The Turkish pop singer Emre Altuğ was born to a Niğde family on April 14, 1969, in Levent, Istanbul. After graduating from Istanbul University with a degree in theater, he launched parallel careers as an actor and vocalist, appearing in multiple plays throughout Istanbul while also working as a backup singer for established artists like Nilüfer, Sezen Aksu, Levent Yüksel, and Sertab Erener. His experience onstage eventually led him to a solo career, which Altuğ launched with his debut album, İbreti Alem, in 1998. Two years later, he collaborated with composer Melih Kibar on on the song "Bir de bana sor," which became a hit on Turkish radio. Sıcak, his second album, followed in 2003 and marked his first release for the DSM label. He remained with DSM for a number of albums, including 2004's Dudak Dudağa, 2005's Sensiz Olmuyor, and 2007's Sişiye Özel. He continued working as an actor, too, landing recurring roles in TV shows like Tatlı Hayat and Sensiz olmuyor while also starring in movies like 2006's Eve Giden Yol: 1914 and 2010's Sizi Seviyorum. His music career flourished during the 2010s, a decade that found Altuğ releasing hte albums Zil (2011) and Yıldırım Gürses Şarkıları (2017), as well as three EPs. Two additional EPs, Aşk İçin (Live) and Dans İçin (Live), followed in 2022, with the single "Yanabilir Her Şeyi" appearing in 2023.
