Vevo today announces Kiana Ledé as their newest LIFT act of 2019. Vevo’s LIFT initiative connects today’s up-and-coming artists to audiences around the globe through video content. Launched in 2011, Vevo’s artist development program shines a spotlight on the world’s freshest new talent. Vevo LIFT alumni include the likes of Sam Smith, Halsey, Khalid, Jorja Smith, SZA, Julia Michaels, Billie Eilish and CNCO. Ledé and Mitchell’s LIFT performances follow those of Def Jam Recordings’ YK Osiris, who recently premiered a live version of his hit “Worth It” as well as a short film, “YK Osiris: Young King.”
“We’re proud to welcome Kiana Ledè and AJ Mitchell to the 2019 LIFT program. “Both artists are rising stars that have the potential to make a true mark on the music industry; we look forward to showing the world their individual talents. LIFT plays a big part in our commitment to artist development, so it’s great to expand our 2019 roster. We’ve been working with both Kiana and AJ for some time now, and helping them grow their audiences on our platform is truly rewarding.”
JP Evangelista, Vevo’s Senior Vice President of Content, Programing & Marketing
R&B starlet Kiana Ledé has quickly developed from childhood phenom to one of the world’s most promising and intriguing young stars. A true mix of cultures, African, Latino and Native American, Kiana crafted her own unique vocal sound into a natural blend of these global, expressive influences. Kiana dropped her Selfless EP, featuring “Show Love” and “Ex” in 2018 after previously starring in MTV’s Scream and having a track on the chart-dominating Official Soundtrack for Fifty Shades Freed. A Vevo DSCVR alum, Kiana’s LIFT content will include live performances of an assortment of tracks from her new Myself EP.
“For my Vevo LIFT session, I reimagined ‘Can I’ with harp, strings and piano, because when I was younger and in Orchestra, I developed a real love and admiration for classical music and the beautiful arrangements. With ‘Shawty,’ I wanted to highlight and bring out that brightness and playfulness that I felt when I wrote it. The little Reggae vibe at the end was totally impromptu on day of shooting with Vevo. We just stumbled into it and had to finish it that way. You can see how much fun we had doing that in the final performance and I’m thankful to Vevo for making my vision come to life.”
Kiana Ledé