Gülşen

Gülşen
Background information
Birth name	Gülşen Bayraktar
Born	(1976-05-29) May 29, 1976 Istanbul, Turkey
Origin	Istanbul, Turkey
Genres	Pop rock (with elements of Ottoman music)
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, model
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1995–present
Website	http://www.gulsenonline.com/

Gülşen Bayraktar (commonly known as Gülşen or "Gulshen" in English speaking countries) is a Turkish pop singer.

Life and career

Gülşen, born May 29, 1976 in Istanbul, studied at the Turkish Classical Music Department of Istanbul Technical University.

Her first album, Be Adam (Oh man!) debut in 1995, followed in three years by Erkeksen (If you are a man), and the 2001 Şimdi (Now). The comparative failure of her fourth album in 2004, Of…Of…., has been attributed to the music video for the track Sarışınım (My Blonde); declared obscene by the state TV censors,

The June 2006 album titled Yurtta Aşk, Cihanda Aşk was a play on a quote by Turkey's founding president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - "peace in the country, peace in the world" becoming "love in the country, love in the world".

Gülşen's private life has been the subject of Turkish news media and gossip tabloids. Gülşen's seventh album, Önsöz, was released in 2010, with Ozan Çolakoğlu serving as music director, arranger and co-composer; contemporaneous rumors spoke of a romantic relationship and vacationing with Gülşen in Switzerland.

Gülşen's ninth studio album "Beni Durdursan mı?" ("I wonder if you should stop me"), released in 2013, included the successful single "Yatcaz Kalkcaz Ordayım" ("I will be there in two days"). In this album as well is the song Kardan Adam (snowman) which has over 18 million views on YouTube.

1976–95: Early life and career beginnings

Gülşen Bayraktar was born on 29 May 1976 in Fatih, Istanbul, to a family that originated from Ordu. She is her parents' third and last child. Her father, Arslan Bayraktar, was a mechanical engineer, while her mother, Nimet Bayraktar, was a housewife. She spent her childhood and youth in Çapa and together with her family visited Ordu Province several times a year, where they owned nut gardens. A fan of Far East martial arts, Gülşen began to learn karate in high school and later received her black belt. She was forced to use the martial art at the age 17 while she and her friend were harassed in the street and has said that similar occasions have happened several times in her daily life. After finishing her studies at Şehremini Anadolu High School, she began studying Turkish classical music at the Istanbul Technical University. Simultaneously, she began performing at night clubs and bars in Istanbul but as she couldn't handle both her studies and her job, she left the university after the first year. She subsequently got Turkish folk music lessons, and worked as a backing vocalist for Çelik and Bendeniz for three months. In 1995, she was discovered by producer Serap Turgay while performing at a bar in Bakırköy. After being introduced to Turgay's husband Özkan Turgay, Gülşen received an offer to make her first album. She finally signed a contract with Raks Müzik in order to produce four albums.

1996–2003: Be Adam, Erkeksen and Şimdi

After signing a contract with Raks Müzik, Gülşen began working on her first album in the second half of 1995. Meanwhile, at the request of the production company, she played in a music video for Tulga's single "Ay Bu Kız Beni Öldürecek". Many of the songs in her first album Be Adam (Oh Man!) were written and composed by Serap and Özkan Turgay. It was released in July 1996 and featured the single "Gel Çarem". Following the release of the album, Milliyet wrote that Gülşen had made an ambitious start in her career. After releasing the music video for "Gel Çarem", she recorded a music video for a single with the same title as her album, "Be Adam". Gülşen, who was shown wearing a pajama in the music video, became known as the "pajama girl" in the Turkish media. Subsequently, a third and a fourth music video were released for "Saz mı Caz mı?" and "Son Sözüm". The album earned Gülşen a nomination in the Best Newcomer Female Artist category at the 3rd Kral TV Video Music Awards. A few months after the release of Be Adam, she married the nightclub operator Murat Varol. Following her marriage, she decided to put aside her career for a while.

In 1998, she signed a new contract with Prestij Müzik, which in return caused a dispute between her new and old producers. Gülşen was sued by Serap Turgay, who stated that Gülşen had agreed to work with Raks Müzik for another two years, while Mahsun Kırmızıgül from Prestij Müzik refused the accusations by saying that they had signed a contract with Gülşen after negotiations with the previous company had failed. As a result, the singer's second album Erkeksen (If You're A Man) was produced by Prestij Müzik and released in December 1998. Gülşen later stated that "[Following Be Adam] I made another album so that I could enjoy it, I went out on the scene several times in my husband's places." She wrote the lyrics for the singles "Yiğidim", "Delisin" and "Gözü Karalım", and subsequently separate music videos were released for each of them.

