Yes, that’s her ​real​ name.

MERLIN​ moved back and forth between Albania and Germany with her family before they finally settled in Boston when she was 7 years old. Between the language barrier and feeling like a social outcast, music was the one constant she held onto in every new home. She began to write poems and songs, and even used music to learn English. She was drawn to artists like Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, and Paramore growing up, and recalls the Tina Turner and Michael Jackson CDs from the collection her parents packed to bring to the States.

In middle school, ​MERLIN ​began getting involved in school musicals and talent shows, and even joined a cover band as the lead singer. During this time, she also got involved with local modeling and talent agencies. This led her to attend IMTA New York, after which she received many offers that required her to move across the country during her freshman year of college. Ultimately, ​MERLIN​ decided to focus on her education and stay close to her family. However, after graduating with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, ​MERLIN​ still felt her true passion was to pursue music. This led to her to find Red 13 Studios and the production duo Late Boomers Club, who are currently working with her to finalize her EP.

Her debut single, ​‘Love’, ​is the first release off the project. The song is a moody love letter to her younger self, which plays into the track’s artwork: a childhood photo of ​MERLIN​ smiling with Barbie and Ken. Her EP draws from her love of multiple genres and blending in her own Albanian culture wherever she can. If you ask ​MERLIN​ what her songs consist of, she’ll tell you: “life, personal experience, death, and ​MAGIC​.”