Bosse

In the organizer's words:

Bosse at SUMMER IN THE CITY 2025 at the Zitadelle Mainz

Nobody goes to a BOSSE concert just once. Anyone who has ever experienced how this charismatic artist works the stage and belts out his unique blend of indie rock, alternative and pop to the crowd, how he melts into the audience during hits like "Der letzte Tanz" or "Schönste Zeit", how he euphorizes the masses, will want to experience it again and take as many friends with them as possible. However, passionate live performances are only one side of the artist - he creates the basis for this with his lovingly crafted albums, which expand classic singer-songwriting in the direction of pop and indie rock. On them, he pours his thoughts into songs, condensing complex feelings into a language that is close to life, equipped with choruses that stay in your head without sticking to it. They are often about overcoming resistance, a positive outlook on life despite self-doubt and the certainty of not being alone even in bad times.

And he himself is the best example of how giving up is usually the worst option. His long road to the top begins with his birth in 1980 in the hilly outskirts of Braunschweig. He manifested a strong focus on music as a child and reached his first peak when he and his band signed a contract with a major record company while still at school. However, his early success turned out to be a bubble, the deal collapsed, as did the band, and Axel soon found himself alone again with his talent. However, one of his core qualities is his unshakeable belief in his own abilities, his perseverance and his stamina. Nothing in his career was given to BOSSE as a gift, he was never part of a hype, a casting show or a marketing campaign, he just kept going and played every concert as if it were for his life - be it in front of ten paying people in a provincial pub or in front of tens of thousands on a festival mainstage.

The turning point in his career came in 2009 with the album "Taxi", produced with the last of the money he had scraped together and the help of friends, driven by the single "3 Million", which entered the Top 100 for the first time. Suddenly, the number of guests at his concerts increased, word spread of BOSSE's legendary reputation as a stage show performer and record companies were queuing up to secure his collaboration.

From then on, it was all upwards: in 2011, the album "Wartesaal" reached number 9 in the charts, followed by "Kraniche" at number 4 in 2013, both of which later went gold. From then on, every album made it into at least the Top 5, with "Engtanz" and "Alles ist jetzt" reaching No. 1. The single "Schönste Zeit" became the anthem of Generation X and went platinum, while "Der letzte Tanz" dominated the TikTok charts for weeks.

At the same time, BOSSE explodes as a live event. More than 700 concerts have turned the already highly motivated performer Axel Bosse into an entertainer and bandleader in the style of Robbie Williams or Bruce Springsteen, who is aware of what his multi-headed band is doing at any given moment and yet always keeps in touch with the audience. BOSSE manages to speak directly to every audience member, even at arena concerts, and to create a private party-like atmosphere at club shows. He awakens universal feelings for several generations, shakes people up, comforts and motivates them with his optimism. He always uses this optimism for political work too. He has been involved with the drinking water aid organization Viva Con Agua for years, as well as supporting Hanseatic Help, Jamel rockt den Förster, Dein Topf and, of course, always taking a firm stance against any right-wing tendencies.

BOSSE is a star without airs and graces, approachable but not run-of-the-mill, clever but never disguised, accessible but not ingratiating, and in the long term without competition in the field of tension between German pop and indie rock.