Kiana Ledé | |
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 Ledé in 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Kiana Ledé Brown (1997-04-03)April 3, 1997 (age 28) Lemoore,California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | kianalede |
Kiana Ledé Brown (born April 3, 1997)[3] is an American singer and actress. She first starred asZoe Vaughn on the second season ofMTV's horror seriesScream (2015–2019). She also starred as Veronica Washington onNetflix's original seriesAll About the Washingtons. Brown began her recording career in 2012, releasing two extended plays (EPs) until singing withRepublic Records to release her third EP,Selfless (2018). It spawned the single "Ex", which receivedplatinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her debut studio album,Kiki (2020), peaked at number 30 on theBillboard 200.
Kiana Ledé Brown's father is of African American and Indigenous American descent, while her mother is a white Hispanic of Mexican-American[4] descent.[5][6][7] As an infant, she began to sing the alphabet immediately after learning it and began performing at the age of three upon receiving her first karaoke machine. As a child, she began to regularly perform in school plays and beauty pageants while studying the piano.[8] She would regularly get kicked out of class for singing, prompting her mother to enroll her in a performing arts school so she could put her talent to good use.[9] She attendedMountain Pointe High School.[8]
In 2011, Ledé's mother discoveredKidz Bop, a website for kids to upload and share videos of themselves performing. She uploaded a video of Ledé performing an original number on the piano which was selected as a finalist. After performingAdele's "Someone Like You" to earn her a place in the Top 4, Ledé won the 2011 KIDZ Star USA Grand Prize out of 45,000 submissions, the largest national talent competition for kids ages 15 and under.[8]
At a school assembly, Ledé was told that she won the national talent search byAmerican Idol winnerKris Allen. The prize included aRCA Records recording contract and a starring role in theKidz Bop 21 music video and commercial. Allen said after seeing her live, "she went from 'She's good' to 'She is no doubt gonna win this thing.'"[10]
Ledé said she had the opportunity to listen to and select from her top three song choices. After considering and listening to the songs, she said she chose her first single "Hey Chica" because of the upbeat tempo. The song was released June 19, 2012.[11] Brown has performed the song onThe Today Show and at the 86th annualMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. She also performed "Do The Mermaid" fromBarbie in A Mermaid Tale 2.
In 2012, Ledé was named cover girl for Miss Moxie's Holiday 2012 issue.[12] The site praised "Hey Chica" for promoting a "clear message of self-empowerment and encourages young women to feel beautiful in their own skin".[12]
At the age of 16, Ledé moved to Los Angeles. As artists do, she wanted more creative control of her music, so she showed the label what she was working on. They did not see potential in her work, and dropped her a month later. She started creating cover songs with production duo Rice N' Peas. The series was dubbed "Soulfood Sessions" and gained millions of views.[13]
In 2016, Ledé was cast in the series regular role as Zoe Vaughn on the second season ofMTV'sScream.[14] In 2018, she also accepted a lead role alongsideJoseph Simmons ofRun-DMC in the Netflix original seriesAll About The Washingtons. Despite the actress' raving reviews,[citation needed] the series was cancelled after only one season.
Following her departure from RCA Records, Ledé signed withRepublic Records[1][15] after her rendition of Drake's "Hotline Bling" helped gain their attention. She would later release her debutEPSelfless in July 2018.[15] The EP includes her breakout single "Ex", which became her first entry to theBillboard charts, peaking at number 9 on the USR&B Songs charts.[16] It has earned platinum status from the RIAA as of June 2020. To promoteSelfless, she served as opening act withRo James on Jessie J'sR.O.S.E. Tour. She and Lucky Daye also opened up for the Ella Mai The Debut Tour in 2019.
Ledé's second studio EP,Myself, was released in June 2019, and included the single "Bouncin" featuring rapperOffset, which peaked within the top 30 ofBillboard's rhythmic airplay chart. She would also embark on her first headlining tour that same year.
Standalone singles "Title" and "Easy Breezy" would build momentum for her debut album, which Ledé had been working on for some time. Her highly anticipated 17-track debut album, titledKIKI was released on April 3, 2020, which debuted at number 30 on theBillboard 200.[15] The album features guest appearances from R&B starsAri Lennox,6LACK and more. The lead single "Mad at Me" interpolatesOutkast's 2000 hit song "So Fresh, So Clean".
