

The album also included «Niemals», «Stärker», «Love Song», «Glücksbringer», «Fallschirm» and «Wiedersehen».

In the following years, Vanessa Mai increasingly stopped limiting her new recordings to the conventions of classic pop-schlager. At the same time, she did not abandon the genre itself: what changed was primarily the balance between schlager and pop, R&B, dance and urban elements.

Für immer

On January 24, 2020, Vanessa Mai released Für immer, which reached number two on the German albums chart.

The production became noticeably more diverse compared with her earlier work. Alongside pop-schlager, the arrangements featured stronger elements of contemporary electropop and radio-oriented pop music.

The album included «Venedig (Love Is in the Air)», «Forever», «Highlight», «Beste Version», «Ein letztes Mal», «Zusammen mit dir», as well as the collaborative tracks «Hast du jemals» and «Ja Nein Vielleicht» with Stereoact.

Acting and On Mai Way

In 2020, Vanessa Mai made her debut in a major dramatic television role. In the ARD film Nur mit Dir zusammen, she played Juli, a young singer trying to continue her music career after receiving a serious diagnosis. One of the other central roles was played by Axel Prahl.

In November 2020, SWR launched the program On Mai Way with Vanessa Mai as host. The format combined interviews with exercise: Vanessa Mai spoke with guests while they trained on treadmills, with the physical intensity increasing during the episode.

The show featured musicians, actors, bloggers and other public figures. Between 2020 and 2023, seven seasons and approximately 65 episodes were released.

Mai Tai

On March 26, 2021, Vanessa Mai released the album Mai Tai. The title referred both to the singer's stage name and to the well-known cocktail.

The album reached number three in Germany. It included «Sommerwind», «Mitternacht» with Fourty, «Leichter», «Ruf nicht mehr an», «Augenblick», «Mai Tai» and «Auf anderen Wegen».

By this point, Vanessa Mai was significantly more involved in writing her own material. Her regular creative partners included Christoph Cronauer, Daniel Cronauer and Matthias Zürkler. At the same time, her circle of guest collaborators continued to expand: for example, she recorded the song «Landebahn» with Ardian Bujupi.

Metamorphose

On August 12, 2022, Vanessa Mai released the album Metamorphose, which reached number three on the German albums chart.

Sonically, the project moved noticeably closer to the contemporary German pop and urban-pop scene. The album featured Sido on «Happy End», ART on «Melatonin», CIVO on «Schwarze Herzen» and Mike Singer on «Als ob du mich liebst».

The album also included the duet «Unendlich» with Andrea Berg. The collaboration attracted attention not only because of the artists involved: Andrea Berg is the stepmother of Vanessa Mai's husband, Andreas Ferber.

I Do It Mai Way

In November 2022, Vanessa Mai published the autobiographical book I Do It Mai Way.

In the book, Vanessa Mai discussed the beginning of her career, the Wolkenfrei period, the reaction of traditional schlager audiences to changes in her music and her desire for greater creative control. One of its central themes was the difference between the expectations of the music industry and Vanessa Mai's own ideas about how her career should develop.

The Return of Wolkenfrei

At the beginning of 2023, Vanessa Mai began using the Wolkenfrei name again. This did not mean a reunion of the original lineup with Marc Fischer and Stefan Kinski: the name was used as a separate Vanessa Mai project for material oriented toward pop-schlager.

The first single after the return was «Uns gehört die Welt». On March 31, 2023, the album Hotel Tropicana was released, also featuring «Flieg mit mir», «Hotel Tropicana», «Selfie von heut Nacht», «Summer Kisses» and «Zurück im Zauberland».

Hotel Tropicana reached number three in Germany. The return of the Wolkenfrei name allowed Vanessa Mai to separate two directions within her discography: more traditional pop-schlager could be released under the historic project name, while music under Vanessa Mai could continue exploring contemporary pop and dance sounds.

Matrix

On May 3, 2024, Vanessa Mai released the album Matrix. Across its thirteen tracks, elements of dance-pop and contemporary German pop became significantly more prominent.

The album included «Oben», «Nicht von dieser Erde», «Limited Edition», «Löwenherz», «Leb den Tag zweimal», «Wir lieben das» and the title track «Matrix».

For «Tragic (Never Let Go)», Vanessa Mai worked with Polish producer Tribbs, while «Pink» was recorded with the German DJ project HBz.

Matrix is among the most electronically oriented works in Vanessa Mai's discography and differs noticeably from the early Wolkenfrei albums.

Warner Music and Traumfabrik

In autumn 2024, Vanessa Mai ended her long-running partnership with Ariola / Sony Music, which had begun during the Wolkenfrei era. The next stage of her discography was connected with Warner Music.

Among the first releases of the new period were «Himbeerrot (One Kiss)», «Lobby» and the Christmas song «Schneemann».

On October 10, 2025, Vanessa Mai released the album Traumfabrik. While working on the material, she again collaborated with Christoph Cronauer, Daniel Cronauer and Matthias Zürkler.

The album included:

• «Himbeerrot (One Kiss)»;
• «Traumfabrik»;
• «Küss mich wach»;
• «Auf freien Feldern»;
• «Von London nach New York»;
• «Sorry Sorry»;
• «Keine deiner Worte»;
• «100% verliebt»;
• «Nimmerland»;
• «Lobby»;
• «Für mich bist du Liebe»;
• «Lieber Zweifel»;
• «Schneemann».

