Sara Forsberg

Sara Maria Forsberg (born 2 May 1994), formerly known professionally as SAARA, Smo, Smoukahontas, or Smokahontas, is a Finnish singer, songwriter, YouTube personality, and television presenter. As a singer, Forsberg was signed to Capitol Records in 2014 and released her debut single "Ur Cool" in April 2015, which went on to become a top ten hit in her home country of Finland. She left in early 2016 after disagreements with the label and her producer.[2] Forsberg has continued to release music as an independent artist in affiliation with Universal Music Group. As of November 2017, her YouTube channel has more than a million subscribers and over 100 million views.[3]

Not to be confused with Saara Aalto.

Sara Forsberg
Forsberg performing in 2016
Forsberg performing in 2016
Background information
Birth nameSara Maria Forsberg
Also known as
  • SAARA
  • Smokahontas
  • Smo
Born (1994-05-02) 2 May 1994
Jakobstad, Finland
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • YouTube personality
  • television presenter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2014–present
Labels
YouTube information
Channel
Subscribers1.15 million[1]
Total views156 million[1]
100,000 subscribers
1,000,000 subscribers
Last updated: 15 September 2023

Personal life

Forsberg was born on 2 May 1994 in Jakobstad, Finland. Her father was born in Sweden.[4][5][6] Forsberg has taken a DNA test with the following results: 63.8% Finnish, 28.7% Scandinavian, 5.5% Central American, and 2.0% Eastern European.[7] Her native language is Finnish, although she spoke mainly English in the first six years of her life. Because of her parents' career as Baptist missionaries, she moved frequently as a child, living in Texas for five years and the United Kingdom for a year, before returning to Finland permanently.[8][9][10][11] Forsberg spent a few years in a music academy in Jakobstad[12] and later studied to become a chef before embarking on a singing career.[13]

Career

Starting from Youtube

Since her video "What Languages Sound Like to Foreigners" was posted on YouTube on 3 March 2014 on her channel Smoukahontas Official (which subsequently has been changed into SAARA), it has been seen over 20 million times as of June 2018. Her ability to mimic accents and speech melodies of different languages, which included Japanese, Estuary English, American with California accent, Swedish, French, Arabic and Spanish, using mainly nonexistent words, was praised by media in a number of countries.[14][15][16][17][18][19]

In the first sequel, she re-impersonated some of the languages from the initial video and added new ones, including "Something African" and "Scottish". In another sequel, her "One Girl, 14 Genres" video, a number of musical genres were mimicked.[20]

Musical career

In July 2014, it was revealed that Forsberg had signed a record deal with Capitol Records with Rodney Jerkins acting as her executive producer. Capitol Records chairman and CEO Steve Barnett said that the only artists that he had the same feeling about other than Forsberg were Adele and Sam Smith.[21] She is the first Finnish person to be signed to a major American record label.[22] Her debut single "Ur Cool" was released on 21 April 2015 and became a Top 10 single in Finland. In February 2016, Forsberg left Capitol Records. She told in her YouTube video that the producer Jerkins had left Capitol Records and she was left stranded, contractually not being allowed to work without him. Due to the unwillingness of the producer to let her out of the contract, Capitol Records agreed to terminate her contract and let her go create freely again. Saara also told in the video that she felt bad promoting a single she absolutely hated.[23]

In April 2016 Saara's manager Johannes Ylinen informed that Saara had signed with Universal Music Group, with which she would continue releasing music independently.[2][24] Forsberg released her debut EP Hello I'm Saara on 27 May 2016. The EP's lead single, "The Urge", was released in June 2016.[25] In 2017 Saara published 3 singles: In February "Permission to Love", in March "Superpowers" and in October the single ”All The Love ft. Jillionaire”.

On 2 May 2018, her birthday, Saara released her second album Almost Acoustic EP with four new songs and one remix. On the same day she also had her first YouTube live concert. [26][27]

Forsberg also writes music for other artists. In July 2015, it was revealed that Forsberg has writing credit for the K-Pop band Girls' Generation song "You Think" in their album Lion Heart. The song was charted on Billboard's digital song list at nr. 3 September 2015.[28] In 2016 Sara co-wrote the song "My Heart Wants Me Dead" by Lisa Ajax for Melodifestivalen 2016, as well as the song "Drip Drop" by Taemin from his second solo album Press It.