Ledé would later make a few guest appearances on tracks withUsher,Queen Naija and others. She released the deluxe edition ofKIKI on October 23, including seven bonus tracks. In 2021, she was featured on the first all-female compilation album,Big Femme Energy Volume 1, with her track "Cut 'Em Off".[17]
On January 7, 2023, Ledé released a mixtape onSoundCloud titledUnfinished.[18] She released her second studio album,Grudges, on June 16, 2023.[19] She also announced a headlining tour, The Grudges Tour, which took place in September and October 2023.[20]
She released her third studio album,Cut Ties, on November 1st, 2024 after departing Republic Records.[21]
Ledé identifies asqueer.[22] She hasbipolar disorder.[23]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Deadlands: The Rising | Evacuee / Zombie | |
| 2018 | Next Gen | Greenwood (voice) | |
| 2025 | Sneaks | Shawna (voice) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Temporary Dreams | Herself | Evelyn Worku |
| 2015 | Guidance | Riley | Episodes: "The Pictures", "The Secrets" |
| 2015–2016 | Betch | Various characters / Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Scream | Zoe Vaughn | Main role (season 2); 11 episodes |
| 2018 | All About the Washingtons | Veronica Washington | Main role; 10 episodes |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| US [24] | ||
| Kiki |
| 30 |
| Grudges |
| — |
| Cut Ties |
| — |
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Soulfood Sessions |
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| Christmas by Ledé |
|
| Selfless |
|
| Myself |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [25] | US R&B /HH [26] | US R&B [27] | NZ Hot [28] | ||||
| "Hey Chica" | 2012 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Home for Christmas" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Choose You" (featuringPell) | 2017 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "One of Them Days" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Fairplay" (solo or featuringASAP Ferg) | — | — | — | — | Selfless | ||
| "Ex" | 2019 | 6 | 44 | 9 | — | Selfless &Myself | |
| "Can I" | — | — | — | — | Myself | ||
| "Bouncin" (featuringOffset) | — | — | — | — |
| ||
| "Title"[31] | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Easy Breezy"[32] | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Mad at Me" | 2020 | — | — | — | 18 | Kiki | |
| "Forfeit" (featuringLucky Daye) | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Chocolate" (featuringAri Lennox) | — | — | — | 28 | |||
| "Only Fan" (featuringJacquees) | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Ur Best Friend"[33] (featuringKehlani) | 2021 | — | — | — | 27 | Non-album single | |
| "Irresponsible" | 2022 | — | — | — | — | Grudges | |
| "Jealous" (featuringElla Mai) | 2023 | — | — | — | 33 | ||
| "Deeper" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Natural" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | Cut Ties | |
| "Space and Pussy" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ [34] | |||||||
| "Bruised Not Broken"[35] (Matoma featuringMNEK and Kiana Ledé) | 2019 | — | Non-album singles | ||||
| "Mama" (Ella Eyre andBanx & Ranx featuring Kiana Ledé) | — | ||||||
| "I'm Her" (Queen Naija featuring Kiana Ledé) | 2020 | — | missunderstood | ||||
| "Not My Neighbour"[36] (Niko Walters featuring Kiana Ledé) | 2021 | 4 | Non-album singles | ||||
| "Just Fine" (Kitty Ca$h featuring Kiana Ledé) | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Do the Mermaid" | 2012 | Barbie in A Mermaid Tale 2 |
| "Big Spender" (featuring Prince Charlez) | 2018 | Fifty Shades Freed: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| "A Little More"[38] (G-Eazy featuring Kiana Ledé) | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Who Do You Think You Are" (withCautious Clay) | 2022 | From The Netflix FilmThe School for Good and Evil |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ Hot [39] | |||
| "All to You" (Russ featuring Kiana Ledé) | 2020 | 38 | Shake the Snow Globe |
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Touch Me" | 2015 | VenessaMichaels | Non-album single |
| "Running to the Sky" | 2018 | Daveed Diggs | Blindspotting: The Collin EP |
| "Undercover" | Ljay Currie | Free (EP) | |
| "Clutch" | 2020 | Col3trane | Non-album single |
| "In Too Deep" | Jacob Collier | Djesse Vol. 3 | |
| "This Day" | Usher | Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Soundtrack | |
| "Stuck in the Middle, Pt. II" | Tai Verdes | Non-album single |
| International | |
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| National | |
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