Kathleen Anne Brien (born 8 May 1989), better known as Katy B, is an English

singer Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

and

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

. She released her debut studio album, '' On a Mission'', in 2011, which spawned two top five hits, "

Katy on a Mission "Katy on a Mission" is a song performed by British recording artist Katy B. It was released by Rinse FM, Rinse accompanied by a A-side and B-side, B-side titled "Louder" as her debut single and lead single from her debut album, ''On a Mission (K ...

" and " Lights On". In 2014 she released her second studio album, '' Little Red'', which produced her third top five hit, "

Crying for No Reason "Crying for No Reason" is a song by English singer Katy B, produced by Geeneus. It was released on 26 January 2014 as the second single from her second studio album, '' Little Red''. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number five. Music video Th ...

". Her third, and most recent, studio album, ''

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

'', was released in 2016.

Early life

Kathleen Anne Brien was born on 8 May 1989, in

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon p ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, where she attended at Lyndhurst Primary School,

Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College Haberdashers' Hatcham College (formerly Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College) is a state secondary school with academy status and a music specialism located in New Cross. The school was formerly a grammar school, then a comprehensive City Tech ...

, and the

BRIT School The BRIT School is a British performing and creative arts school located in Selhurst, Croydon, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, music, music technology, theatre, musical theatre, danc ...

. Katy also attended at the Glenlyn Academy in South London, where she took dance classes. Katy's father (David O'Brien) was a member of the

Les Humphries Singers The Les Humphries Singers was a 1970s pop group formed in Hamburg, Germany in 1969 by the English-born Les Humphries. The group had several chart hits in Germany and in other European countries. The Les Humphries Singers dissolved at the end ...

, who represented

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Eurovision 1976 The Eurovision Song Contest 1976 was the 21st edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in The Hague, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the with the song "Ding-a-dong" by Teach-In. Organised by the European Bro ...

, with the song "

Sing Sang Song Germany was represented by the Les Humphries Singers, with the song "Sing Sang Song", at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest, which took place on 3 April in The Hague. "Sing Sang Song" originally placed runner-up in the German national final but bec ...

". Katy B possesses a

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

vocal range.

Career

2007–2012: ''On a Mission''

Katy has guested on many tracks, both before and during her album release campaign. DJ NG's song "Tell Me", on which she featured as Baby Katy, was initially released on a

white label A white label record is a vinyl record with white labels attached. There are several variations each with a different purpose. Variations include test pressings, white label promos, and plain white labels. Test pressings Test pressings, usua ...

and then later signed to

Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio. James ...

. She also provided vocals on the track "Hold Me" for

The Count & Sinden "Beeper" is the debut single by British music duo the Count & Sinden, featuring vocals from American hip hop artist Kid Sister. The song was released via Domino Records in April 2008. Background and release "Beeper" was released on Switch and S ...

's debut album ''Mega Mega Mega'', and features on

Magnetic Man Magnetic Man is an English electronic music project from London, consisting of dubstep producers and DJs Benga, Skream and Artwork (previously known as Menta). The trio first met in the late 1990s at the Big Apple Records store in Croydon. The ...

's tracks " Perfect Stranger" and "Crossover". Katy B has also collaborated with

Rinse FM Rinse FM is a London-based community radio station, licensed for "young people living and/or working within the central, east and south London areas". It plays garage, grime, dubstep, house, jungle, UK funky and other dance music genres popula ...

DJ Geeneus to cover the

Kevin Saunderson Kevin Maurice Saunderson (born September 5, 1964) is an American electronic dance music Dj and record producer. He is famous for being a member of a trio, along with Juan Atkins and Derrick May, who came to be known as The Belleville Three, w ...

produced " Good Life" and the track "As I". It was following the official recognition of the former

pirate radio station Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...

Rinse FM in June 2010 that Katy B saw her first single release: "

", presented by Rinse and produced by

Benga Benga may refer to: Ethnonym * Benga people, an indigenous ethnic group of Equatorial Guinea * Benga language, spoke by the Benga people * Benga music, a genre of music originating in Kenya Places Romania * ''Benga'', the old name of Mo ...

