Sena Kana

Born in Tokyo, Sena Kana cultivated an early fascination with classic American musicals. As a student she regularly claimed starring parts in school productions, and after secondary school she enrolled in vocal training at a Japanese music academy. The classically trained vocalist first drew widespread notice in 2017 when her debut pop single, the strings-embellished “Live Your Dreams,” topped European streaming charts. Her follow-up, “Truth or Dare,” returned her to those same charts the next year.

In March 2019 she adopted a fresh sonic direction on “Up,” a collaboration with the pop group Sheppard and rapper Wiz Khalifa. Produced by Lindsey Jackson (Tori Kelly, Jasmine Rae) and Katalyst, the track ultimately received gold certification in the United States. Kana’s smooth, light-as-air delivery set her apart from collaborators such as Wiz Khalifa on the 2019 single “Up” and Poo Bear on 2020’s “Undisputed,” both of which merged soft-focus pop, hip-hop, and dance music. “Undisputed” appeared on her debut EP, Serenity, released in 2020; the track resurfaced the following year when Serenity was reissued as part of the Show Me EP. That five-song set added a duet with singer/rapper Ty Dolla $ign, topped the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, and marked Kana’s first entry on the Billboard 200 at number 112.