Dara (Bulgarian singer)

Darina Nikolaeva Yotova, known simply as Dara, is a Bulgarian singer whose meteoric rise to fame began on a reality TV show and quickly propelled her to the top of the national music scene. With a powerful voice and a captivating stage presence, she's not just a pop star, but a mentor and an upcoming international representative for her country. Get ready to discover the journey of a true contemporary music icon who is now gearing up for the world's biggest musical stage. Dara achieved national recognition after placing third on the Bulgarian X Factor, launching her solo career shortly after. She has solidified her status as a leading pop artist, consistently releasing chart-topping singles and becoming a successful coach on The Voice of Bulgaria. Dara is set to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, marking a significant step onto the global music scene with her song "Bangaranga."

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Dara achieved national recognition after placing third on the Bulgarian X Factor, launching her solo career shortly after.
She has solidified her status as a leading pop artist, consistently releasing chart-topping singles and becoming a successful coach on The Voice of Bulgaria.
Dara is set to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, marking a significant step onto the global music scene with her song "Bangaranga."

The Rise of a Pop Star

Born in Varna, Bulgaria, in 1998, Darina Nikolaeva Yotova's journey into the spotlight began remarkably early. At just 16 years old, she captivated audiences and judges alike on the Bulgarian edition of The X Factor in 2015, where she emerged as a formidable talent.

Under the mentorship of popular Bulgarian rapper Krisko, Dara showcased her raw talent and stage presence. She ultimately finished in third place, a strong showing that served as a launching pad for her professional music career.

From Reality TV to Pop Sensation

Following her success on The X Factor, Yotova wasted no time. She signed a record deal with the prominent Bulgarian music label, Virginia Records, and adopted her now-iconic mononymous stage name, Dara. This marked the official beginning of her solo career.

In the summer of 2016, Dara released her debut single, "K'vo ne chu" (What didn't you hear), accompanied by a vibrant music video. The track quickly resonated with Bulgarian audiences, signaling her arrival as a force in the pop landscape.

Just weeks after its release, "K'vo ne chu" climbed to the top of the Bulgarian charts, solidifying her status as a breakout artist. Recognizing the song's international potential, an English version titled "Onto You" was released soon after, hinting at her global aspirations.

Charting Success and Collaborations

Dara continued her momentum into 2017, releasing her second single, "Rodena takava" (Born this way), complete with another engaging music video. Her consistent output proved she was far from a one-hit wonder.

Later that year, she made her first notable guest appearance, lending her vocals to "Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" (You won't leave with another) by labelmates Plamen & Ivo, alongside the popular Bulgarian hip-hop duo Pavell and Venci Venc'. This collaboration further expanded her reach.

The prolific period continued with her third single, "Nedei" (Don't), released in September, followed by "Vse na men" (Always me) in June 2018. Each release contributed to her growing discography and maintained her presence on the music charts.

Beyond Music: TV Appearances

In early 2020, Dara broadened her television presence by starring in "Kato dve kapki voda," the Bulgarian version of the popular show "Your Face Sounds Familiar." Her versatility and impressive impersonations once again led her to a strong finish, securing third place in the final.

Mentorship and Triumph

Since 2021, Dara has taken on a significant role as a coach on "The Voice of Bulgaria," sharing her experience and expertise with aspiring singers. Her empathetic yet competitive approach quickly made her a fan favorite.

Her coaching prowess was undeniable. In 2022, during the ninth season, Jacklyn Tarrakci from Team Dara clinched the victory, making Dara a winning coach in her relatively short tenure. This was a testament to her keen ear for talent and effective guidance.

Two years later, in 2024, Dara repeated her success. Her artist Slaveya Ivanova triumphed in the eleventh season of "The Voice of Bulgaria," securing Dara her second coaching win in just four seasons—a remarkable achievement.

A Debut Album and Global Recognition

On March 7, 2022, Dara announced the release of her highly anticipated debut album, also titled "Rodena takava." It dropped on April 20, 2022, and was celebrated with a live concert in Sofia, marking a major milestone in her career.

Her influence even reached beyond Europe when, in March 2023, K-pop superstar Kai released "Rover," a remake of Dara's original track "Mr. Rover," on his solo album. This unexpected international nod highlighted the global appeal of her music.

Dara continued to explore new avenues in 2024, participating in "Dancing Stars," the Bulgarian celebrity dance competition. Proving her versatility once again, she danced her way to an impressive runner-up finish.

The Road to Eurovision

In a momentous announcement, Dara was selected to represent Bulgaria in the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Her journey to this international stage began with a triumphant win at "Natsionalnata selektsiya," the Bulgarian national final, where she secured 30 points.

Despite initially considering withdrawing, Dara ultimately confirmed her participation, much to the excitement of her fans. Her chosen song for the contest, "Bangaranga," was selected through a televised national final on February 28, generating significant anticipation.

