Devonté Hynes (born David Joseph Michael Hynes, 23 December 1985), also known as Blood Orange and formerly Lightspeed Champion, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and director based in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. From 2004 to 2006, Hynes was a member of the band

Test Icicles Test Icicles were a short-lived rock band that formed in England, primarily influenced by post-hardcore, dance-punk and indie rock but containing musical elements from a variety of genres (notably dance, hip hop, crossover thrash, and punk). T ...

, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album in 2005. Hynes went on to release two solo studio albums as Lightspeed Champion and subsequently five more as Blood Orange, between 2008 and 2019. He has written, played or produced for and with artists such as

Caroline Polachek Caroline Elizabeth Polachek (born June 20, 1985) is an American singer, producer and songwriter. Raised in Connecticut, Polachek co-founded the indie pop band Chairlift while studying at the University of Colorado. The duo emerged from the late- ...

Tinashe Tinashe Jorgensen Kachingwe ( ; born February 6, 1993), known mononymously as Tinashe, is an American singer, dancer, and actress. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Tinashe moved to Pasadena as a child to pursue a career in entertainment. Her notab ...

Solange Knowles Solange Piaget Knowles (; born June 24, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, performance artist, and actress. Expressing an interest in music from an early age, Knowles had several temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, whi ...

Connan Mockasin Connan Tant Hosford, better known by the stage name Connan Mockasin and sometimes credited as Connan Hosford, is a New Zealand musician, composer and record producer. Critically acclaimed and described as "a psych-funk oddball...a contrarian", ...

Tei Shi Valerie Teicher Barbosa (born 4 October 1989), best known by her stage name Tei Shi, is a Colombian-Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer based in New York City. She released her first singles and music videos in 2013, also performing ...

Sky Ferreira Sky Tonia Ferreira (born July 8, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress. As a teenager, Ferreira began uploading videos on Myspace of herself singing songs she had written, which led to her discovery by producers Bloods ...

, FKA twigs,

Haim The name ''Haim'' can be a first name or surname originating in the Hebrew language, or deriving from the Old German name '' Haimo''. Hebrew etymology Chayyim ( he, חַיִּים ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Ha ...

Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, and ...

Carly Rae Jepsen Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...

the Chemical Brothers The Chemical Brothers are an English electronic music duo formed by Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons in Manchester in 1989. They were pioneers (along with the Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, the Crystal Method, and other acts) in bringing the big beat gen ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...

Mac Miller Malcolm James McCormick (January 19, 1992 – September 7, 2018), known professionally as Mac Miller, was an American rapper and record producer. Miller began his career in Pittsburgh's hip hop scene in 2007, at the age of fifteen. In 2010, h ...

, Blondie, Jazmine Sullivan, and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the w ...

Early life

Dev Hynes was born and raised in Ilford,

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the ...

to a Guyanese mother and a

Sierra Leone Creole The Sierra Leone Creole people ( kri, Krio people) are an ethnic group of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone Creole people are lineal descendant, descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean, and Sierra Leone Liberated African, Liberated Af ...

father. He was educated at the Chadwell Heath Foundation School, now known as Chadwell Heath Academy. From their formation in 2004 until their break-up in 2006, Hynes was a member of the

dance-punk Dance-punk (also known as disco-punk, punk-funk or techno-punk) is a post-punk subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the disco, post-disco and new wave movements.Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-198 ...

band

, playing guitar, synth, and occasionally performing vocals. They released one full-length album, ''

For Screening Purposes Only ''For Screening Purposes Only'' is the debut studio album by UK dance-punk trio Test Icicles, released in 2005. It was critically praised for being unique and compelling in an increasingly homogenous indie music scene. Following the group's spl ...

'', in 2005. Hynes relocated to New York in 2007 where he resides.

Solo work

Lightspeed Champion

In early 2007, Hynes, under the name Lightspeed Champion, recorded his debut album in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

with

Saddle Creek Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993 (as Lumberjack Records). Mogis soon turned over his ...

producer

Mike Mogis Michael Riley Mogis (born May 16, 1974) is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios (previously known as Dead Space Recording and, earlier, Whoopass Recor ...

. A number of Omaha-based musicians appeared on the record, including Mogis himself, trumpet player and pianist Nate Walcott, the Faint's drummer

Clark Baechle Clark Alan Baechle (born April 21, 1981) is an American founding member of the Omaha-based electronic rock band The Faint, along with his brother, Todd Fink. Although he is primarily known for playing drums, he also sings backing vocals and ...

and guest vocalist Emmy the Great, along with moonlighting members of

Cursive Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionali ...

and

Tilly and the Wall Tilly and the Wall was an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called ''Tillie and the Wall'', written by Leo Lionni. They are particularly noted for having a tap dancer, Jamie Pressnall, provide pe ...