In June 2015, she was featured on the song "Vauvoja" by Finnish singer Kasmir. The song went on to reach number-one on the Finnish downloads and airplay charts.[29][30] In the summer of 2017 Saara was featured on the song "Can't Buy Love" by THRDL!FE.

In TV and films

In April 2014 Sara Forsberg signed a development deal with production/distribution company Omnivision Entertainment/My Damn Channel.[31] In May 2014, Forsberg relocated to Los Angeles to perform on a YouTube channel affiliated with My Damn Channel called "WestToastTV" in addition to maintaining her own personal channel.[32][33]

In October 2014, it was revealed that Forsberg has a small role in the Hong Kong-Chinese-American film Skiptrace directed by Finnish director Renny Harlin.[34]

In December 2015, the news broke that Forsberg had spent the last 18 months working with Lucasfilm and was the creator of an alien language used in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[35] In July 2016, it was revealed that Forsberg had created another alien language for a Hollywood film, this time for the film Star Trek Beyond, in which she has also a minor voice role as an alien named Kalara.[36]

In 2016 Sara worked as a judge on the fifth season of Talent Suomi, the Finnish version of Got Talent.[37] 2016 Forsberg also hosted the United Kingdom game show Remotely Funny.[38] On 5 February 2017 a new Finnish game show called Kaikki Vastaan 1 (Everyone Against 1) began airing live on Sunday evenings on the Finnish network, Nelonen TV, with Forsberg as a co-host. The first season ran until 9 April 2017. Also, in February 2017, Forsberg began hosting Remotely Funny, a British game show on CBBC. In 2018 Saara went on appearing on Finnish TV, in spring on the contest Pallon Ympäri (Around The Globe), where she has been travelling around the world by performing tasks as one of the three competitors. She has been told to go on co-hosting again the studio contest Kaikki Vastaan 1 in autumn 2018.

In media

Forsberg was interviewed on British BBC Radio,[39] Finnish public radio Yle[40] and Swedish TV[41] in which she confirmed that she was contacted by a producer from The Ellen DeGeneres Show.[9] For approximately 180 seconds, she was a guest on the show on 7 April 2014 and she took home a tripod and a camera as a gift from DeGeneres.[42] The trip was documented in a short series titled Sara Goes LA which was produced by Finnish broadcaster MTV and has also been published on YouTube since.[43]

Other projects

Forsberg announced her new clothing line FRSBRG in May 2015 and advertised it to her Finnish viewers with a number of well known celebrities from her home country.[44] It was planned to be released in November the same year.[45]

Discography

Extended plays
  • Hello I'm Saara (2016)
  • Almost Acoustic (2018)

Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
FIN
[46]
2015 "Ur Cool" 10 Non-album single
2016 "The Urge" — Hello I'm Saara
"Honey"
(featuring Rich The Kid)		 —
2017 "Permission to Love" — Non-album single
"Superpowers" —
"All The Love"
(featuring Jillionaire)		 —
2018 "Sangria" —
Year Single Peak chart positions Album
FIN
[46]
2015 "Vauvoja"
(Kasmir featuring Saara)		 2 Non-album single
"Whatcha Waitin On"
(Tay Jasper featuring Saara)		 — Non-album single
2017 "Can't Buy Love"
(THRDL!FE featuring Saara)		 — Non-album single