For her Eurovision performance, Dara will collaborate with renowned director Fredrik Rydman, known for his spectacular staging of previous Eurovision entries. Rydman's impressive portfolio includes successful productions for Sweden in 2015, Finland in 2023, and Switzerland in 2024, promising a truly captivating show for Bulgaria.

A Look at Her Music

Studio Albums

Title	Details
Rodena takava	Debut studio album
Adhdara	Second studio album

Singles as Lead Artist

Title	Year	BUL Air.	BUL Dom. Air.	Album
"K'vo ne chu"	2016	—	6	Rodena takava
"Rodena takava"	2017	—	1	Rodena takava
"Nedei"	2017	7	1	Rodena takava
"Vse na men"	2018	9	2	Rodena takava
"BTW (Bye Bye)" (with Livin R & Noisy)	2019	—	3	Non-album single
"Sosa maje" (with Virgo)	2019	—	—	Sauce Kid 3
"Darbie"	2019	7	1	Rodena takava
"Hotel 5 zvezdi" (with Pavell & Venci Venc')	2019	—	—	Upgrade
"Ella Ella"	2019	6	2	Rodena takava
"Ai Ai"	2020	3	1	Rodena takava

Title	Year	BUL Air.	BUL Dom. Air.	Album
"Mamacita"	2020	—	—	Rodena takava
"Cold as Ice"	2021	5	2	Rodena takava
"Thunder"	2021	1	1	Rodena takava
"Call Me" (with Matteo)	2022	—	1	Non-album single
"Mr. Rover"	2022	—	4	Adhdara
"Veche nyama kak" (with Lubo Kirov)	2023	10	1	Tseluni me
"Boginya"	2023	—	3	Non-album single
"In My Head"	2023	6	1	Adhdara
"Zaminavam"	2023	—	1	Adhdara

Title	Year	BUL Air.	BUL Dom. Air.	Album
"Nyama da mi lipsvash" (featuring Bobo)	2023	10	2	Adhdara
"Samo moi"	2024	—	2	Adhdara
"Zmiya" (with Venci Venc')	2024	—	3	Adhdara
"Kradets na mechti"	2024	8	1	Adhdara
"Nishto poveche"	2025	9	1	Adhdara
"Barbie & Ken" (with Virgo)	2025	—	—	Sauce Kid 4
"Nito zvuk"	2025	10	1	Adhdara
"Da ne mojem"	2025	—	2	Adhdara
"Onche bonche"	2026	—	2	Adhdara
"Curse"	2026	—	—	Non-album single
"This Is Me"	2026	—	—	Non-album single
"Bangaranga"	2026	10	2	Adhdara

Singles as Featured Artist

Title	Year	BUL Air.	BUL Dom. Air.	Album
"Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" (Plamen & Ivo featuring Dara and Pavell & Venci Venc')	2017	—	3	Non-album single
"Sreshtu men" (Pavell & Venci Venc' featuring Dara)	2018	—	—	Non-album single
"My Time" (Monoir featuring Dara)	2018	4	1	Non-album single

Music Videos

Year	Title	Director	Artist(s)
As main performer
2016	"K'vo ne chu"	Lyusi Ilarionov, Andrey Andreev	Dara
2017	"Rodena takava"	Lyusi Ilarionov, Georgi Markov	Dara
As featured performer
2017	"Nyama da si tragnesh s drug"	Lyusi Ilarionov, Georgi Markov	Plamen & Ivo featuring Dara, Pavell & Venci Venc'

Article

Dara (Bulgarian singer)

Darina Nikolaeva Yotova (Bulgarian: Дарина Николаева Йотова, born 9 September 1998), known mononymously as Dara (Bulgarian: Дара), is a Bulgarian singer. She rose to prominence in 2015 after reaching the final in the Bulgarian edition of The X Factor. In 2016, she released her debut single "K'vo ne chu" under Virginia Records. She is set to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Career

2015–16: The X Factor

Born in Varna, in 2015 Yotova participated in the Bulgarian version of the reality show The X Factor where she finished third, with Bulgarian rapper Krisko being her mentor.

2016–present: Early career

Following her departure from The X Factor, Yotova signed a record deal with Bulgarian music label Virginia Records and adopted the stage name Dara. In the summer of 2016, she released her debut single "K'vo ne chu", accompanied by a music video. A few weeks later, the single peaked the Bulgarian charts and a subsequent English version of the song by the name of "Onto You" was released on 29 September, directed towards an international audience.

On 12 March 2017, Dara released her second single entitled "Rodena takava", also accompanied by a music video. A few months later, on 21 July, she made her first guest appearance on a single named "Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" by labelmates Plamen & Ivo alongside Bulgarian hip-hop duo Pavell and Venci Venc'. On 29 September, Dara's third single "Nedei" was released on YouTube with an official music video. On 20 June 2018, Dara released her fourth single entitled "Vse na men", along with a music video.

