Who Is Severina Vučković

Severina Vučković, known professionally as Severina, is a Croatian singer, songwriter and actress born on 21 April 1972 in Split. She is regarded as one of the most popular and influential performers in the former Yugoslavia, and the public often calls her the “Queen of Croatian pop.”

She began her career in the late 1980s and early 1990s and has since released twelve studio albums. Her style blends pop, folk, jazz and dance elements. She represented Croatia at Eurovision 2006 in Athens with the song “Moja štikla.”

Besides music, she has also tried her hand at theater, film and television, and in recent years she has served as a judge on the show “Superstar.” Her biography also includes several public controversies, which this article covers strictly on the basis of confirmed sources.

Early Life and Childhood

Severina was born in Split, then part of SR Croatia and SFR Yugoslavia, as the youngest daughter of Ana and Sever Vučković. Her mother, Ana, comes from Drniš. She has two older sisters, Zdenka and Marijana, and her uncle is Aljoša Vučković.

She was named after her father. As she explained herself, her father wanted to call her Nataša, but her mother, who adored his name, insisted on Severina. According to the story Severina told the media, her grandfather gave his children names after the cardinal directions, hence the name Sever, meaning “north.”

She showed a love of music, dance and acting very early. She was interested in piano, dance and the stage, and she gave her first performances as a girl in a cultural and artistic society in Split.

Education

After primary school, Severina enrolled in the Josip Hatze Music High School in Split. However, she left school to devote herself fully to her music career. The sources do not indicate that she later completed any formal higher education.

Early Career

First Performances in Split

Her first major encounter with the stage came when she performed as a child in the “Mozaik” cultural and artistic society, run by Lepa Smoje, wife of the famous Split writer Miljenko Smoje. Lepa Smoje gave her the role of Carmela in the musical “Frane Štrapalo.” According to media reports, she recognized immediately that a future star stood before her.

Later she sang in the group “Treća smjena” and won prizes at competitions. In 1982 she won the “Dječji prvi pljesak” (Children’s First Applause) competition in Split with the song “Moja Milena,” and in 1987, at the Croatian amateur singers’ competition in Daruvar, she performed Josipa Lisac’s song “O jednoj mladosti.”

Moving to Zagreb and the First Album

One of her first big performances took place in 1989 at the Hotel Marjan in Split. The following year she moved to Zagreb and won the radio competition “Demo X” on Radio Zagreb, which gave her the chance to record her first album. Her self-titled debut, “Severina,” was released in 1990, and that was when she became a professional singer.

In July 1991 she performed at the Split Festival with the song “Vodi me na ples,” which became one of her first recognizable hits.

Rise to Popularity

Working with Zrinko Tutić

A decisive meeting came in 1992, when she met the producer and songwriter Zrinko Tutić. A second self-titled album, “Severina,” followed, released by Croatia Records, with the songs “Vodi me na ples,” “Kad si sam” and “Idemo se ljubiti.” She signed a multi-year contract with Tutić’s production company, and he introduced her to the singer and composer Gibonni. Gibonni gave her the song “Zlatne godine.” During this period she also collaborated with Dino Dvornik.

That same year she won the Zagreb Festival with the song “Sklopi oči muzika dok svira.” For a time she also hosted the show “Top Cup” on Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), and at the end of the year she went on her first tour of Australia.

The Album “Dalmatinka”

Her third album, “Dalmatinka” (1993), brought her great popularity. The title song, in which she sings of her love for her native Dalmatia, became one of her best-known hits. “Dalmatinka” and “Paloma nera” both topped the domestic charts, and a successful tour of Croatia and Slovenia followed. The album also included a cover of the Bijelo Dugme hit “Ne spavaj mala moja.”

“Trava zelena” and “Moja stvar”

The album “Trava zelena” (1995) did not have as many hits as its predecessors, but it was commercially successful. The title song was among the most popular of the year. The album includes a duet with Žera of Crvena Jabuka, “Ti si srce moje,” and Severina was credited as a songwriter on three songs for the first time.

Her fifth studio album, “Moja stvar,” was released on 5 November 1996. Influenced by rock, the album drew sharp criticism from parts of the profession and the public, but some of its songs became big hits. Severina herself wrote and composed the title song. To promote it, she held a sold-out concert at Dom Sportova in Zagreb on 14 November 1996. According to biographical sources, problems in her collaboration with Tutić began on this album, because Severina decided to write some of the lyrics herself.