In the final months of 2000, Gülşen divorced her husband Murat Varol due to irreconcilable differences. Following their divorce, she refused the allegations of violence by her ex-husband, saying in a report: "He didn't beat me, I beat him because I have a black belt in karate." Her third studio album Şimdi (Now), which was also released by Prestij Müzik in November 2001, featured the leading single "İhanet" (Betrayal) written by Gülşen. It was about the couple's extramarital affairs during their marriage. The album's production company was affected during the 2001 Turkish economic crisis, and as a result, they produced one music video only for the song "İhanet".

2004–06: Of... Of..., Yurtta Aşk Cihanda Aşk

For her fourth studio album, Gülşen signed a contract with Erol Köse Production and released the album Of... Of... (Ugh... Ugh...) in September 2004. Radio broadcaster Michael Kuyucu described it as "The best of Gülşen's career [up to now]". The album sold 335,000 copies in Turkey and Gülşen was chosen as the Best Female Pop Singer at the 11th Turkey Music Awards. The release of this album was a turning point in Gülşen's career, and Milliyet wrote: "The singer Gülşen, who had not been seen anywhere while married to Murat Varol, has changed completely after she left her husband. With her sexy image and new album, Gülşen has risen to stardom." The song "Of Of" from the same album became a hit in Turkey and was eventually chosen as the Song of the Year at the 11th Turkey Music Awards. After the release of a music video for "Of Of", three more music videos were made for the songs "Sakıncalı", "Nazar Değmesin" and "Sarışınım". The music video for "Sarışınım" was considered erotic by the Radio and Television Supreme Council, who said it "is contrary to social values and leads to sexual abuse". Kral TV and Number 1 TV were both charged for broadcasting the music video. In June 2005, a remixed version of Of... Of... was released.

Inspired by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's motto of "Yurtta sulh, cihanda sulh" (Peace at Home, Peace in the World), Gülşen titled her fifth studio album Yurtta Aşk Cihanda Aşk (Love at Home, Love in the World), which was released by Erol Köse Production in February 2006. The album ranked number one on D&R's list of best-selling albums, and sold 171,000 copies in Turkey, receiving a gold certification from Mü-Yap. Three music videos were made for the songs "Ya Tutarsa", "Yurtta Aşk Cihanda Aşk" and "Canın Sağolsun", the first of which rose to the top 5 on Türkçe Top 20, while the second one became a number-one hit. In June, producer Erol Köse revealed on a TV program that he was in a relationship with Gülşen. As he was married at the time, this caused a controversy in Turkey's media at the time. Gülşen, who organized a press conference to discuss the issue, confirmed that their relationship had begun in August 2005 when he told her that he was divorced, but two months earlier Köse had revealed to her that he was still married and she ended the relationship. Köse claimed that Gülşen knew about him being married since the beginning and this caused tension between the parties. As a result, Gülşen ended her contract with the Erol Köse's music company. Subsequently, Gülşen went to the court several times due to numerous issues she had with Köse. Eventually, Gülşen started a relationship with journalist Reha Muhtar in July 2006 which lasted until February 2007.

2007–12: Ama Bir Farkla and Önsöz

In the early months of 2007, Gülşen signed a contract with Ercan Saatçi's production company, Rec by Saatchi, to produce three new albums, and Erol Köse's negotiations to make a new deal with her failed. In May 2007, however, Erol Köse's production company released a previously recorded album by Gülşen, titled Mucize (Miracle). Eventually, Gülşen applied to the court to stop the distribution of the album, trying to release the album by another record company, saying that Köse was using her work to his benefit without permission. Her sixth studio album, Ama Bir Farkla (But with a Difference), was released in July by Rec by Saatchi. Three music videos were made for the songs "Kara Böcükler", "E Bilemem Artık" and "Su Gibi Geçerdi Zaman", the second of which ranked second on Turkey's music chart. In mid-2007, Gülşen was in a relationship with architect Fahrettin Aykut. In September 2007, she got in a feud with Bengü, an artist working for Erol Köse's production company, about whom Gülşen said: "I wouldn't be surprised if Bengü falls in love with Erol Köse." A month later, following her concert at a casino in Dikmen she was escorted by police out of the area due to the presence of alcoholic and armed people. It was later reported that she had been assaulted by firearm that night, although Milliyet questioned the credibility of this claim as there was no police report found about this issue. Later, when questioned about the incident by reporters Gülşen said: "It's true that I was assaulted. The incident was referred to the judiciary."

In July 2008, Gülşen released the single "Yapamazsan Yok", which ranked 11th on the Turkish music chart. At the end of July, Gülşen was among the singers who were featured on the album Uzay Heparı Sonsuza in tribute to the singer Uzay Heparı.

