Kiana Lede

Biography

Kiana Lede Brown is an American R&B and pop singer based in Los Angeles, California. Born on April 3, 1997, in Phoenix, Arizona, the 24-year-old musician is also an active actress, with recurring roles in the horror show Scream and the Netflix series All About the Washingtons. She released her first album, Kiki, on April 30, 2020. She’s currently signed to The Heavy Group and Republic Records.

In addition to writing and performing her own music, Kiana also acted as a co-producer for her recent album. She’s been featured on songs by the likes of Usher, Jacob Collier, Daveed Diggs, and more, and her acting career is only just beginning.

To learn more about Kiana Lede and her work as a musician, keep reading.

instruments played

Vocals

Birth Name

Kiana Lede Brown

Genres

R&B
pop

Labels

The Heavy Group
Republic

Occupations

Singer
songwriter
musician
actress

Website

kianalede.com

Years Active

2011 - present

Wiki Link

Kiana Lede: The Bio

Kiana grew up near Phoenix, Arizona. She was born to an African American and Native American father and a Hispanic mother. As a young girl, she displayed a knack for music, singing the alphabet when she was just a baby. As a toddler, her parents got her her first karaoke machine, which she used constantly. No matter the circumstances, Kiana could never stop singing. Her teachers would often make her leave class for singing during lessons, which was the primary reason why her mother ended up sending her to a performing arts school. Afterward, she went to Mountain Pointe High School in Ahwatukee, Arizona.

Kiana Lede: Beginnings in Music

As a teenager, Kiana continued to sing and started writing songs often. In 2011, when she was in her early teens, her mother encouraged her to upload a video for a Kidz Bop contest. Kiana’s mother filmed Kiana performing an original song, for which she both sang and played the piano. The video got Kiana to the finals for the 2011 KIDZ Star Competition, which she ended up winning. With her entry, Kiana beat 45,000 other kids who submitted songs. Not long after her Kidz Bop competition win, Kiana was selected by American Idol winner Kris Allen as the winner for a national talent search. This meant that the young singer would receive a deal with RCA Records and star in a Kidz Bop music video. In 2012, as part of her prize for the national talent search, Kiana released “Hey Chica,” her debut single with RCA. After the song’s release, young Kiana had the chance to perform it on The Today Show and as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Moving to LA

When Kiana was 16 years old, she left home to pursue a career in music in Hollywood. Not long after she moved to LA, she was dropped by RCA. However, losing her label didn’t stop her from making music. Encouraged by fellow musicians Rice N’ Peas, Kiana started releasing a series of covers. Titled Soulfood Sessions, her cover songs started attracting a following to the young musician.

Signing to Republic

After gaining success with Soulfood Sessions, Kiana caught the attention of Republic Records, who offered her a deal. Through Republic, she released Selfless, her debut EP, in 2018. The EP features the Platinum-certified single “Ex,” which made it to No. 6 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Charts. This was Kiana’s first Platinum-certified track and her only one so far.

Gaining a Following

In 2018, Kiana’s song “Big Spender,” featuring Prince Charlez, was featured on the soundtrack for Fifty Shades Freed. The same year, she appeared as a guest on songs by Daveed Diggs and LJay Currie. In 2019, Kiana released Myself, another EP with Republic. This release featured the singles “Can I” and “Bouncin’,” featuring Offset. After the EP’s release, she put out two more non-album singles – ”Easy Breezy” and “Title.”

Kiki and More

Kiki, Kiana’s debut studio album, was produced by Anton Goransson, Cam Griffin, Archer, Derrick Milano, Mike Woods, and more. Kiana also provided production assistance on the album, which features guest appearances from Ari Lennox, 6lack, and others. The album made it to No. 30 on the Billboard 200, hitting No. 7 on the Top R&B Albums chart. This made Kiki Kiana’s first charting release. The same year she dropped Kiki, Kiana collaborated with Queen Naija on her track “I’m Her,” with Russ on “All to You,” with Usher on “This Day,” Jacob Collier on “In Too Deep,” and more. In 2021, Kiana released “Ur Best Friend,” a single featuring fellow pop star Kehlani. She was also featured on “A Little More,” a track from Rapper G-Easy’s album These Things Happen Too.

Acting Work

Kiana has appeared in several popular TV series, including Scream as Zoe Vaughn and Veronica Washington in All About the Washingtons. She also appeared in Betch, Guidance, and the film Next Gen.