“Djevojka sa sela” and the Break with Tutić

A big breakthrough came in 1998 with the album “Djevojka sa sela,” partly written by Tutić and partly by Severina, who wrote six songs. The title song is one of her biggest hits, and Croatian national football team players used it as an unofficial anthem during the 1998 World Cup. It was the last album made in collaboration with Tutić and his production company, as the two parted ways after the contract expired.

Ja samo pjevam and Pogled ispod obrva

At the beginning of 1999, Severina went on her second tour of Australia, and in July of the same year she performed at the Melodije hrvatskog Jadrana (MHJ) festival with Đorđe Novković’s song “Da si moj.” The same summer brought the album “Ja samo pjevam,” which returned her to the top of all the charts. The songs “Ante,” “Ja samo pjevam” and a cover of the Zana hit “Dodirni mi koljena” stood out in particular. According to different sources, the album sold roughly 50,000 to 55,000 copies in Croatia, which places it among her best-selling releases. A change of image came with it: she cut her hair short and began wearing bolder clothes.

The album was not followed by an indoor tour, but on 6 July 2000 she held a solo concert at the Stari plac stadium in Split in front of more than 20,000 people.

Her eighth album, “Pogled ispod obrva,” was released on 15 May 2001. Its authors were Đorđe Novković and Severina. The song “Virujen u te” won an award at the MHJ festival in 2001, and the album received platinum certification. The “Virujen u te” tour (2001–2002) followed, her first big regional tour, including shows in Sarajevo and Ljubljana. The live album “Virujen u te (najbolje uživo!)” was named best-selling live album, while “Pogled ispod obrva” was nominated for Album of the Year at the Porin awards and “Virujen u te” for Hit of the Year.

The 2004 Private Recording and the Court Case

In 2004 a private video recording of Severina appeared on the internet, published by the Croatian portal Index.hr. Because of the scandal she stayed away from the stage for more than six months, and she also called off a planned wedding. Severina sued the portal, claiming the recording had been stolen from her and was part of her private life.

Sources differ on the course of the case and the amount of damages. One part of the lawsuit was dismissed in 2004, but the court later found that her right to privacy had been violated. According to biographical sources, the final ruling came eight years after the photographs were published and confirmed the violation of her right to privacy.

The Album “Severgreen” and Her Return to the Stage

After a break, in 2004 she released her ninth album, “Severgreen,” influenced by jazz. Many musicians worked on the album, among them Arsen and Matija Dedić. In the song “Rođena da budem prva” she sang together with Lana Jurčević, and “Hrvatica,” performed with Bizzo, was a particular hit.

Eurovision 2006 and the Song “Moja štikla”

In 2006 Severina won the Croatian selection “Dora” with the song “Moja štikla” and traveled to Athens for the Eurovision Song Contest. The song was composed by Boris Novković together with Franjo Valentić, and Severina wrote the lyrics herself.

Most Eurovision sources (Eurovision.com, ESCXtra, Wiwibloggs and Wikipedia) state that she placed 12th in the final with 56 points. Some Croatian media outlets and biographical sites give 13th place, so sources differ, but 12th place appears more often.

The song stirred debate in Croatia, as some journalists and musicologists claimed it resembled Serbian music. Ethnomusicians such as Dunja Knebl and Lidija Bajuk disagreed, and both Boris Novković and Severina herself stressed that the song contains elements of the traditional music of the Dalmatian hinterland, such as ganga and rera singing, along with the lijerica as an instrument. Although it was the subject of criticism, “Moja štikla” became one of her most recognizable songs.

Working with Goran Bregović and the Album “Zdravo Marijo”

After Eurovision she began working with the composer Goran Bregović. The result was her tenth album, “Zdravo Marijo,” released in May 2008 by Dallas Records. The lyrics were written by Marina Tucaković and Ljiljana Jorgovanović. Its songs include “Gas, gas,” “Tridesete” (a cover of a Sezen Aksu song), “Gade” and “Haljinica boje lila.”

The album reached number one in Croatia and Slovenia, where she received a gold record. A regional tour followed, which she crowned with a performance at the Belgrade Arena in front of about 20,000 people. Performances in clothing with religious motifs provoked protests from part of the public, and the painter Milan Generalić filed a lawsuit over the use of his work on the album cover.

In 2009 she appeared on the song “Lola” by the band Miligram, and the documentary film “Kad se pretvorim u Severinu” (When I Turn into Severina) was made that same year.