, was released on 22 August 2010. The single reached number five on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number one on the

UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rele ...

. Katy B performed at the

London Jazz Festival The London Jazz Festival is a music festival held every November. It takes place in London venues such as the Barbican and the Royal Festival Hall and in smaller jazz clubs, such as Ronnie Scott's and the Vortex Jazz Club. It is produced by Ser ...

in 2009 with

Ms Dynamite Niomi Arleen McLean-Daley (born 26 April 1981), better known as Ms. Dynamite, is a British singer and rapper. She is the recipient of the Mercury Music Prize, two Brit Awards and three MOBO Awards. Early years She was born Niomi Arleen Mc ...

, who also featured on Katy's second single " Lights On", which was released in the United Kingdom on 19 December 2010, and debuted at number four on the UK Singles Chart. Her third single "

Broken Record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog signal, analog sound Recording medium, storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove ...

" was released in March 2011, and peaked at number eight. The fourth single "

Easy Please Me "Easy Please Me" is a song by British singer-songwriter Katy B from her debut album '' On a Mission'' (2011). It was released as the album's fourth single on 3 June 2011, and reached number 25 in the UK charts. Music video The music video was re ...

" was released on 3 June 2011. Her fifth single " Witches' Brew" was released on 28 August 2011. Katy's debut album '' On a Mission'' was released on 4 April 2011, and peaked at number two 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 C ...

. Katy B supported

Tinie Tempah Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...

on his tour during Spring of 2011, and on 30 April 2011 she embarked on her own debut concert tour throughout Europe until September, then the UK in October. In 2011, Katy B and

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...

teamed up for the song "

Anywhere in the World "Anywhere in the World" is a collaborative single by English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist Mark Ronson and English singer-songwriter Katy B. It was recorded as part of Coca-Cola's Move to the Beat promotional campaign for the 2012 Sum ...

", which was created as an advert for

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

to tie in with the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, and was released as a digital download on 13 May 2012.

2013–2014: ''Little Red''

On 1 October 2013, Katy announced that her second studio album would be titled ''Little Red''. A single, " What Love Is Made Of", was released on 7 July 2013, charting at number 21 on the

; although when the official '' Little Red'' track list was revealed on 13 December, "What Love Is Made Of" was no longer included. Lead single " 5 AM" was released on 4 November 2013, charting at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. "

" was released on 10 February 2014, reaching the Top 5 of the singles chart. ''Little Red'' topped the UK Albums Chart on 19 February 2014. "

Still A still is an apparatus used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to selectively boil and then cooling to condense the vapor. A still uses the same concepts as a basic distillation apparatus, but on a much larger scale. Stills have been used ...

" was released as the third and final single from the album. On 18 February 2014, Katy's video for the ongoing 'Rinse Sessions x Metropolis' project was revealed, which included a back-to-back cover of

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

's 'Drunk in Love' and

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 ...

's "Vulnerable". In February, she also appeared on the BBC One show ''

The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...

'' as Ricky Wilson's team mentor. In March 2014, Katy took part in the recording of England's 2014 World Cup song, collaborating with fellow pop stars

Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (12 January 1974 - 25 December 2022), better known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer-songwriter and media personality. She is best known as one of the five members of the Spice Girls, during which time she was ni ...

Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play ''Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower woman, who comes to Profe ...

Emma Bunton Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, actress, and media personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice. With over 100 million recor ...

Conor Maynard Conor Paul Maynard (born 21 November 1992) is an English singer. Born and raised in Brighton, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2011. Maynard rose to fame in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's ''M ...

Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott (née Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, fashion designer, model, variety performer, television presenter, actress and dancer. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series '' Po ...

and

Pixie Lott Victoria Louise Lott (born 12 January 1991), better known by her stage name Pixie Lott, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut album, '' Turn It Up'', released in September 2009, reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and sold ove ...

on "Greatest Day", a track originally performed by the British band

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singe ...

