Kiesa Rae Ellestad[4][5] (born January 16, 1989),[1][2] known professionally as Kiesza[6] ( KY-zə), is a Canadian singer and multi-instrumentalist from Calgary,[7] who has most recently worked in New York City[8][9][10] and London.[11][12]

Early life [ edit ]

Kiesza was born and raised in Calgary. Her last name Ellestad is Norwegian from her paternal side and her grandfather is from Fagernes in Norway.[9][13][14][15][16] When she was 16, she took part in the Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS) [7] program and later became a sailing instructor at the Glenmore Sailing School in 2007. A year later she joined the reserves[3] of the Royal Canadian Navy along with her brother,[17] becoming a NavCom (Naval Communicator).[7][17][18] It was while she was at crew singalongs at the Navy that she taught herself to play guitar.[19] Meanwhile,[7] she also entered the Miss Universe Canada pageant.[10][17] She stated that her time in the Navy motivated her to give away 4,500 CDs to Canadian troops serving in Afghanistan in 2008.[6][7]

Kiesza took part in the Young Canadians, performing tap and jazz dancing, as well as theatre.[6] She also trained as a ballerina,[10] however, a knee injury at age 15 ended her ballet career.[5][20] When Kiesza was 18, she says that her parents' divorce caused her to write her first song, as a way of expressing her feelings.[7] The same year, she heard a song of hers played on the radio.[17]

In an interview with the Metro, Kiesza claimed that she can trace her lineage to someone who fought alongside Robert the Bruce at the Battle of Bannockburn, elaborating "There's a lot of Scottish people in Canada. Tons. My grandpa was of Scottish heritage – he was of the black Douglases".[21]

Career [ edit ]

2006–13: Career beginnings [ edit ]

Kiesza performing at Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary, July 2007

CKUA Folk Routes host Tom Coxworth selected her to perform for a live audience and to be broadcast live on his radio show.[7] Shortly after, she was accepted to the Selkirk College in Nelson, BC, where she studied keyboard, voice and guitar.[6][22] Next, Kiesza obtained a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.[17] After attending Berklee, she went to New York City in 2010[2] to advance her music career.[17] Although Kiesza started as mainly a folk singer,[17] after attending Berklee and then living in New York, she moved to a more "uptempo sound"[17] for which she worked with producer Rami Samir Afuni.[9] In 2010 she was selected to play at the Canada Day celebrations at Trafalgar Square in London for 30,000 people.[17][23]

In 2012, Kiesza released her first single after starting work with Afuni in New York, a "disco-infused pop" single titled "Oops" about a couple that had unprotected sex.[4][9][24] She labelled her style of music at the time as "SteamPop", described by AjanWrites as "a flaming brew of bold, boisterous pop filled with tongue-in-cheek lyrics".[9] In a later 2014 interview, she said "Oops" was made as a joke.[4][9]

Kiesza was featured in the single Triggerfinger by the Norwegian band Donkeyboy in 2013.[25] She has also written for other artists, such as Rihanna, Kylie Minogue and Icona Pop.[4][26]

2014–16: Sound of a Woman [ edit ]

Kiesza in Munich 2015

In February 2014, Kiesza released the video for her new single "Hideaway" through the label Lokal Legend.[8] Idolator considered it unique, for having a long take throughout the entire video, as Kiesza walked and danced through N 12th Street In Brooklyn, New York City.[8] John Gentile of Rolling Stone called the style "impressive".[27] Kiesza reported to Rolling Stone that she had trouble making the video, partly because she broke a rib just before filming, and "couldn't move for an entire month afterward."[27] It was premiered by Annie Mac on her Mac's Special Delivery segment on BBC Radio 1.[12][28] "Hideaway" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart issued for April 26, 2014.[29]

Shortly after "Hideaway" charted, Kiesza released a new video for her cover of Haddaway's song "What Is Love".[30] Mike Bell of the Calgary Herald referred to her version of the song as a "jaw-droppingly gorgeous cover of Haddaway's 1993 dance smash What Is Love?"[16] She performed a slowed down version, with a video showing her and others, slowly revealed to be without clothes, to express "raw emotions".[16]

Kiesza's second single, "Giant in My Heart", premiered on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show on June 13, 2014. It entered the UK Singles Chart at number four.

Kiesza collaborated with Skrillex and Diplo on the song "Take Ü There", which was released as the first single from a collaborative mixtape between the two producers. She co-wrote Gorgon City's "Go All Night", which features Jennifer Hudson singing her lyrics, which was on the British duo's debut album, Sirens.

She appeared as a guest on Duran Duran's album, Paper Gods, released September 11, 2015.[31]

She wrote several songs for Rihanna which were considered for her eighth album.[32] She also worked with Loreen on her album, which was expected to be released in 2016 and co-wrote the second single, "I'm In It With You".

2017: Dearly Beloved [ edit ]

After a long hiatus, Kiesza released the single "Dearly Beloved" on January 6, 2017. An accompanying music video, which showcases Kiesza and a white guitar, was posted on YouTube the same day through the KieszaVevo channel. According to Kiesza, the song and her future material were inspired by her "best friend Alice [who] passed away nearly a year and a half ago [as of 1/6/17]". On March 17, 2017, Pitbull released Climate Change featuring a collaboration with Kiesza titled "We Are Strong".[33] On the same time, Cerrone released the album RedLips featuring a collaboration with Kiesza titled "Ain't No Party".[34]

Other ventures [ edit ]

Kiesza at Fendi store opening in May 2014

In 2014, Kiesza was selected to be the face of a new line of fashion eyewear called "Color Block" by retailer Fendi, appearing in a promotional video shot by Ruth Hogben.[5][35][36][37] The video "features Kiesza strolling on a treadmill against a painted skyline, while singing and donning the double-framed, colourful sunglasses."[38] She announced plans to release her own line of fashion under the name "SteamPop" sometime in 2014.[36]

Discography [ edit ]

Kiesza (2008)

(2008) Sound of a Woman (2014)

(2014) TBA (2019)

Tours [ edit ]

Headlining

Sound of a Woman Tour (2015)

Opening act

Awards and nominations [ edit ]