Kiana Ledé

From an early age Kiana Ledé pursued both screen roles and music, appearing as Zoe Vaughn on MTV’s Scream while also building credits as a vocalist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist steeped in pop and R&B. Although acting initially overshadowed her singing, she elevated her profile in the late 2010s through singles capped by the platinum-certified “Ex.” After portraying a lead in the 2018 comedy All About the Washingtons, she entered the Billboard 200’s Top 30 with her 2020 debut album Kiki; three years later she returned with the candid, sensually charged Grudges, then issued Cut Ties in 2024 following a label change.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1997, Ledé displayed a childhood passion for performance and studied voice and piano. Her first major-label break came in 2011 when she won Kidz Bop’s Kidz Star USA competition, securing a contract with RCA; soon afterward she recorded “Do the Mermaid” for an animated feature. The 2012 single “Hey Chica” appeared on the soundtrack to the second Smurfs film, after which she concentrated on acting for several years. Under Orange Factory Music she cut piano-driven ballads and covers, collected on the 2015 EP Soulfood Sessions, and followed it with the holiday project Christmas by Ledé in 2016.

Her recording career gained sustained momentum once she joined Republic, an imprint distributed by UMG. The 2017 singles “I Choose You” and “FairPlay” paved the way for the EPs Selfless and Myself, released in 2018 and 2019 respectively, while she simultaneously starred in the Netflix series All About the Washingtons. The Selfless cut “Ex” later became her first platinum single. In 2020 she delivered her first full-length album, Kiki, which she co-wrote entirely; Mike Woods served as executive producer, and guest contributions came from Ari Lennox, Lucky Daye and 6LACK. The set reached number 30 on the Billboard 200.

During the interim she issued standalone tracks such as the Kehlani collaboration “Ur Best Friend,” “Irresponsible,” and the Cautious Clay duet “Who Do You Think You Are,” the last recorded for The School for Good and Evil soundtrack. In April 2023 she teamed with Ella Mai on “Jealous,” which surfaced three months afterward on Grudges; the album’s raw lyrics and polished sound were complemented by appearances from Bryson Tiller and Khalid. Like its predecessor, Grudges peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200 and marked her final Republic release before Cut Ties arrived in 2024 via a BMG agreement.