In early 2020, Dara starred in the TV show Kato dve kapki voda, the Bulgarian version of Your Face Sounds Familiar, finishing in third place in the final.

Since 2021, Dara has been a coach on The Voice of Bulgaria. In 2022, on the ninth season, Jacklyn Tarrakci, a member of Team Dara, won the competition. This made Dara the winning coach. In 2024, on the eleventh season, Dara's artist Slaveya Ivanova won the competition, marking Dara's second win in four seasons as a coach.

Dara at the Code Fashion Awards 2022

On 7 March 2022, Dara announced her debut album Rodena takava set to be released on 20 April 2022, accompanied with a live concert showcasing the album in Joy Station, Sofia.

In March 2023, Kai released "Rover", a remake of Dara's original "Mr. Rover", with his solo album Rover. In the Spring of 2024 she participated in Dancing Stars, where she finished as the runner-up.

2026: Eurovision Song Contest

She is set to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after winning the 2026 Bulgarian national final, Natsionalnata selektsiya, with 30 points. After considering withdrawing from the contest, she confirmed her participation. Her song for the contest was selected on in a national final method which was broadcast on 28 February. The song selected was Bangaranga.

The staging of Dara's performance at the contest will be directed by Fredrik Rydman, who has previously done so for a number of entries, most notably Sweden in 2015, Finland in 2023 and Switzerland in 2024.

Discography

Studio albums

<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Details</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rodena takava</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Adhdara</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

As lead artist

<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Peak chart positions</th><th>Album</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>BUL Air.</td><td>BUL Dom. Air.</td></tr><tr><td>"K'vo ne chu"</td><td>2016</td><td>—</td><td>6</td><td>Rodena takava</td></tr><tr><td>"Rodena takava"</td><td>2017</td><td>—</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Nedei"</td><td>7</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Vse na men"</td><td>2018</td><td>9</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"BTW (Bye Bye)" (with Livin R & Noisy)</td><td>2019</td><td>—</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>"Sosa maje" (with Virgo)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>"Darbie"</td><td>7</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Hotel 5 zvezdi" (with Pavell & Venci Venc')</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>Upgrade</td></tr><tr><td>"Ella Ella"</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>Rodena takava</td></tr><tr><td>"Ai Ai"</td><td>2020</td><td>3</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Mamacita"</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>"Cold as Ice"</td><td>2021</td><td>5</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"Thunder"</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Call Me" (with Matteo)</td><td>2022</td><td>—</td><td>1</td><td>Non-album singles</td></tr><tr><td>"Mr. Rover"</td><td>—</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>"Veche nyama kak" (with Lubo Kirov)</td><td>2023</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>Tseluni me</td></tr><tr><td>"Boginya"</td><td>—</td><td>3</td><td>Non-album singles</td></tr><tr><td>"In My Head"</td><td>6</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Zaminavam"</td><td>—</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Nyama da mi lipsvash" (featuring Bobo)</td><td>10</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"Samo moi"</td><td>2024</td><td>—</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"Zmiya" (with Venci Venc')</td><td>—</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>"Kradets na mechti"</td><td>8</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"Nishto poveche"</td><td>2025</td><td>9</td><td>1</td><td>Adhdara</td></tr><tr><td>"Barbie & Ken" (with Virgo)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>Sauce Kid 4</td></tr><tr><td>"Nito zvuk"</td><td>10</td><td>1</td><td>Adhdara</td></tr><tr><td>"Da ne mojem"</td><td>—</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"Onche bonche"</td><td>2026</td><td>—</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"Curse"</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>Non-album singles</td></tr><tr><td>"This Is Me"</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>"Bangaranga"</td><td>10</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.</td></tr></tbody></table>

As featured artist

<table><thead><tr><th>Title</th><th>Year</th><th>Peak chart positions</th><th>Album</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>BUL Air.</td><td>BUL Dom. Air.</td></tr><tr><td>"Nyama da si tragnesh s drug" (Plamen & Ivo featuring Dara and Pavell & Venci Venc')</td><td>2017</td><td>—</td><td>3</td><td>Non-album singles</td></tr><tr><td>"Sreshtu men" (Pavell & Venci Venc' featuring Dara)</td><td>2018</td><td>—</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>"My Time" (Monoir featuring Dara)</td><td>4</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Music videos

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Director</th><th>Artist(s)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>As main performer</td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>"K'vo ne chu"</td><td>Lyusi Ilarionov, Andrey Andreev</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>"Rodena takava"</td><td>Lyusi Ilarionov, Georgi Markov</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>As featured performer</td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>"Nyama da si tragnesh s drug"</td><td>Lyusi Ilarionov, Georgi Markov</td><td>Plamen & Ivo featuring Dara, Pavell & Venci Venc'</td></tr></tbody></table>