Writing credits
Year Song Album Artist Cowriters
2015 "Vauvoja" — Kasmir feat. Saara Kasmir, Hank Solo, Jonas W. Karlsson, Mikko Kuoppala
"You Think" Lion Heart Girls Generation Cho Yoon-kyung, Dante Jones, Brandon Sammon, Denzil "DR" Remedios, Ryan S. Jhun, Jussi Ilmari Karvinen
2016 "My Heart Wants Me Dead" Collection Lisa Ajax Anton Hård af Segerstad, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, Nikki Flores
"The 7th Sense" NCT 2018 Empathy NCT U Timothy "Bos" Bullock, Tay Jasper, Adrian Mckinnon, Michael Jiminez, Leven Kali
"I Just Wanna Dance" I Just Wanna Dance Tiffany Timothy "Bos" Bullock, Michael Jiminez, MZMC
"Starlight" Why Taeyeon and Dean Lee Seu-ran, Jamil "Digi" Chammas, Taylor Mckall, Tay Jasper, Adrian McKinnon, Leven Kali, MZMC
"Drip Drop" Press It Taemin Park Sunghee, Jamil Chammas, Tay Jasper, Jonathan Perkins, Michael Jiminez, Leven Kali, MZMC
"Keep On Doin' Free Somebody Luna Le`mon, JQ, Bae Seong-hyeon, Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Joy Neil Mitro Deb, Linnea Mary Han Deb
2017 "Rookie" Rookie Red Velvet Jamil "Digi" Chammas, Leven Kali, Karl Powell, Harrison Johnson, Russell Steedle, MZMC, Otha "Vakseen", Davis III, Tay Jasper
2018 "RBB (Really Bad Boy)" RBB Kenzie, Timothy 'Bos' Bullock, MZMC
"Nega Dola" One Shot, Two Shot BoA JQ, Kang Eun-yoo, On-gyul, Hyun Ji-wo, BoA, Afshin Salmani, Josh Cumbee, Yoo Young-jin, AFSHeeN
"Countless" The Story of Light: Epilogue SHINee Jeon Gandi, Jamil "Digi" Chammas, Adrian McKinnon, Tay Jasper, Leven Kali, MZMC, Yoo Young-jin

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2014 The Ellen DeGeneres Show Herself Guest
Sara Goes LA Herself Reality show
2014, 2015 Posse Herself Talk show (seasons 1, 2)
2016 Talent Suomi Herself Judge (season 5)
Skiptrace Natalya Movie
Star Trek Beyond Kalara (voice) Movie
2017 Kaikki Vastaan 1 Herself Co-host (Season 1, 10 episodes)
2017–2018 Remotely Funny Herself Host (35 episodes)

