German pop trio Monrose was one of the myriad acts launched to fame via the television amateur showcase Popstars. Created in the mold of record-setting girl group No Angels, by some distance the most successful exponent of the Popstars model, Monrose's origins lie in the series' fifth season, heralded by advertisements proclaiming "Neue Engel braucht das Land" ("The country needs new angels"). In the summer of 2006, more than 5,100 hopefuls attended auditions in locales spanning from Frankfurt to Munich to Dortmund, with the show's judges -- choreographer Detlef "D!" Soost, producer Dieter Falk, and singer Nina Hagen -- ultimately whittling the group to 20 semi-finalists. Spirited away to Ischgl, Tyrol, for training in song, dance, and fitness, the young women's ranks were slashed by two or three each week, with the judges finally agreeing on six finalists. Split into two groups of three, they each recorded rival versions of an LP, titled The Silent Force, and filmed a music video for the lead single, "Shame." On the Popstars season finale, broadcast November 23, 2006, the trio of Mandy Capristo, Senna Guemmour, and Bahar Kýzýl was declared victorious over Arjeta Zuta, Katarzyna Zinkiewicz, and Romina Reinhardt, and awarded the right to release their completed album and single under the Monrose name. Produced by the duo of Jiant and Snowflakers, "Shame" topped the pop charts in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, becoming the fastest-selling single of 2006. The Silent Force followed by year's end, going platinum in its first week of release. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi