Meja Anna Pernilla Kullersten (formerly Beckman; born Anna Pernilla Torndah… Read Full Bio ↴Meja Anna Pernilla Kullersten (formerly Beckman; born Anna Pernilla Torndahl) (born Nynäshamn, Stockholms län, 12 February 1969), commonly known as Meja, is a Swedish composer, artist and singer. ,

Among her best known songs are "Private Emotion", a (duet with Ricky Martin) from his multi-Platinum album Ricky Martin (1999), and "All 'bout the Money", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.

She gained much popularity in the West after her single "How Crazy are You?" was used as the main theme music for the Xbox video game Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

Meja was born Anna Pernilla Torndahl in Nynäshamn, Stockholm County. She had her stage debut at "Ystads City theatre" at the age of 7. She was brought up in a musical family, her grandfather, Per Lundkvist, was a composer of both classical and contemporary music and her mother, a recording artist as a child before choosing a path as a painter.
In 1986, at the age of 16, she moved to Mallorca, Spain, to study. She was introduced to American jazz trumpet player/singer Stephen Frankevich and started to take vocal lessons with singer Deborah Carter.
Meja went to Stockholm in 1990. She sang in different bands there before getting out on tour as a backup singer for the Swedish group Rob n Raz DLC in 1991. In 1992 Meja moved to Los Angeles to continue her studies at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. She graduated from the vocal program in late 1992 then returned to Sweden.
n 1993, Meja worked with the dance project Legacy of Sound. She co-wrote with Anders Bagge the first single, "Happy", from the album Holy Groove. The song reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club play, and it peaked at number 68 on the Top 100 during a 12-week stay on the chart. "Happy" was released in over 20 countries. Meja recorded one more album with Legacy of Sound in 1994, Tour de Force.
Meja teamed in 1995 with Swedish manager Lasse Karlsson, manager of Ace of Base, and writer/producer Douglas Carr to provide the vocals for the demo The Juvenile titled The Goldeneye.
The first solo album Meja, was released in 1996, with songs co-written by Billy Steinberg. In 1997 Meja had her first concert tour in Japan: The Flower Girl Jam Tour.
Meja released the album Seven Sisters in 1998. Later that year Columbia (Sony) launched the album in the U.S with the single "How Crazy Are You?"
Meja went to Miami in 1999 to record "Private Emotion", a duet with Ricky Martin for his debut album Ricky Martin. After shooting a video for the song, Meja stayed in Los Angeles to work on her next album Realitales (2000) with Steinberg. She also co-wrote two tracks for the album in London with Stephen Lipson. The artwork for this album was shot by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund.
In 2003 Meja started to work with her former Sony Music boss, Richard Ogden. The album Mellow was released in 2004, with songs in Portuguese ("Água de Beber", "Dindi") and Spanish. She covered a Caetano Veloso song "O'Leaonzinho" that she named "Little Lion." The album was produced by Hamish Stuart. One song, "Simple Days-Walking the Distance", was used in the Japanese film Lakeside Murder Case.
In 2006 Meja went back to Los Angeles to collaborate again with Steinberg on a new album, also working with writers Jeff Barry, Billy Gibbons, Jed Leiber and Boz Boorer.
The first single "At the Rainbow's End" was released in June 2009, the second single "Regrets (I Have None)" in August, and the album Urban Gypsy was released on her own label Seven Sisters Network in October on a license deal with Sony Music. A remix of Mando Diao's "Dance with Somebody" was released early 2010.
The first release from the album Stroboscope Sky was the single "Blame it on the Shadows" (2013) produced by Ebbot Lundberg. Meja teamed with producer Nicolas Gunthardt and together with his sister Alessandra they wrote "Yellow Ribbon" which served as the theme song for the album. "Yellow Ribbon" was released as a single in collaboration with Amnesty International/Free the Angola 3 to help raise awareness of the case of Albert Woodfox. A remix EP was released with remixes by Deep Forest, Dj Swami, Gota Yashiki, DF Tram, NORD and more.

Awakening
Meja Lyrics

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I磎 a grown up now
whatever it means
the older I get the more it seems
I磛e given up to be afraid
It was a matter of time
just a Milky Way

Not a crisis more like a transformation

another stop on a higher station
and what磗 the most important part
I磎 standin' up for what I like

Awakening
from within a dream
shifting moments
endless stream
receiving and giving
golden beam
I磎 awake in the truth
I am a dream

I磎 a woman now
and by all means
the stronger I get the less I seem
to be a judge , to fool myself
to live in the now it磗 all it means

Stick

Like popcorn
every cell is awake
'what used to be real
was just a fake

Chorus

Overall Meaning

Meja's song "Awakening" is an uplifting and inspiring reflection on personal growth and the journey towards self-realization. The lyrics express the idea that with age and experience comes a greater sense of self-awareness and understanding. Meja acknowledges that letting go of fear and embracing the present moment can be challenging, but ultimately lead to a transformation and a higher state of consciousness.

The first verse speaks to feelings of transition and change, with Meja accepting that growing up is a natural process and something to be embraced rather than feared. The second verse specifically references Meja's identity as a woman, and how she has become stronger and more confident in herself as she's aged. The chorus represents a moment of awakening and self-discovery as Meja realizes that she is both the dreamer and the dream, connected to an endless stream of energy and consciousness.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a grown up now
I have reached adulthood

whatever it means
However, I am not sure what exactly that entails

the older I get the more it seems
As I age, I realize more about life

I've given up to be afraid
I have decided to no longer let fear control me

It was a matter of time
Confronting my fears was inevitable

just a Milky Way
The universe is vast and my problems are small in comparison

Not a crisis more like a transformation
This is not a difficult situation, but a process of change

another stop on a higher station
This is a step towards enlightenment

and what's the most important part
The most significant aspect is that

I'm standing up for what I like
I am embracing my personal preferences and values

Awakening
I am becoming aware