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 techno 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 singer and songwriter from Britain, with Ghanaian roots. She was once known by her stage name CocknBullKid. Anita released her first song in 2008. Her first album, called Adulthood, came out in 2011.

Today, Anita Blay writes songs for many other artists. She is also part of a dance music duo named Antony & Cleopatra. Plus, she's involved with a music group from London called Kommunion.

Anita Blay's Early Life

Anita Blay was born in Clapton, east London. Her parents were from Ghana. She grew up in the Hackney area of London. As a teenager, Anita became very interested in music.

When she was 16, she wrote songs with rapper Plan B. This happened during a youth program. Anita finished her A-levels in English, sociology, and theology. She took different part-time jobs in her late teens. But she found that full-time work didn't fit her lifestyle. So, she decided to become a professional musician.

Anita Blay's Music Journey

Starting Out: 2008–2009

Anita chose the stage name "thecocknbullkid." She liked how it sounded. She also thought it was a playful and cheeky name. She started putting her music online on her MySpace page. This helped her connect 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 with Vice magazine.

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, Querelle, was released. This happened in the US through Iamsound Records in August 2009. Music magazines like Prefix and Spin gave it good reviews.

To celebrate the EP's release, Anita gave away a free mixtape. It included her own songs and music from other artists. Also in 2009, Anita joined other singers to cover "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. This was a charity song to help ActionAid.

Anita was planning to release a full album in 2009. But by 2010, she decided to change the album's sound. In 2011, an early version of the album, called Adolescence, became available online. Anita even told her fans to download it.

The Adulthood Album: 2010–2011

In June 2010, Anita announced she was changing 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 shows for Marina and the Diamonds and Kele on their tours.

The next song, "Hold on to Your Misery," was released in January 2011. Her third song, "Asthma Attack," followed in April 2011. These songs came before her debut album, Adulthood. The album was recorded in London, Paris, and Stockholm. It featured contributions from artists like Gonzales and Peter Morén.

Adulthood was released in April 2011. A fourth and final song from the album, "Yellow," came out in August 2011. Spin magazine and The Guardian praised Adulthood as one of the best albums of the year.

Anita promoted Adulthood by opening for other artists. She toured with Janelle Monáe, Duran Duran, and Patrick Wolf. In 2011, she also worked with several other musicians. She was featured on "In Doubt" by Black Devil Disco Club. She also appeared on The Shoes' song "Cliché." Anita also helped write songs for Nicola Roberts' solo album, Cinderella's Eyes.

Solo Work and Songwriting: 2012–Present

In 2012, Anita recorded "Doing It Wrong." This song became the theme tune for the BBC Three TV show Some Girls. That same year, she was featured on "Ur No Good" by Niyi. She also worked on "Never Let Go" with Rowdy Superstar. They even formed a side project together called X&Y.

Anita co-wrote the first song for the girl group Neon Jungle in 2013. The song, "Trouble," became a top 20 hit in the UK Singles Chart.

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

In April 2016, a song Anita co-wrote for Little Mix became a big hit. The song, "Hair," was from their 2015 album Get Weird. It was released as a single with Sean Paul and became a huge success.

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

In September 2020, Anita worked with Kae Tempest and High Contrast on a song called "Time Is Hardcore." This track was played on BBC Radio 1 and chosen as "Tune of the Week."

In January 2021, Anita 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 might release new music under her own name soon.

Antony and Cleopatra: 2012–Present

In 2014, Anita Blay and Alexander Burnett formed a deep house music duo. Alexander is from the Australian band Sparkadia. Their duo is called Antony & Cleopatra. In 2014, they were featured on three songs by other artists.

Their first song as lead artists, "Sirens," came out in 2015. They released many more songs and collaborations between 2015 and 2019.

On November 23, 2018, Antony & Cleopatra released their first EP. An EP is like a mini-album. It had six songs and was called Hurt Like Hell. Anita said the EP was a great way to show their more techno and unique music. This was the kind of music you would hear in their live shows or DJ sets.

Anita Blay's Artistic Style

Anita Blay's music is influenced by many artists. These include Björk, Celine Dion, and Morrissey. She also gets ideas from synthpop groups like The Human League and The Knife.

A BBC 6Music DJ, Lauren Laverne, once described Anita as a "latter-day Morrissey." She even compared her to a British Kelis.

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

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

Anita Blay's Music Releases

Studio Albums

Extended Plays (EPs)

Mixtapes

• thecocknbullkid (2009)

Singles

As CocknBull Kid

As Antony & Cleopatra

As Kommunion

Guest Appearances

Songwriting Credits