References
  1. "About SAARA". YouTube.
  2. "Sara Forsberg jätti monikansallisen levy-yhtiönsä – inhosi ainoaa julkaisemaansa biisiä" [Sara Forsberg left her multinational record label, hated her only released song]. Iltalehti (in Finnish).
  3. "SAARA". YouTube. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  4. "WHAT ETHNICITY AM I? (Taking a DNA test)". Sara Forsberg. 5 June 2018. I'm only 63.8% Finnish? Well, actually, no, that makes sense because most of my dad's family is originally from Sweden.
  5. "Hon blev Youtubekändis över en natt" [She became a Youtube celebrity overnight] (in Swedish). Vasabladet. 7 March 2014. Båda hennes föräldrar är finskspråkiga, även om pappan är född i Sverige. [Both her parents are Finnish-speaking, even though her father was born in Sweden.]
  6. "Äidin ääni saa minut rauhoittumaan (mother´s voice makes me peaceful)" (in Finnish). Kodin Kuvalehti. 11 July 2016.
  7. Määttä, Jasmin (6 June 2018). "Sara Forsberg teki DNA-testin - syy kauniisti ruskettuneeseen ihoon selvisi". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  8. "Kielinainen Sara Forsberg: "Sain itsevarmuutta, kun laihdutin 17 kiloa"" (in Finnish). Me Naiset. 20 March 2014.
  9. Ellen DeGeneres wants the Finnish woman as her guest, YLE, Finland, 14 March 2014.
  10. "Kaikki haluavat Sara Marian" [Everybody wants Sara Maria]. Helsingin Sanomat. 15 March 2014.
  11. "HELLO IM SAARA". YouTube.
  12. Smoukahontas YleX Aamussa. YleX Aamu. YLE. 14 March 2014. 9 minutes in. Mä lauloin pari vuotta musiikkiopistossa Pietarsaaressa, mutta se jäi sitku mä muutin toiselle paikkakunnalle. [I sang for a couple of years in a music institute in Jakobstad, but didn't pick it up again after moving away.]
  13. "Official website". helloimsaara.com. Saara.
  14. Girl Speaks Gibberish With Perfect Accents To Show What Languages Sound Like To Foreigners, The Huffington Post, 6 March 2014.
  15. Ragazza riproduce 12 lingue del mondo, ma non le conosce: così sembra la tua lingua a un orecchio straniero, L'Huffington Post, Italy, 9 March 2014.
  16. Eine junge Frau, 14 Musikrichtungen – Smoukahontas ist zurück, The Huffington Post, Germany, 11 March 2014.
  17. What your language sounds like to foreigners, The Telegraph, 10 March 2014.
  18. What languages sound like to foreigners: YouTube video by Sara 'smoukahontas' Archived 18 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, News.com.au, Australia, 12 March 2014.
  19. Suomalaistytön kielivideosta tuli Youtube-hitti – katso!, MTV Finland, 5 March 2014.
  20. One Girl Sings 14 Different Genres (video), The Huffington Post, 11 March 2014.
  21. "Smoukahontas-Saralle historiallinen jenkkilevysopimus: Yhtiön pomo vertaa Adeleen" [Smoukahontas-Sara gets a historical US record deal: Company boss compares to Adele] (in Finnish). Yle.
  22. "EXCITING NEWS!!!". YouTube.
  23. "Youtube star Saara (Sara Forsberg) leaves her record label, drags producer". gagadaily.com. Daily. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  24. "SAARAlla taas levy-yhtiö – albumi tulossa". Yle.fi. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  25. "SAARA". facebook.com. Saara. 8 May 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  26. "New EP out!". facebook.com. Saara. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  27. "Saara´s first Youtube live concert!". facebook.com. Universal Music Finland. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  28. ""You think" charted on Billboard!". Billboard. 5 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 August 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  29. "Latauslista 21/2015" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  30. "Radiosoittolista 24/2015" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  31. Todd Spangler (4 April 2014). "My Damn Channel Renames Itself Omnivision Entertainment". Variety.
  32. "Kielinainen debytoi juontajana – sai oman talk show'n" [Language woman debuts as a host, gets her own talk show] (in Finnish). Iltalehti. 10 July 2014.
  33. "SARA GOES LA: Sara nappasi satojen tuhansien unelmadiilin – katso 2. jakso". mtv.fi. 3 April 2014.
  34. "Youtube-tähti Sara Maria Forsberg näyttelee Renny Harlinin elokuvassa" (in Finnish). Helsingin Sanomat. 17 October 2014.
  35. "Sara Forsberg created new Star Wars language". 16 December 2015.
  36. Sara Forsbergilla jälleen huippuduuni: Loi avaruusoliokielen Star Trekiin – ja ääninäyttelee elokuvassa! (in Finnish) Iltalehti.fi.
  37. "Talent Suomi tärähtää syksyllä Neloselle! Haku ohjelmaan on käynnissä!". Nelonen. 18 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  38. "SAARA alkaa juontaa uutta ohjelmaa Britannian suosituimmalla lastenkanavalla". yle.fi (in Finnish). Yle. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  39. Interview on BBC Radio, 12 March 2014.
  40. Interview on Finnish public radio Yle, 14 March 2014.
  41. Språkgeni gör succé – gästar Ellen show Archived 27 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine (SVT, 21 March 2014).
  42. Sara Maria Forsberg (Smoukahontas) on Ellen DeGeneres Show on YouTube
  43. "Kielinainen Sara Forsberg saa oman sarjan". 28 March 2014.
  44. "SAARA keräsi joukon tunnettuja näyttelijöitä mainostamaan vaatemallistoaan" [SAARA attracted a number of well-known actors to advertise her clothing line] (in Finnish).
  45. "SAARA on Instagram: "our web shop is opening in Novemburrrr!! whos excited to get their own #FRSBRG sweatpants?? 😍 Also, this shot is crazyyy. 📷 @dennywdfl"". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
  46. "Saara Discography". Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
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