Slightly left-of-center pop artist
Kiiara is a breathy vocalist whose output falls somewhere between that of
Jhene Aiko and
Lorde.
The Wilmington, Illinois native previously recorded as
Kiara Saulters and independently issued the homey acoustic pop song "Bring Me Back" in 2013. Eventually signed to major-label Atlantic, she worked with
the Cataracs'
Niles Hollowell-Dhar, and
David Singer-Vine, as well as Brenton Duvall and
Felix Snow, and recorded
Low Kii Savage. The EP, which alternated between downcast electronic pop and bass-heavy, trap-style rap production, was a radical change in direction. Preceded by the breakout single "Gold," it was released in March 2016. The following year, she appeared on the
Linkin Park single "Heavy," which broke into the Top 50 of Billboard's Hot 100 and peaked at number two on the Hot Rock Songs chart. Later that year, she issued the singles "Whippin" with
Felix Snow and "Wishlist." After featuring on
Cheat Codes' 2018 track "Put Me Back Together,"
Kiiara released her own single, "Messy." Another track, "Open My Mouth," arrived in June 2019. In October 2020,
Kiiara released her debut full-length album,
Lil Kiiwi. ~ Andy Kellman