Poland's Monika Brodka, aka Brodka, is a yearning folk- and EDM-influenced singer best known as winner of the third season of Idol Poland. Born in 1987, Brodka grew up in the rural mountain village of Zywiec. As a child, she sang and played violin in a traditional folk group with her father. Although she studied classical music in her youth, she also listened to death metal and grunge bands. At 15, Brodka auditioned for the Polish version of the televised vocal competition Pop Idol. After winning the competition, she released her 2004 debut, Album, on Sony BMG. It featured a slick R&B and pop sound, and was quickly certified gold. It was followed in 2006 by yet another gold album, the similarly produced Moje Piosenki. In 2010, Brodka released her third full-length album, Granda, which found her moving away from her polished pop sound and toward a more nuanced folk- and electronica-inflected style. Two years later, she released the LAX EP, which featured production from Bartosz Dziedzic and included the singles "Varsovie" and "Dancing Shoes." 2016's Clashes, her fourth studio album, was recorded in L.A. with Noah Georgeson and saw her turning in an even more alternative and experimental direction. Her first live album, an edition of MTV Unplugged, followed in 2019. ~ Matt Collar
