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Whether performing her own material or filling the role of an in-demand guest, Grammy-nominated vocalist and songwriter Hayla's powerful, earnest delivery guides pulsing dance tracks. While she began her climb onto the charts with collaborations with artists including U.K. compatriots Wilkinson and MANT throughout the late 2010s, it was a featured spot on the yearning 2022 house hit "Escape" by Kx5 (Deadmau5 and Kaskade) that proved to be her breakthrough. Hayla co-wrote the song. Her popularity continued to grow through hit collaborations with John Summit (2023's "Where You Are") and Kygo (2024's "Without You"). In the meantime, she released periodic, self-penned solo songs, culminating in her debut album, 2024's DUSK. Begun in 2021, it was influenced by a breakup and early pandemic isolation.

Born Hayley Williams, Hayla hails from Liverpool, England. Some of her first releases included feature appearances on 2016's "Lights Out (Too Drunk)" by DJ Katch and 2018's "I Need" by Wilkinson. She teamed up with the City for 2019's "Better," a year that also saw collaborations with MANT and Cymo, among others, as demand for her vocals grew. She released the soul-tinged solo single "Naked" on Good Company Records in early 2020, and it got the remix treatment from artists including That Kind and Ben Pearce. Hayla released collaborations with Maxinne, Ben Nicky, and Friend Within as well as singles of her own including "Treading Water" before the arrival in March 2022 of "Escape," a song she co-wrote with Kx5 -- the duo of Deadmau5 and Kaskade -- for their eponymous debut album. Inspired by sheltering in place during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, "Escape" went to number 11 on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and topped the dance radio chart. She found similar success with March 2023's "Where You Are" by John Summit featuring Hayla, which entered the dance/electronic Top Ten. The latter song appeared on Barack Obama's annual list of favorite music from 2023. In November of that year, Hayla learned she was a Grammy nominee when Kx5's debut album (which included "Escape") made the field in the category of Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Over the course of 2022 and 2023, Hayla performed these hits and more at festivals and large venues around the globe. In 2024 alone, she joined John Summit during sets at Coachella and Madison Square Garden, Deadmau5 at the Hollywood Bowl, and Kygo at his traveling Palm Tree Festival for shows in Hawaii and the Hamptons. She released her moody debut album, DUSK, on Restless Minds Music/Believe U.K. in November of 2024. An album inspired by pandemic isolation and a breakup, its cited musical influences included Bonobo, Portishead, and Massive Attack. ~ Marcy Donelson