Anita Blay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anita Blay
Blay in 2019
Background information
Birth name	Anita Blay
Also known as	CocknBullKid
Origin	Hackney, London, England
Genres	Pop synthpop indie pop dance House Deep house
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2008–present
Labels	Iamsound Moshi Moshi Island
Associated acts	X&Y Tieks

Anita Blay is a talented British-Ghanaian singer and songwriter. She used to be known by her stage name CocknBullKid. She released her first song in 2008 and her first album, Adulthood, in 2011.

Today, Anita Blay writes songs for other artists. She is also part of a dance music duo called Antony & Cleopatra. She is also a member of a music group from London called Kommunion.

Early Life and Music Start

Anita Blay was born in Clapton, east London. Her parents were from Ghana. She grew up in the Hackney area of London. When she was 12, her mother left the family.

As a teenager, Anita became very interested in music. When she was 16, she wrote songs with rapper Plan B through a youth program. She finished her high school exams in English, sociology, and theology. Anita worked different jobs in her late teens. However, she found that full-time work didn't fit her lifestyle. So, she decided to become a professional musician.

Music Career

Early Songs (2008–2009)

Anita Blay chose the stage name "thecocknbullkid". She liked how it sounded and thought it was a bit funny. She started putting her music online on her MySpace page. She also connected with music producers and managers.

Her first song, "On My Own", came out in April 2008. Later that year, she performed at the Glastonbury Festival. She also appeared on the TV show Later... with Jools Holland. In late 2008, she toured Germany.

Her second song, "I'm Not Sorry", was released in March 2009. By May 2009, she signed with Moshi Moshi and Island Records. After performing at the SXSW music festival in America, her first EP (a mini-album) called Querelle came out in the US in August 2009. It received good reviews from magazines like Prefix and Spin. To celebrate the EP's release, Blay gave away a free mixtape. It included her own songs and music from other artists. Also in 2009, Blay joined other artists to sing a cover of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman". This was a charity song to help ActionAid.

Adulthood Album (2010–2011)

In June 2010, Anita Blay changed her stage name to CocknBullKid. She released a song called "CocknBullKid" for free. Her first song with Moshi Moshi/Island, "One Eye Closed", came out in November 2010. She also opened for Marina and the Diamonds and Kele on their tours.

The next song, "Hold on to Your Misery", was released in January 2011. "Asthma Attack" followed in April 2011. These songs came out before her first album, Adulthood. The album was recorded in London, Paris, and Stockholm. It included help from other musicians like Gonzales and Peter Morén. Adulthood was released in April 2011. A final song from the album, "Yellow", was released in August 2011. Spin magazine and The Guardian called Adulthood one of the best albums of the year.

Anita Blay promoted Adulthood by opening for other artists on their UK tours. These included Janelle Monáe, Duran Duran, and Patrick Wolf. She also worked with several other artists in 2011. She sang on songs by Black Devil Disco Club and The Shoes. Blay also helped write songs for Nicola Roberts' album Cinderella's Eyes.

Solo Work and Songwriting (2012–Present)

Anita Blay sang "Doing It Wrong", which was the theme tune for the BBC Three TV show Some Girls. This show started in 2012. In the same year, she sang on songs by Niyi and Rowdy Superstar. She and Rowdy Superstar also formed a side project called X&Y. She helped write the song "Trouble" for the girl group Neon Jungle in 2013. This song reached the top 20 in the UK Singles Chart.

Anita Blay has also been working on a second solo album. In 2015, she was featured on the Boxed In song "Lo Life".

In April 2016, a song she helped write for Little Mix became a big hit. The song was "Hair" from their 2015 album Get Weird. It featured Sean Paul and became her most successful songwriting collaboration.

In May 2018, Blay co-wrote a OneRepublic song called "Start Again". This song was featured on the second season of the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why.

In September 2020, Anita Blay worked with Kae Tempest and High Contrast on a song called "Time Is Hardcore". This song was first played on BBC Radio 1.

In January 2021, Anita Blay changed her social media names from CocknBullKid to Anita Blay. She posted a simple message "BRB" (Be Right Back). This made fans wonder if she would release new music under her own name.

Antony and Cleopatra (2012–Present)

In 2014, Anita Blay and Alexander Burnett formed a deep house music duo. They called themselves Antony & Cleopatra. In 2014, they were featured on three songs by other artists.

Their first song as lead artists, "Sirens", was released in 2015. They continued to release many songs and work with others from 2015 to 2019.

On November 23, 2018, Antony & Cleopatra released their first EP (mini-album) called Hurt Like Hell. Anita Blay said the EP was a way to show their more techno and unique music.

Musical Style

Anita Blay's music is influenced by many artists. These include Björk, Celine Dion, Morrissey, and synthpop groups like The Human League and The Knife. Radio DJ Lauren Laverne has compared Blay to artists like Morrissey and Kelis.

When she was CocknBull Kid, her visual style was inspired by Mexican folk art. She used bright colours often seen in South American culture. For her live shows, she wore a special headdress decorated with lights, peace symbols, and skulls.

American singer Shamir has said that CocknBullKid (Anita Blay) was a big influence on him. He even got a tattoo of a lyric from her song "Hold on to Your Misery".

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Mixtapes

• thecocknbullkid (2009)

Singles

as CocknBull Kid

as Antony & Cleopatra

as Kommunion

Guest Appearances

Songwriting Credits