Regional Boom: “Dobrodošao u klub”

Her eleventh album, “Dobrodošao u klub,” was released in December 2012, preceded by the singles “Brad Pitt” (2011), “Grad bez ljudi” and “Italiana.” “Grad bez ljudi” achieved record online viewership for a domestic artist at the time, and “Italiana” was viewed more than half a million times on its first day. The songs were written by Filip Miletić and Miloš Roganović.

The “Dobrodošao u klub” tour started in Rijeka in March 2013, followed by concerts in Belgrade (about 20,000 people), Zagreb (about 19,000), Sarajevo (about 15,000), Ljubljana (about 11,000) and Split (about 12,000). According to figures from the singer’s official website, more than 250,000 tickets were sold.

The singles “Hurem” (2013), “Alcatraz” and “Brazil” (2014, dedicated to the Croatian team at the World Cup) followed. In the summer of 2014 she released the duet “Uno momento” with the Serbian group Ministarke, which drew about 728,000 views in 24 hours and broke the regional record held by “Italiana.” Then came “More tuge” with Saša Matić and “Generale” with the group Učiteljice. That same year she appeared on the cover of Elle magazine in a provocative look, which drew attention beyond the region.

Theater, Film and Television

In 2003 she got her first theater role at the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka, in the rock opera “Karolina Riječka.” Then in 2005 she produced and performed the monodrama “Čekajući svog čovika” (Waiting for My Man) at the Kerempuh Satirical Theatre in Zagreb. In 2007 she played Baroness Castelli in the play “Gospoda Glembajevi” (The Glembays) in Rijeka, which drew divided reactions from critics.

On screen she acted in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian film “Duhovi Sarajeva” (Ghosts of Sarajevo) alongside Davor Janjić and Enis Bešlagić (sources differ on the exact year of filming), and she also appeared in the Slovenian film “Petelinji zajtrk” (Rooster’s Breakfast, 2007), playing herself. Her filmography also includes “Gdje je nestala Slovenija?” (2004) and “The Last Serb in Croatia” (2019).

In June 2023 it was announced that she would sit on the panel of RTL’s show “Superstar” together with Nika Turković, Tonči Huljić and Filip Miletić. The first season aired from September to December 2023, and she returned as a judge for the second season, which began in September 2024.

Recent Years: “Halo,” “Sorry” and a New Tour

At the beginning of 2017 she released the single “Kao,” followed by “Otrove” with the rapper Jala Brat, “Mrtav bez mene” and “Magija.” Her twelfth studio album, “Halo,” was released in February 2019 by Dallas Records and contains 17 songs. Its authors include Tonči and Vjekoslava Huljić, Jala Brat, Buba Corelli and Marina Tucaković, among others. It was followed by “The Magic Tour.”

In March 2022 she released a video for the song “Fališ mi” with the Bulgarian singer Azis. On 4 July 2023 the EP “Sorry” came out with five songs, among them “Metak” with the Serbian rapper Nucci. In December 2024, at the “Superstar” finale, she premiered the song “Tako ti je, sine moj.”

On New Year’s Eve 2024/2025 she held a concert in Sarajevo in front of, according to media reports, about 55,000 people. In August 2025 she released the song “Pumpaj, Seve brate,” and in October of that year she launched the “Ja samo pjevam” tour, named after her 1999 album. She sold out her concert at Arena Gripe in Split on 24 October, while tickets for Arena Zagreb on 7 November sold out in ten days, so she added a second concert on 8 November. In summer 2026 the songs “Nisam kriva ja (Bezosjećajna)” and “Pozovi me ti (Anksiozna)” were released.

Greatest Achievements

• Twelve studio albums released from 1990 to 2019, along with several live releases and EPs.
• Eurovision 2006 in Athens with the song “Moja štikla,” finishing 12th in the final.
• Sold-out regional tours, including the “Dobrodošao u klub” tour with more than 250,000 tickets sold.
• Concert records, among them the New Year’s concert in Sarajevo in front of about 55,000 people.
• Record online viewership of music videos such as “Italiana,” “Uno momento” and “Otrove.”
• The song “Djevojka sa sela” as an unofficial anthem of the Croatian national team at the 1998 World Cup.

Personal Life

Early in her career the public linked Severina with Alen Marin, singer of the band Kojoti, and later with other men from public life. Shortly before the 2004 scandal she was engaged to the entrepreneur Srećko Vargek, and later she was in relationships with the economist Mate Čuljak and with Slavko Šainović.