In July 2009, Sabah reported that Gülşen was not satisfied with the second album that she was preparing with the production company Rec by Saatchi, and as a result, she had decided to stop working with them. For a while, she spent her time in search of a production company and had to postpone the publication date of her seventh studio album. She also went to London to study music, painting, photography and instrument training in preparation for the album. Her seventh studio album, Önsöz (Foreword), was released in the last days of the year by Sony Music Entertainment and Arista Records. Anchorman Michael Kuyucu believed that after her departure form Erol Köse Production her "confusion" over what she needed to do was over. The lead single "Bi' An Gel" became a hit in Turkey and ranked number-one on the Turkish music chart for three weeks. For its music video, Gülşen wore a chandelier on her head. Onur Baştürk of Hürriyet described it as "the best music video I have seen in a while", and the clip was nominated for the Best Music Video Award at the 17th Turkey Music Awards. A second music video was made for the Latin pop song "Ezberbozan", which ranked third on the Turkish music chart. "Önsöz" and "Dillere Düşeceğiz Seninle" ranked sixth and tenth on the chart respectively.

In 2011, Gülşen started to work on her new studio album and signed a new contract with Doğan Music Company, releasing the singles "Yeni Biri" and "Sözde Ayrılık" under their label. Both of these songs became number-one hits in Turkey. In the following year, she worked with Ozan Çolakoğlu on his album 01. The lead single of the album "Seyre Dursun Aşk", which was voiced by Gülşen, ranked second on the Turkish music chart.

2013–17: Beni Durdursan mı? and Bangır Bangır

Gülşen's eighth studio album Beni Durdursan mı? (Would You Stop Me?) was produced by DMC and released in February 2013. The album ranked number-one on D&R's Best-Selling List for weeks. It sold 100,000 copies by the end of the year and became the most-sold album in Turkey, receiving a gold certification from DMC. While some of the music critics gave a negative review for not finding the work to be eye-catching, some praised the content and the compositions. The songs "Yatcaz Kalkcaz Ordayım" and "Kardan Adam" both became number-one hits on Türkçe Top 20 for seven weeks, and the second one also became the most searched song on Google in Turkey. "Irgalamaz Beni" ranked number-three on the music chart and critics drew similarities between its music video and that of "Wrecking Ball" by American singer Miley Cyrus. In order to promote the album, Gülşen performed for the first time at the Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre in September. At the Turkey Music Awards, Gülşen became the most award-winning artist with her album being chosen as Album of the Year and its lead single becoming Song of the Year. She was also awarded as the Best Female Artist, Best Lyricist and Best Composer. "Yatcaz Kalkcaz Ordayım" was given the Song of the Year award at the 41st Golden Butterfly Awards.

In April 2014, Gülşen and Murat Boz released the single "İltimas", which became a hit in Turkey. She later collaborated with composer Ozan Doğulu for his album 130 Bpm Moderato (2014), performing the song "Namus". She was also among the artists featured on the album Kayahan En İyileri No.1 (2015) with the song "Emrin Olur". In May 2015, her ninth studio album Bangır Bangır (Loudly Loudly) was released, and it ranked first on D&R's Best-Selling List, selling 100,000 copies by the end of the year, making Gülşen the second best-selling Turkish artist in 2015. The lead single, also titled "Bangır Bangır", received a gold certification from DMC and was number-one on Turkey's music charts for thirteen weeks. It also became the most searched song on Google in Turkey and the most viewed Turkish music video on YouTube. The song also won the Song of the Year and the Best Music Video of the Year awards at the 42nd Golden Butterfly Awards. Another song from the album, titled "Dan Dan", ranked number-three on charts.

In June 2016, Gülşen married the arranger and composer of her last three albums, Ozan Çolakoğlu. The couple's first child, a son named Azur Benan, was born in Şişli, Istanbul, in January 2017.

2018–present: Tenth studio album

In 2018, Gülşen was among the artists whose name appeared on the album Yıldız Tilbe'nin Yıldızlı Şarkıları, and performed the song "Delikanlım". She also announced that she was working on her tenth studio album and released the song "Bir İhtimal Biliyorum" as a promotional single. On its first week of release, the song topped the sales list on digital platforms in Turkey and ranked number one on MusicTopTR's List of Fastest Rising Songs. It ranked first on Turkey's official music chart for thirteen consecutive weeks. According to Telifmetre, Gülşen was the female artist with the most number of streams in Turkey in the first six months of 2019.

Discography

Albums

• "Be Adam" (1995)
• "Erkeksen" (1998)
• "Şimdi" (2001)
• "Of...Of..." (2004)
• "Yurtta Aşk, Cihanda Aşk" (2006)
• "Ama Bir Farkla" (2007)
• "Mucize" (2007)
• "Önsöz" (2009)
• "Beni Durdursan mı?" (2013)
• "Bangır Bangır" (2015)

Singles

• "Yapamazsan Yok" (2008)
• "Yeni Biri" (2011)
• "Sozde Ayrilik" (2011)
• "Irgalamaz Beni" (2013)
• "Iltimas" feat. Murat Boz (2014)
• "Emrin Olur" (2015)
• "Bangır Bangır" (2015)
• "Bir Ihtimal Biliyorum" (2018)
• "Nirvana" (featuring Edis) (2020)
• "Lolipop" (2022)
• "Bir Kereden Birşey Olmaz" (featuring Ozan Doğulu) (2022)
• "Sor" (featuring Edis) (2023)