The legendary c/o pop festival will take place from April 23 to 27, 2025. The annual multi-day mega-event in Cologne will be celebrated with a fittingly slamming lineup to accompany the occasion. Included are, per usual, a selection of incredible Austrian acts. This year Austrian Music Export proudly presents 6 acts to see live and keep your eyes open for… Curious? Scroll away.
Austrian Artists at c/O POP 2025
Bac
bac (pronounced bee ay see) from Villach, is just 19 years old and has not only stormed the viral Spotify Top 50 charts in the entire DACH region with his music, but recently also the German and Austrian charts. In his new single “Rosaroter Tee”, the musician with Ethiopian roots exudes a positive lightness in his fresh and straightforward manner. Even before the release, several videos on his social media channels went viral and have already reached several million views in total. Rappers and indie alternative musicians are among his followers, whose numbers have rapidly doubled in the last two months. With the lyrics of his new single “Do you want a pink tea, or an Oreo soufflé? If not, it’s okay anyway, time is passing anyway”, he not only inspires his fans, but also the social media teams of well-known cookie brands. “Rosaroter Tee” is the perfect song for the fall season: with laid-back piano and relaxed lyrics, bac masters the balancing act between pop and spoken word.
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
Beaks
Beaks is the music project by Anna Francesca, who has been writing for years but only recently found a way of sharing her text through songs. Coming from poetry, she plays words like an instrument, embedded into a sound that’s minimalistic and effortless. Her lyrics are introspective snapshots of life – perhaps even dream sequences – reflecting the essence of the human condition. Oscillating between reality and a dizzy daydream, Beaks is sleepwalking with open eyes. This becomes evident in her single „Dirty Girls,“ that ends with the words: „How do dreams work? Will I wake up if I die?“
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
Panah
At the age of seven, Panah discovered her great love: music. But life didn’t always treat the Kurdish native, born in Northern Iraq, kindly. At the age of three, a medical error nearly cost her life, leaving her in a coma for months and confined to a wheelchair since. Subsequently, one stroke of misfortune followed another. The Gulf War attacks took loved ones from her, and during her escape from Kurdistan to Austria, she witnessed her family being separated at the border.
Panah wrote her first original songs at the age of nine, and by thirteen, she had already performed at an Open Mic Show. This led to a studio session, a release party, and her appearance at the opening ceremony of the Paralympics in Sydney, where she performed on stage alongside superstars like Kylie Minogue and Vanessa Amarosi. She opened for G-Unit (50 Cent and crew) and met with producer H-Money, known for working with stars like Maroon 5, Jennifer Hudson, and Keyshia Cole. Through this collaboration, Panah explored her talents as a songwriter and producer.
In December 2020, Panah released her first original song “Don’t Need Your Love” featuring Manuellsen. In April 2023, she signed her first record deal with Universal Music Germany and will soon release her debut EP.
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
KÄSSY
KÄSSY is anything and anyone she wants to be. Singer, instrumentalist, producer, performer. Her music sometimes sounds like walking through the deepest depths of eclectic mania hell and other times it sounds like floating through the highest heavens of intense emotion and apathy. Its prettiness is sprinkled with paranoia and sometimes even downright ugliness. Self taught in basically all aspects of her craft, her earliest songs first saw the light of day through the blinds of her own bedroom windows, slowly evolving into what would become her debut single: “Skirt On Pants” (released March 22nd) KÄSSY and her music are full of contradictions and plot twists, yet she is uncompromisingly expressing herself: “I made my bed now I die in it.” Since then, she has released many more great singles and her signature style visual treats to accompany them.
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
Mathea
With honest lyrics and catchy melodies, Mathea is one of the most exciting voices on the Austrian pop scene. Since her breakthrough with 2x, she has combined emotional depth with modern pop.
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
NEUNUNDNEUNZIG
NEUNUNDNEUNZIG don’t like to show their cards. Although they are rather reserved in public, they have already had three exciting and productive years as a band. On their joint album “99 in dein Herz”, they present a romantic, retro-futuristic melange of cold wave influences and cloud rap sounds, embedded in an aesthetic of noisy Super 8 recordings and smartphone snapshots. Their alter egos – Amandus 99 and Danzinger 99 as well as Saiya Tiaw and Nicki Papa – revolve around their music, each with their own attitude, ideas and communication style.
What may seem a little complex at first is actually the result of two versatile young musicians who prefer to communicate with the outside world through their art figures rather than on social media.
This unusual attitude took them on a European tour through sold-out clubs right at the start of their career and quickly made the stages in Germany and Austria bigger too. All of her projects come together in her live shows, where the art figures merge back into characters in search of a community with the audience.
SHOWTIME & PLACE: TBD (Check back here soon!)
Austrian Heartbeats Reception at C/O Pop
Austrian Music Export will once again be hosting a Reception! Come by and have a drink, a snack and fruitful exchange with Austrian and international musicians and industry professionals!
Time & Place: 16:00-17:00 -Herbrand’s Biergarten
Facts:
- Reception open to delegates directly in the networking area of the conference
- for informal exchange and active networking with the Austrian delegation.
One more thing! Building Bridges
Apply for the next Building Bridges mission to Cologne for c/o pop 2025! Apply by March 31, 2025. Details here.
