Vanice Brittany Palmer (born August 5, 1993), known professionally as Cookiee Kawaii, is an American singer. She is best known for her song "Vibe (If I Back It Up)", which became popular on TikTok in 2020. After the song went viral, she signed to Empire, and released her debut studio album, ''Vanice'', in 2021.

Life and career

Vanice Palmer was born on August 5, 1993, and raised in Irvington, New Jersey. Her parents are both DJs, who mostly played Chicago house music. She attended Catholic school, where she performed in choirs. At age 12, she began writing poetry and performing her poems over beats and in 2011, she started making her own music. She worked various jobs, including as a

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. M ...

and a delivery driver for DoorDash and Uber Eats. While she was homeless and living out of her car, she worked as a live-in caregiver. She began making music under the name Harajuku Cookiee, before changing it to Cookiee Kawa, and finally to Cookiee Kawaii, inspired by her love of cookies and anime. She released her debut project, ''Zen'', in 2016. In July 2019, she released her debut mixtape ''Club Soda, Vol. 1''. In February 2020, her breakout single, "Vibe (If I Back It Up)", went viral on TikTok after originally being released in March 2019, and was called one of the best songs of 2020 by ''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...

'' and '' Vulture''. Cookiee Kawaii Afropunk After Party 2022

She signed to Empire in March 2020, and released her second mixtape ''Club Soda, Vol. 2'' in August 2020, which included "Vibe (If I Back It Up)". She released an animated music video for "Vibe (If I Back It Up)" in May 2020, a live-action music video for the song in August 2020, and a remix of the song featuring Tyga alongside a music video, also in August 2020. She released the single "Relax Your Mind" in May 2021. Her debut studio album, ''Vanice'', was released on July 30, 2021 through Empire, preceded by the single "Press Play (Gamer Girl)".

Musical style

Cookiee Kawaii's music has primarily been described as Jersey club. Early in her career, she made mostly R&B music, but began making Jersey club music per a suggestion from DJ Jayhood, with whom she made her first Jersey club song. Kadish Morris described her music as feeling "fluorescent, high-energy and made for partying". She has cited

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

as an influence.

Personal life

Cookiee Kawaii is pansexual. Before signing with Empire, she was studying business and marketing at Essex County College. As of 2020, she lives in

East Orange, New Jersey East Orange is a City (New Jersey), city in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 69,612. The city was List of municipalities in ...

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Mixtapes

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Other charted songs

References

External links

*{{Instagram, id=cookieekawaii, name=Cookiee Kawaii 1993 births People from Irvington, New Jersey 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers African-American women singers Jersey club musicians American contemporary R&B singers Electronic dance music musicians American LGBTQ singers Singers from New Jersey LGBTQ people from New Jersey Pansexual musicians Living people 21st-century American LGBTQ people