Kirby

Kirby Lauryen, also credited as Kirby Dockery or simply Kirby, built her reputation around a vintage Southern soul aesthetic. Songwriting credits for major artists such as Kanye West, Paul McCartney, and Beyoncé first brought her widespread attention in the mid-2010s. She later stepped forward as a performer with the 2016 single “Loved by You,” the 2017 release “Vain,” and the 2019 track “Kool Aid,” all of which preceded her debut full-length Sis. in 2020. Additional singles and the EPs Sis, He Wasn't the One (2021) and I Told You I Would (2022) followed in quick succession.

Memphis, Tennessee, marks her birthplace, while Southaven, Mississippi, is where she grew up. A scholarship took her to Berklee College of Music, yet she left before finishing to pursue opportunities in Atlanta. When momentum failed to materialize there, she returned to Memphis, refined her narrative-driven compositions, and served as an opening act for Anthony Hamilton, Kem, and Raheem DeVaughn. A self-initiated “song a day” social-media campaign secured her a publishing agreement with Roc Nation. She then moved to Los Angeles, where 2014 saw her contributions appear on projects by Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Lopez, Keyshia Cole, Common, and Ariana Grande.

Her profile rose sharply in early 2015 after co-writing the Top 40 pop single “Only One” for Kanye West and Paul McCartney, as well as the Top Five hit “FourFiveSeconds” by Rihanna, West, and McCartney. That same period also produced Beyoncé’s wedding-anniversary tribute “Die with You,” addressed to Jay-Z, plus multiple placements on albums by Joy Enriquez, Elijah Blake, and Monica.

Lauryen entered the recording arena in 2016 with “Loved by You,” a Southern-styled ballad created alongside Jeff Gitelman. The soulful follow-up “Vain” surfaced the next year, and “Kool Aid” arrived in 2019. These releases paved the way for the February 2020 arrival of her first album, Sis. Two cuts from the project, among them the Lucky Daye-assisted “Velvet (Remix),” were featured on the fourth-season soundtrack of Issa Rae’s series Insecure. Her next effort, the ten-song EP Sis, He Wasn't the One, came out in 2021 and explored contemporary romance and dating. Throughout 2022 she maintained a steady output that included singles such as “Black Leaves” and “Take Care” plus the EP I Told You I Would.