Trivia / Nena

• Disowned Adaptation: The band expressed dissatisfaction with the English version of "99 Luftballons", "99 Red Balloons", believing that the translation was silly.
• Enforced Method Acting: Mixed with Throw It In!, for the video for "99 Luftballons", according to the old Pop-up Video show on VH-1. Apparently, the explosions in the video were set off a bit too close to the stage, genuinely scaring Nena. Her being held by one of her bandmates near the end was therefore not intended by the director, but was a genuine attempt to comfort her.
• One-Hit Wonder: While able to maintain sustained success in continental Europe, in the Anglosphere, her only major hit was "99 Luftballons"/"99 Red Balloons". The US is a particularly interesting case, as there, the German version was the one that charted despite being the B-side to the English version; people bought the single specifically to hear it in German, and consequently, "99 Luftballons" hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 while "99 Red Balloons" didn't chart at all.
• Referenced by...:
  • JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
    • In Stardust Crusaders, DIO's minion of the Empress card and one of Hol Horse's many girlfriends is named Nena.
    • The signature pose◊ of Giorno Giovanna, the main protagonist of Golden Wind, is based on a pose done by Nena herself◊.
  • Pop Rock Station from Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion comes with the description of, "As 50 yellow balloons go by...", referencing "99 Luftballons".
• So My Kids Can Watch: Each time Nena became pregnant, she would record a children's album. (She ultimately had five children, one of whom tragically died at the age of 11 months)

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