Quick Facts
Pisces
Biography
Alessia De Gasperis-Brigante (born 17 March 1990), known professionally as Kai, is a Canadian singer and songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Best known for her collaborations, she co-wrote and wasfeatured on Flume's Grammy-nominated "Never Be like You",Diplo's "Revolution", and "Mind" from the Grammy award-winning 2015 album by Jack Ü.
Early life and education
Kai went to Bishop Strachan School, notable for its various alumni, including actress Laurie Holden. She is the granddaughter of deceased Italian-Canadian billionaire Alfredo De Gasperis.
Kai derives her name from the Japanese word 'kai', which means 'change'. She claims to be something new in music and she only wants "to relate [and] share her stories with her fans and anyone who will lend their ear".
Career
Early career
In 2011, Kai released her debut extended play 11:11, which included her debut single "I Choose Me", which is frequently used in campaigns for First Choice Haircutters. The EP received minimal promotion and did not impact any charts.
In 2012, Kai teamed up with Montreal dubstep group Adventure Club on the track "Need Your Heart", which features Kai's vocals and writing. The song has been remixed by several artists, including Minnesota, Crywolf, and Candyland. The track peaked at number 2 on the iTunes Electronic music chart.
Breakthrough
Kai collaborated with Diplo on his EP Revolution, co-writing and appearing on the title track "Revolution". She lent her vocals to the track "Crawl" by Childish Gambino for his second studio album Because the Internet.
In 2014, Kai wrote "Sweet Talker", which was produced by Diplo, the title track from Jessie J's third studio album of the same name which was released in October 2014. She claims to have written the song with Rihanna in mind. In 2015, she was featured on Skrillex and Diplo'scollaborative project Jack Ü's debut album on a track entitled "Mind", which she wrote.
In 2016, Kai wrote and was featured on the track "Never Be Like You" by Australian electronic musician Flume. It reached number one in Australia and the top 20 in the United States, as well as becoming an international hit and her first song to top the iTunes Electronic music chart.
Discography
Albums
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| 11:11 |
|
Singles
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN | AUS | AUSIndie | BEL(FL) | FRA | NZ | US | ||||
| "Need Your Heart" (Adventure Club featuring Kai) | 2012 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Crawl" (Childish Gambino featuring Kai) | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 86 | Because the Internet | |
| "Never Be Like You" (Flume featuring Kai) | 2016 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 27 | 2 | 20 |
| Skin |
Other featured in
- 2013: "Revolution" (Diplo feat. Faustix, ImanoS & Kai)
- 2015: "Mind" (Jack Ü feat. Kai)
- 2015: "Let Me Love You Right" (Hunter Siegel feat. Kai)
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Independent Music Awards | Best Folk Singer/Songwriter Song | "I Choose Me" | Nominated |
| 2012 | Toronto Independent Music Awards | HNSS – Best Acoustic Performance | N/A | Won |
| 2016 | ARIA Awards | Best Pop Release | "Never Be like You" | Won |
| Song of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Best Video | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | Grammy Awards | Best Dance Recording | Nominated | |
| APRA Awards | Dance Work of the Year | "Never Be Like You" (Harley Streten, Kai, Geoffrey Earley) – Flume featuring Kai | Won | |
| Most Played Australian Work | Won |