Veronica Maggio is a Swedish soul-pop singer who made her critically acclaimed album debut in 2006 with Vatten & Bröd and scored her first international hit a couple years later in 2008 with "Måndagsbarn." Born on March 15, 1981, in Uppsala, Sweden, she is of both Swedish and Italian heritage and is based in Stockholm. She made her commercial recording debut in 2006 with the Top 20 hit single "Dumpa Mig," followed by the Top Ten hit single "Nöjd?" Released by Universal Music on the heels of these two hits, Maggio's full-length debut, Vatten & Bröd (2006), was a Top 20 hit on the Swedish albums chart. Notable for its thumping quasi-hip-hop beats and including the two aforementioned hit singles, Vatten & Bröd was almost entirely produced, written, and composed by Stefan Gräslund. Critically hailed as a Swedish alternative to Amy Winehouse and other such female soul-pop singers suddenly in vogue throughout Western Europe and North America, Maggio won Newcomer of the Year at the 2007 Swedish Grammy Awards. For her second album, Och Vinnaren Är... (2008), Maggio co-wrote most of the songs in collaboration with producer Kihlen (born Oskar Linnros), a member of the Swedish rap group Snook, and further emphasized the 1960s soul throwback elements of her music. The album's lead single, "Måndagsbarn," a Motown-esque floor-stomper, was an international hit, reaching the Top Ten in neighboring Norway and Denmark. Also including the follow-up hit singles "Stopp" and "17 Är," Och Vinnaren Är... reached the Top Ten of the albums chart and was well received from a critical standpoint. ~ Jason Birchmeier