Auburn

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, vocalist Auburn absorbed contemporary gospel during her formative years before shifting toward pop-R&B. At age 13 she joined the group Loyal for her first stage experience; the act opened for B2K yet never advanced further. Tracks she uploaded to MySpace secured her independently released debut album Same Giirl, on which she evoked a young Ciara. Issued in 2007, the project featured production contributions from Naughty by Nature’s Kay Gee. After serving as opening act for Keyshia Cole on a U.S. tour, she was signed to Jonathan “JR” Rotem’s boutique label Beluga Heights. Her first single under Rotem, the playful “La La La” featuring Iyaz, entered the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2010 while she continued work on a second album planned for release through Warner Bros.