Bridget Kelly

Bridget Kelly first drew attention through her vocal contributions alongside Jay-Z, where she regularly took on Alicia Keys’ role in live renditions of the 2009 hit “Empire State of Mind.” During 2010 she appeared on “Take the World,” the track that opens Tinchy Stryder’s Third Strike. After signing with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, she issued the Every Girl EP as a free digital download in October 2011. Shea Taylor handled production on four of the eight tracks, among them the Frank Ocean composition “Thinking About Forever,” which Ocean later reclaimed and carried into the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart. That same month Kelly Clarkson’s album Stronger arrived, containing “Einstein,” a song co-written by Kelly. Kelly maintained a measured pace in advancing her own material. October 2012 brought the breakup ballad “Special Delivery,” followed in May 2013 by the harder-edged “Street Dreamin,” which included a guest verse from Kendrick Lamar.