. These recording sessions resulted in the single " Galaxy of the Lost", released on 30 July 2007, and the album ''

Falling Off the Lavender Bridge ''Falling off the Lavender Bridge'' is the debut album by British artist Lightspeed Champion, which was released on 21 January 2008. The album features the singles "Galaxy of the Lost", " Midnight Surprise" and "Tell Me What It's Worth". Rec ...

'', released on 21 January 2008. The name 'Lightspeed Champion' comes from a series of comic strips Hynes drew as a teenager in his school mathematics books. The touring band for the ''Falling Off the Lavender Bridge'' album at various points consisted of friends of Hynes' from other bands, including Florence Welch of

and Emmy the Great. Mike Siddell, formerly of

Hope of the States Hope of the States were an English post rock-influenced indie band from Chichester. History The band formed in 2000, naming themselves after ''The Shame of the States'', Albert Deutsch's 1948 book on the state of mental healthcare in the Uni ...

, played violin with the band. Anna Prior, formerly of Leeds bands

Dead Disco Dead Disco were an English electronic music band from Leeds, Yorkshire, formed in 2005. The band consisted of Victoria Hesketh (vocals, synthesizer), Lucy Catherwood (guitar) and Marie France (bass). Career The trio met in August 2005 at the ...

and the Ivories, played drums for most of the tour. Other guest members to have contributed in live shows include

Alex Turner Alexander David Turner (born 6 January 1986) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is well known as the frontman and principal songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has released seven albums. He ...

of the

Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, ...

Faris Badwan Faris Adam Derar Badwan (born 21 September 1986) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the Horrors, and more recently as half of Cat's Eyes. Early life Born in Bexley, Kent on 21 September 1986 to a Palestinian father and ...

the Horrors The Horrors are an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005, consisting of lead vocalist Faris Badwan, guitarist Joshua Hayward, keyboardist and synthesizer player Tom Furse, bassist Rhys Webb, and drummer and percussionist Joe Spu ...

, Frederick Blood-Royale of Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man,

Jack Peñate Jack Peñate (; born 2 September 1984) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Early life Peñate was born in London on 2 September 1984, the son of an English mother and Spanish father. His maternal grandfather was author Mervyn Peake ...

and Eugene McGuinness as well as

We Are Scientists We Are Scientists is a New York City-based rock band that formed in Berkeley, California, in 1999. It consists primarily of guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and bass guitarist Chris Cain, with drummer Keith Carne joining the band in the studi ...

' Keith Murray on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and music ...

'' on 6 June 2008. Backed by a full band, Hynes appeared at the NME 2008 Awards, broadcast on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

on 29 February 2008, dressed as characters from ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'', including

Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, portrayed in films by Carrie Fisher. Introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is princess of the planet Alderaa ...

on the drums. The band's affinity with ''Star Wars'' continued when they played the main theme to the trilogy at the

Wireless Festival The Wireless Festival is a rap and urban music festival that takes place every year in London, England. It is owned and managed by Live Nation. While it started as primarily a rock and pop festival, in recent years it has focused on hip hop and ...

in 2008. Hynes and a violinist Mike Siddell began a short US tour in March 2008, ending with an appearance at

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, ...

in 2008. At SXSW, they befriended

the Wombats The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards) ...

, who supported them at a

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...

concert. Hynes also performed with We Are Scientists at the

Glastonbury Glastonbury (, ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbur ...

in 2008 (John Peel Stage) and appeared at Belgian music festival

Pukkelpop Pukkelpop is an annual music festival that takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium, in mid- to late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—adjacent to a dual carriageway called ''Kempische Steenweg''—in the ...

in August 2008. By the end of what became a two-year touring period, Hynes had suffered severe damage to his throat, and had to undergo extensive surgery. He took a two and a half-year hiatus from touring, appearing occasionally to play shows in New York and a top billed slot at the

Carling Festival The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Festiv ...

in 2009. In December 2008, Hynes was asked on behalf of the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

to perform the soundtrack of the cult

Hal Ashby William Hal Ashby (September 2, 1929 – December 27, 1988) was an American film director and editor associated with the New Hollywood wave of filmmaking. Before his career as a director Ashby edited films for Norman Jewison, notably ''The R ...

film ''

Harold and Maude ''Harold and Maude'' is a 1971 American romantic black comedy–drama film directed by Hal Ashby and released by Paramount Pictures. It incorporates elements of dark humor and existentialist drama. The plot follows the exploits of Harold Chas ...