. The track was produced by

Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the British pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, havi ...

and recorded at

Sarm Studios Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...

in London, and also featured former footballers such as

Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker (; born 30 November 1960) is an English former professional footballer and current sports broadcaster. He is regarded as having been one of the greatest English strikers. His media career began with the BBC, where he has p ...

Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as for the England national team. Since r ...

Geoff Hurst Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst (born 8 December 1941) is an English former professional footballer. A striker, he became the first man to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final when England recorded a 4–2 victory over West Germany at Wembley St ...

David Seaman David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country's ...

Peter Shilton Peter Leslie Shilton (born 18 September 1949) is an English former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. His 30-year career included spells at 11 clubs and he has the distinction of playing over 1,000 league games, including in ...

Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and BT Sport. He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and Swi ...

and

Dion Dublin Dion Dublin (born 22 April 1969) is an English former professional footballer, television presenter and pundit. He is a club director of Cambridge United. As a player he was a centre-forward, notably playing in the Premier League for Mancheste ...

on backing vocals. She performed at

Birmingham Pride Birmingham Pride is a weekend-long LGBTQ+ festival held annually in the Gay Village, Hurst Street, Birmingham, England, over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Birmingham Pride is the UK's largest two-day gay pride festival. It usually features ...

in May 2014.

2015–present: ''Honey''

In October 2015, Katy provided vocals, along with

on "

Turn the Music Louder (Rumble) "Turn the Music Louder (Rumble)" is a song recorded by British DJ KDA. It is a re-working of his instrumental hit "Rumble" and it features vocals from rapper Tinie Tempah and singer Katy B. The song was released as a digital download on 16 Octobe ...

", a re-worked version of British DJ

KDA The dalton or unified atomic mass unit (symbols: Da or u) is a non-SI unit of mass widely used in physics and chemistry. It is defined as of the mass of an unbound neutral atom of carbon-12 in its nuclear and electronic ground state and at re ...

's track "Rumble". It topped the UK charts becoming Katy's first UK number one single. In December 2015, Katy confirmed in a backstage interview at Capital FM's

Jingle Bell Ball The Jingle Bell Ball is a concert held annually in December since 2008 (except for 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), by the radio station Capital FM at The O2. Artists that have headlined the concert include Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Li ...

that her third studio album would be called ''

'' and would be released sometime in 2016. It was also confirmed that a track of the same name would feature. The album was released on 22 April 2016, containing 14 songs. On 5 August 2021, Katy announced "Under My Skin" as the lead single from her EP, ''Peace and Offerings''. Katy released '' Peace and Offerings'' on 5 November 2021. Katy is rumoured to be working on her next studio album and snippets have been shared from other various artists who she has been collaborating with confirming that she is back with a lot more music.

Political views

In November 2019, along with 34 other musicians, Katy signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party leader

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020. On the political left of the Labour Party, Corbyn describes himself as a socialist ...

in the 2019 UK general election with a call to end austerity.

Discography

Studio albums * '' On a Mission'' (2011) * '' Little Red'' (2014) * ''

'' (2016)

Tours

On a Mission Tour The On A Mission Tour was the debut concert tour by English recording artist Katy B, in support of her debut album On a Mission. The tour visited venues across the United Kingdom, before culminating with a date in Belgium. Reception *David Gri ...

(2011) * Little Red UK Tour (2014) * Honey Tour (2016)

Awards and nominations

Katy B has received five nominations at the

MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and Af ...

. She was nominated for Best Push Act at the

MTV Europe Music Awards 2011 The 2011 MTV EMAs (also known as the MTV Europe Music Awards) were held in Northern Ireland's capital Belfast, on Sunday, 6 November 2011, at the Odyssey Arena in the Titanic Quarter area of the city and was hosted by Selena Gomez. Additional li ...

. In 2011 she was also nominated for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

. In 2012 she won a NME Award for Dancefloor Anthem.

References

External links

Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Katy B 1989 births Living people Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London English dance musicians English women singers English songwriters English sopranos English women rappers British contemporary R&B singers Dubstep musicians NME Awards winners People educated at the BRIT School People from Peckham Rappers from London Singers from London UK garage singers English women in electronic music Columbia Records artists