In December 2010 she met the Serbian businessman Milan Popović. She gave birth to her son Aleksandar in February 2012 in Split and had him baptized in Rijeka. The couple split, got back together, and finally separated in August 2013. Since then they have been involved in court disputes over custody.

On 22 November 2015 she married the Serbian footballer Igor Kojić, son of the musician Dragan Kojić Keba and fifteen years her junior, in Bale in Istria. The celebration was held in Belgrade. The divorce was officially finalized on 19 August 2021 in Zagreb. Severina has repeatedly stressed in the media that her son is the greatest accomplishment of her life.

Public Views and the 2024 Border Incident

In 2013 Severina publicly supported the LGBT community in Croatia ahead of the constitutional referendum. In recent years she has publicly voiced anti-fascist and Yugoslav-oriented views, and at concerts she has emphasized messages of peace in the region. She has also voiced support for student protests in Serbia.

On 25 August 2024 she was held at the Bajakovo border crossing when entering Serbia, where she was due to perform at a private celebration. According to her and media reports, the reason was her earlier statements. After the incident she decided to return to Croatia. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dačić later said she would be removed from the list of “verbal offenders.”

Interesting Facts

• She was named Severina after her father Sever, whose name means “north.”
• She first appeared on stage as a girl, in the musical “Frane Štrapalo.”
• The song “Djevojka sa sela” became an unofficial fan anthem at the 1998 World Cup.
• According to a list published by Time magazine, she was the most Googled person in Slovenia in 2015.
• In 2006 the weekly Nacional included her among the 100 most influential Croats.
• Her duet “Uno momento” with the group Ministarke has surpassed 130 million views on YouTube.

Awards and Recognition

• Zlatna ptica (Golden Bird) for the best-selling artist of the decade in Croatia.
• Večernjakova ruža for performer of the year.
• Zlatna bubamara (North Macedonia, 2014): best album of the year, best singer of the region and best regional tour.
• Award for best-selling live album for “Virujen u te (najbolje uživo!).”
• Grand Prix at the Melodije hrvatskog Jadrana festival in 2001 with the song “Virujen u te.”
• Porin nominations for the album “Pogled ispod obrva” and the hit “Virujen u te.”

Legacy and Influence

Severina has been present on the regional scene for more than three decades and belongs to the generation of performers who have kept their popularity in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and North Macedonia. She has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the region, including Goran Bregović, Željko Bebek, Gibonni, Boris Novković, Saša Matić, Jala Brat and Azis.

Thanks to her versatile style, from Dalmatian ballads to contemporary pop and rap, she has managed to adapt to new generations of listeners. Her videos and concerts still draw great attention, and Croatian media have repeatedly described her as one of the few genuine stars of the domestic scene.

Biography – Frequently Asked Questions

When and where was Severina Vučković born?

Severina Vučković was born on 21 April 1972 in Split, Croatia, which was then part of SFR Yugoslavia.

What is Severina’s real name?

Her real name is Severina Vučković. She has used the stage name Severina since the start of her career.

How many studio albums does Severina have?

Severina has released twelve studio albums so far, from her self-titled debut in 1990 to “Halo” in 2019.

What are Severina’s biggest hits?

Among the best known are “Dalmatinka,” “Djevojka sa sela,” “Ante,” “Virujen u te,” “Moja štikla,” “Italiana,” “Uno momento” and “Otrove.”

How did Severina place at Eurovision 2006?

At the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens she finished 12th with 56 points. Some sources give 13th place, but most Eurovision sources confirm 12th.

Who is Severina’s son?

Severina has a son, Aleksandar, born in February 2012. His father is the Serbian businessman Milan Popović.

Is Severina married?

She married Igor Kojić on 22 November 2015, and the divorce was officially finalized on 19 August 2021.

Is Severina a judge on “Superstar”?

Yes, she was on the panel of the first season of “Superstar” in 2023 and returned for the second season in 2024.

How tall is Severina?

According to one source she is about 171 cm tall, but this figure has not been confirmed by multiple sources.

Conclusion

Severina Vučković went from a girl in Split to one of the most recognizable names on the regional music scene. Her career spans twelve albums, Eurovision 2006, sold-out arenas and a string of record-breaking videos. Although several public controversies have accompanied her path, her popularity has lasted for decades. For that reason, the biography of Severina Vučković remains an example of a long-lasting and adaptable career in the Balkans.