'' after a screening of the performance. Hynes had to cancel this due to an operation he had to undergo on his throat. The event was rescheduled for May 2009. In July 2009 Hynes reprised the soundtrack and performed at

Latitude Festival The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006 and has been held every year since, apart from 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-1 ...

. In June 2009, Hynes performed at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhib ...

in London in commemoration of the composer Moondog, singing renditions along with

London Saxophonic London Saxophonic is a saxophone ensemble (with piano, bass guitar, and percussion) begun by Gareth Brady, Will Gregory and Simon Haram, while they were studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. They made their debut in 1994 on Atlanti ...

of songs from the Moondog album '' Sax Pax for a Sax''. He also sang "Fujiyama Part 2" backed by the Britten Sinfonia. In April 2010, Hynes returned to the Barbican to perform with

the Triffids The Triffids were an Australian alternative rock and pop band, formed in Perth in Western Australia in May 1978 with David McComb as singer-songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist and keyboardist.McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry fo"The Triff ...

for a special concert in honour of their singer

David McComb David Richard McComb (17 February 19622 February 1999) was an Australian musician. He was the singer-songwriter and guitarist of the Australian bands, The Triffids (1976–89) and The Blackeyed Susans (1989–93). He also had a solo career incl ...

along with

Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is a British comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ( ...

Tindersticks Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. Th ...

and members of

the Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American musical project and band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called '' Dig!'', and have gained media not ...

. He returned for a two-week European tour in June 2010. Hynes has recorded a number of bootlegs and unofficial releases, made available to the public through his blog and MySpace. These include an album written and recorded entirely in a day and an EP consisting of covers of

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a ...

songs. The second Lightspeed Champion album, '' Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You'', was released in 2010. Hynes retired the project to focus fully on his Blood Orange project.

Blood Orange

With Lightspeed Champion on effective hiatus, Hynes decided to concentrate on a new musical project more focused on R&B and electronica, called Blood Orange. Various live performances under this alias have taken place in New York and London within November and December 2009, consisting of Hynes, a guitar, and a laptop. On 17 December 2009, Hynes performed a song titled "Forget It" on the final '' It's On with Alexa Chung'' show on MTV. He performed to a backing track dressed in a wizard costume. Hynes' debut single under the moniker Blood Orange, "Dinner", was released in January 2011 on

Terrible Records Terrible (formerly Terrible Records) is a Los Angeles-based record label and artist management company founded by Chris Taylor and Ethan Silverman in 2009. Originally based in Brooklyn, New York, the label operated as a joint venture imprint o ...

, with an accompanying video directed by Alan Del Rio that debuted on Pitchfork TV. Following this, his full-length record ''

Coastal Grooves ''Coastal Grooves'' is the debut studio album by Blood Orange. It was released August 30, 2011 under Domino Recording Company. The album featured no guest appearances and was produced by Ariel Rechtshaid in Los Angeles. ''Domino Record Company'' ...

'' was released in August 2011 on Domino Records. The song "Sutphin Boulevard" was featured on the 17 January 2011 premiere episode of the MTV show '' Skins''. On 9 April 2012, Hynes embarked on a tour as Blood Orange opening for

. In November 2013, Hynes released the second Blood Orange album, '' Cupid Deluxe''. The album features guest appearances, including performances from David Longstreth (

Dirty Projectors Dirty Projectors is an American indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002. The band is the project of singer-songwriter David Longstreth, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The ...

), Caroline Polachek (Chairlift),

Samantha Urbani Samantha Urbani ( ; born September 18, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, visual artist, filmmaker and producer from Mystic, Connecticut. She formed Friends; after three years, a trio of singles, and the album ''Manifest!'' on Fat Possum re ...

(Friends), Clams Casino, Despot, Adam Bainbridge (Kindness),

Skepta Chief Joseph Olaitan Adenuga Jr. (born 19 September 1982), known professionally as Skepta, is a British-Nigerian grime MC, rapper and record producer. Alongside his younger brother Jme, he briefly joined Roll Deep before they became foundin ...

and more. The album was promoted by three singles: "Chamakay", "You're Not Good Enough" and "Uncle ACE". The album was streamed in full on Hynes' own YouTube channel on 5 November 2013. The album also includes a cover of " I Can Only Disappoint U", originally by the British rock group

Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was announ ...

under the title "Always Let You Down". In November, Blood Orange appeared on the cover of ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'' in its 89th issue. Hynes scored the 2013 film ''

Palo Alto Palo Alto (; Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a coastal redwood tree known as El Palo Alto. The city was es ...