Traumfabrik reached number eight on the main German albums chart and number one on the German Schlager Album Chart. The album combined contemporary pop production with melodic and structural elements characteristic of pop-schlager.

MaiMusic and the 2026 Releases

In 2026, Vanessa Mai launched her own music label, MaiMusic, expanding her independent involvement in new releases.

On April 24, 2026, she released the single «Rohdiamant». Its songwriters included Maite Kelly, Christoph Cronauer, Daniel Cronauer and Matthias Zürkler.

On June 26, Vanessa Mai released «Ich sterb für dich (10th Anniversary Edition)» — a new version of one of the defining hits of her solo career. The release appeared through Electrola with the involvement of MaiMusic.

On August 7, she followed with the English-language single «In The Summertime», and on August 21, 2026, with «Ich Fall in Love».

By autumn 2026, Vanessa Mai was developing MaiMusic while also collaborating with Electrola / Universal Music.

Musical Style

The foundation of the early Wolkenfrei recordings and Vanessa Mai's first solo albums was pop-schlager: dance-oriented rhythms, synthesizer arrangements, melodic choruses and predominantly romantic themes.

Beginning with the album Schlager, Vanessa Mai increasingly incorporated elements from other genres. «Wir 2 immer 1» with Olexesh connected her discography with the German rap scene, Für immer strengthened the electronic pop component, while Mai Tai and Metamorphose included elements of urban-pop, R&B and contemporary dance music.

On Matrix, the emphasis shifted even further toward pop and dance. At the same time, the return of Wolkenfrei in 2023 preserved a separate space for more traditional schlager material.

Traumfabrik combined these directions: contemporary pop production sits alongside melodic and compositional techniques associated with German pop-schlager.

Songwriting

During the early stage of her career, Vanessa Mai primarily performed material written by professional songwriting teams. During her collaboration with Dieter Bohlen, her direct involvement in songwriting remained limited, although on Regenbogen Vanessa Mai was already credited as a co-writer on several tracks.

After the end of her collaboration with Dieter Bohlen, Vanessa Mai's involvement in songwriting expanded significantly. She is credited as a writer on a number of later songs, including «Highlight», «Sommerwind», «Mai Tai», «Mitternacht», «Melatonin», «Himbeerrot (One Kiss)» and «Traumfabrik».

As a result, in the later part of her discography Vanessa Mai appears not only as a vocalist but also as a direct participant in the songwriting process.

Television, Film and Media

Alongside her music career, Vanessa Mai has worked in television and media formats. Her main projects include:

• Deutschland sucht den Superstar — judge in 2016;
• Let's Dance — finalist and runner-up in 2017;
• Nur mit Dir zusammen — one of the lead roles in the 2020 television film;
• On Mai Way — host of the SWR project from 2020 to 2023;
• Celebrity Hunted — participant in 2021;
• Sturm der Liebe — guest appearance in 2023.

In 2026, Vanessa Mai launched the podcast «Schön Laut» together with Lola Weippert.

Personal Life

In 2012, Vanessa Mai met Andreas Ferber, who later became her manager. Andreas Ferber is the son of Uli Ferber and the stepson of singer Andrea Berg.

Vanessa Mai and Andreas Ferber began a relationship in 2013. In June 2017, they married: first in a civil ceremony in Baden-Württemberg, followed by a church wedding in Mallorca.

After marriage, the singer's legal surname became Ferber, although she retained the name Vanessa Mai for music, television and other public projects.

Awards and Certifications

• Echo 2016 — winner in the Schlager category for the album Wachgeküsst as part of Wolkenfrei;
• Die Eins der Besten — awards and special honors within the German schlager scene.

Vanessa Mai's commercial achievements include multiple gold certification for the album Für Dich in Germany and gold certification for the single «Ich sterb für dich».

Studio Albums

Wolkenfrei:

• 2014 — Endlos verliebt;
• 2015 — Wachgeküsst;
• 2023 — Hotel Tropicana.

Vanessa Mai:

• 2016 — Für Dich;
• 2017 — Regenbogen;
• 2018 — Schlager;
• 2020 — Für immer;
• 2021 — Mai Tai;
• 2022 — Metamorphose;
• 2024 — Matrix;
• 2025 — Traumfabrik.

Vanessa Mai Today

Over the course of her career, Vanessa Mai has developed from the vocalist of Wolkenfrei into an independent pop artist, songwriter and owner of her own music label. Her early connection with schlager has not disappeared: Vanessa Mai continues to work with the genre, but no longer limits her main discography to it.

Vanessa Mai's music spans pop-schlager, dance-pop, electropop and urban-pop, while her creative partners over the years have included Dieter Bohlen, Olexesh, Sido, ART, CIVO, Mike Singer, Andrea Berg, Stereoact, Tribbs, HBz, Christoph Cronauer, Daniel Cronauer and Matthias Zürkler.

The launch of MaiMusic in 2026 continued her move toward greater independence in music and releases. By this point, Vanessa Mai's catalog included material released as Wolkenfrei, eight solo studio albums and collaborations with artists from different areas of the German pop, rap and electronic music scenes.