Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria
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Cover Feature
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Alice Merton
ALICE MERTON: CRAFTING RESILIENCE, MELODY AND MEANING From Berlin beginnings to global acclaim, Alice Merton’s third studio album marks her most personal and daring work yet. TEXT: NANE STEINHOFF
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PHOTOS: ELIAS KÖHLER
Singer-songwriter Alice Merton released her eagerly awaited third studio album, Visions, on 16 January 2026. For an artist whose journey has spanned continents, genres and the shifting tides of the music industry, her latest album is a testament to the power of selfbelief, creative autonomy and the pursuit of authenticity as the story of Alice Merton is one of self-determination, of making home wherever she finds herself and weaving those experiences into her music. Her rise to international stardom began with the explosive success of the indie-pop anthem No Roots, a track that resonated with listeners around the world and racked up over a billion streams. Having spent her childhood moving between England, Germany, Canada and beyond, Merton grew up without a fixed sense of home, a theme that pulses at the heart of the song. Since No Roots, she has released two acclaimed studio albums, MINT and S.I.D.E.S., 38
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Issue 138
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February 2026
alongside viral EPs and performances at festivals as iconic as Coachella, Lollapalooza and London’s BST Hyde Park. But with her new album Visions, Merton signals a new era, one where she takes the reins as both artist and producer. “I just always loved singing,” she reflects, her voice tinged with the matterof-fact certainty of someone who has found her path. “At first, I actually wanted to pursue opera. I was really in love with it, but then I discovered songwriting at the age of 17 and took a different road.” For Merton, music was never simply a career choice; it was a natural force, a means of expression that transcended language and borders. Her journey has not been without its hurdles. In the notoriously selective world of record labels, Alice Merton found her initial offers elusive. Rather than wait for the industry to catch up with her vision, she took matters into her own hands and founded Paper Plane