'', directed by

Gia Coppola Gian-Carla Coppola (born January 1, 1987) is an American film director and screenwriter. She is a granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola, the daughter of Jacqui de la Fontaine and Gian-Carlo Coppola and the niece of Roman Coppola and Sofia Co ...

. On 8 January 2014, it was announced that Blood Orange was on the line-up for

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

in Indio, California. In November 2015, Hynes released a collaborative EP with New Zealand

psychedelic pop Psychedelic pop (or acid pop) is pop music that contains musical characteristics associated with psychedelic music. Developing in the late 1960s, elements included "trippy" features such as fuzz guitars, tape manipulation, backwards recording, ...

artist

titled ''Myths 001: Collaborative Recordings Captured in Marfa, TX 9–16 March 2015''. On 18 April 2016, Hynes announced his third record under the Blood Orange moniker would be entitled '' Freetown Sound''. It was released on 28 June 2016, three days ahead of the planned 1 July 2016 release. His album '' Freetown Sound'' was shortlisted by

IMPALA The impala or rooibok (''Aepyceros melampus'') is a medium-sized antelope found in eastern and southern Africa. The only extant member of the genus ''Aepyceros'' and tribe Aepycerotini, it was first described to European audiences by Ger ...

(Independent Music Companies Association) for the Album of the Year Award 2016, which rewards on a yearly basis the best album released on an independent European label. On 19 July 2018, he announced his fourth studio album under the Blood Orange moniker, ''

Negro Swan ''Negro Swan'' is the fourth studio album by Blood Orange, an alias of British musician Dev Hynes. It was released on 24 August 2018 by Domino. The album was preceded by the singles "Charcoal Baby" and "Jewelry". Release and promotion On 19 July ...

'', and released in the following week its first two singles: "Charcoal Baby" and "Jewelry". The album was released on 24 August 2018. On 25 June 2019, Hynes announced his fifth release under the Blood Orange moniker in an interview with ''Cultured Magazine''. The mixtape, titled '' Angel's Pulse'', was released on 12 July 2019. In 2022, Hynes performed alongside Liam Benzvi on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...

'' and Benzvi, Tariq Al-Sabir, Eva Tolkin, and Ian Isiah at Madison Square Garden as part of

Harry Styles Harry Edward Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. His musical career began in 2010 as a solo contestant on the British music competition series '' The X Factor''. Following his elimination, he was brough ...

, " Love On Tour," Tour.

Writing and producing for other artists

Hynes has written and contributed songs to a number of other acts. His arrangements and vocals have appeared on songs by

("All Rights Reversed", from 2007's

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

winning album '' We Are the Night''), and

Basement Jaxx Basement Jaxx are an English electronic music duo consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. The pair got their name from the regular club night they held in Brixton, London, UK. They first rose to popularity in the underground house sce ...

, on their album '' Scars''. Hynes has co-written and produced songs for

Diana Vickers Diana Vickers (born 30 July 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer, who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on ''The X Factor'' in 2008. Vickers signed a record deal with RCA Records and, after to ...

on ''

Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree ''Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree'' is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Diana Vickers. Originally set for a November 2009 release, the album was postponed due to Vickers' leading role in the West End play ''The Rise an ...

'', another No. 1 debutante on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. He has also produced and written songs for

Theophilus London Theophilus Musa London (born February 23, 1987) is an American rapper and singer. A frequent collaborator of Kanye West, London was a producer on the 2022 album Donda 2 and was featured on West's 2015 single " All Day" which was nominated for se ...

, including his second album, '' Vibes'', released in 2014, and the 2011 EP, ''Lovers Holiday'', which he also featured on. Hynes contributed music to the 2010 film ''

MacGruber ''MacGruber'' was a recurring sketch on the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live'', first appearing on the show in January 2007. The sketch is a parody of the 1985–1992 adventure series ''MacGyver''. The sketch stars Will Forte as spec ...

'', including the duet "Rock My Body" with ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' cast member

Kristen Wiig Kristen Carroll Wiig (; born August 22, 1973) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Born in Canandaigua, New York, she was raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Rochester, New York. She moved to Los Angeles, where she jo ...

. In late 2011, he produced Australian

noise pop Noise pop is a subgenre of alternative and indie rock that developed in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom and United States. It is defined by its mixture of dissonant noise or feedback with the songcraft more often found in pop music. Shoega ...

duo

Bleeding Knees Club Bleeding Knees Club is a rock band from the Gold Coast, Australia, founded by Alex Wall (vocals/drums/Guitar), and Jordan Malane (guitar/Bass). Origins The band was formed as a duo in March 2010 by friends Alex Wall and Jordan Malane. Their ...

's debut album ''Nothing to Do'', which was released on 2 March 2012. He co-wrote and co-produced

' 2012 EP ''

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * ...

''. Hynes has co-written the song " Everything Is Embarrassing" for

. He worked with

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage producti ...

on her eighth album, ''

Britney Jean ''Britney Jean'' is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Britney Spears. It was released on November 29, 2013, by RCA Records. The album is Spears's second eponymous record after '' Britney'' (2001), though the album's name refe ...

'', however, none of his songs made the final cut. He co-wrote and co-produced

's song "

Crystallize Crystallization is the process by which solid forms, where the atoms or molecules are highly organized into a structure known as a crystal. Some ways by which crystals form are precipitating from a solution, freezing, or more rarely deposi ...

", a charity single for One Note Against Cancer. Hynes co-wrote and produced "

All That ''All That'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tollin/Robbins ...

" with

for her album '' E•MO•TION'', and also co-wrote "Body Language" for her EP '' Emotion: Side B''. He co-wrote two songs on

Spector Spector is a guitar manufacturing company. It has been based in Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders ...

's second album, ''

Moth Boys ''Moth Boys'' is the second studio album by English indie rock band Spector (band), Spector, released on 21 August 2015. The album reached number 27 in the UK Albums Chart on the week of its release. Production The album was recorded in New Y ...

'', "Cocktail Party / Heads Interlude" and "Decade of Decay". Hynes also co-wrote "Difficult Phone Call", a track on the extended version of the album. Hynes was also one of the producers on the album. Hynes produced and was featured on Hun43rd by

, off of Rocky's third studio album, ''

Testing An examination (exam or evaluation) or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered verba ...

''. He was also featured on Self Care by

, off of Mac's album ''Swimming''. Hynes and collaborator Ian Isiah co-created and performed an adaptation of "Grateful" by gospel singer

Hezekiah Walker Bishop Hezekiah Walker (born December 24, 1962) is a popular American gospel music singer and artist and pastor of prominent Brooklyn New York Pentecostal megachurch, Love Fellowship Tabernacle. Walker has released several albums on Benson Recor ...

for a fashion show by New York-based designer Telfar Clemens. Hynes co-wrote with Deborah Harry Blondie's single "

Long Time Long Time or Longtime may refer to: * "Foreplay/Long Time "Foreplay/Long Time" is a song by American rock band Boston, written by founder, leader, and multi-instrumentalist Tom Scholz. It appears on the band's 1976 self-titled debut album, and ...

", included on the band's eleventh album ''

Pollinator A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the m ...

''. it was released as its second single and reached the #5 on the Billboard's Hot Dance Chart and #19 on the Adult Alternative Songs. It was also a hit in United Kingdom. In 2021, he was also featured on Alien Love Call, a single by

Turnstile A turnstile (also called a turnpike, gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce one-way human traffic. In addition, a ...

Classical music and scores

Hynes has collaborated several times with composer

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimalism, being built up from repetitive ...

, performing his piano Etudes for radio, at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Hynes has written scores for art pieces and film in collaboration with Alex Da Corte, Josh Kline & the ''

'' score for the movie of the same name by Gia Coppola. A special performance of Eastern Sports was performed at ICA Philadelphia in 2015 and at the Whitney Museum of Art in 2017. Two performances of the "Palo Alto" score took place in 2016. In 2019, Hynes composed the score for the film ''

Queen & Slim ''Queen & Slim'' is a 2019 American romantic road crime drama film directed by Melina Matsoukas (in her feature directorial debut) and with a screenplay by Lena Waithe from a story by James Frey and Waithe. The film's story centers on a young ...

''.

Discography

As Blood Orange

;Studio albums * ''

'' (2011) * '' Cupid Deluxe'' (2013) * '' Freetown Sound'' (2016) * ''

'' (2018) ;Mixtapes & EP's * '' Angel's Pulse'' (2019) * ''Four Songs'' (2022)

As Lightspeed Champion

* ''

'' (2008) * '' Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You'' (2010)

As Devonté Hynes

;Soundtracks * ''

'' (2013) * ''Fields'' (2019) (with Third Coast Percussion) *''

'' (2019) *'' We Are Who We Are'' (2020) *'' Mainstream'' (2020) *'' Passing'' (2021) *'' Master Gardener'' (2022)

References

External links

* * * * * *
Lightspeed Champion
on Myspace {{DEFAULTSORT:Hynes, Dev 1985 births Living people Musicians from London 21st-century Black British male singers British expatriates in the United States English folk musicians English people of Guyanese descent Sierra Leone Creole people English people of Sierra Leonean descent English record producers Domino Recording Company artists Test Icicles members