Ava Max facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ava Max
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Ava Max in 2023
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| Born |
Amanda Koçi
February 16, 1994 |
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2013–present |
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Notable work
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Discography |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Origin | Chesapeake, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Atlantic |
Amanda Ava Koci (born on February 16, 1994), known as Ava Max, is an American singer and songwriter. She became very famous in 2018 with her hit song "Sweet but Psycho". This song reached number one in 22 countries. It also made it to number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In March 2020, Ava Max released "Kings & Queens". This song reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her first album, Heaven & Hell, came out in September 2020. It was number two on the UK Albums Chart. In November 2020, "My Head & My Heart" was released. It reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her second album, Diamonds & Dancefloors, was released on January 27, 2023.
On February 7, 2025, Ava Max released "Lost Your Faith". This song is the first single from her upcoming third album, Don't Click Play.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Growing Up (1994–2012)
Amanda Ava Koci was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 16, 1994. Her parents are from Albania. They moved to the United States in 1991 after communism ended in their home country. Ava Max's mother was a trained opera singer. Her father was a pianist.
When Ava Max was two, her family moved to Virginia. She grew up in Hampton Roads. As a child, she entered many singing contests. She performed at the NorVa in Norfolk when she was 10 years old. She sang Whitney Houston's song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". She also traveled to Florida for singing competitions. At 13, she started using "Ava" as her first name.
At 14, Ava Max moved to Los Angeles, California, to start a music career. She was often told she was too young. A year later, she moved to South Carolina. There, she began writing songs about relationships. She felt grateful for this move because it let her have a normal childhood. She attended Lexington High School for a year. She said she was bullied there. When she turned 17, Ava Max returned to Los Angeles. She found it hard to find music producers and songwriters on her own.
Music Career
Starting Out (2013–2017)
Ava Max released "Take Away the Pain" in 2013. For several years, many of her song ideas were not accepted. In 2014, she met music producer Cirkut. They started working together. They wrote many songs and released "Anyone but You" on SoundCloud in July 2016. This song got attention from record labels. She signed a deal with Atlantic Records in 2016. Ava Max said working with Cirkut changed her life.
After signing her deal, she chose "Max" as her last name. She liked that it sounded both masculine and feminine. From 2016 to 2017, Ava Max created her special hairstyle called the 'Max Cut'. This hairstyle is even part of her logo. On August 4, 2017, she was featured on the Le Youth song "Clap Your Hands".
Becoming Famous and Heaven & Hell (2018–2021)
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Ava Max released "My Way" on April 20, 2018. It reached number 38 on the Romanian Airplay 100 chart. She also collaborated on "Slippin" with Gashi and "Into Your Arms" with Witt Lowry. In July 2018, "Salt" was released on SoundCloud. On August 13, 2018, she released "Not Your Barbie Girl".
Her big hit, "Sweet but Psycho", came out on August 17, 2018. This song became a huge success. It reached number one in over 22 countries. These included Germany, United Kingdom, and New Zealand. It stayed at number one in the UK for four weeks. In January 2019, it topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. It later reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ava Max also appeared on the song "Make Up" with Vice and Jason Derulo. She was also on David Guetta's album 7 with the song "Let It Be Me".
On March 7, 2019, she released "So Am I". This song reached the top 10 in countries like Poland and Norway. A remix with the South Korean boy band NCT 127 was released in July 2019. "Blood, Sweat & Tears" and "Freaking Me Out" were released as promotional songs in July 2019. On August 7, 2019, she was featured on "Slow Dance" by AJ Mitchell. She released "Torn" as a single on August 19, 2019. Ava Max won Best Push Act at the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards. She also released a duet called "Tabú" with Pablo Alborán. She performed at the Jingle Bell Ball in December 2019. The song "Salt" was officially released to streaming platforms on December 12, 2019. She worked with Norwegian DJ Alan Walker on "Alone, Pt. II", released on December 27, 2019. "On Somebody" was released on December 30, 2019.
On March 12, 2020, Ava Max released "Kings & Queens". This was the fifth single from her first album, Heaven & Hell. The song topped the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart. She also appeared on the country song "On Me" with Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown. This song was part of the soundtrack for the 2020 film Scoob!. Ava Max released "Who's Laughing Now" on July 30, 2020. "OMG What's Happening" followed on September 3, 2020.
Her debut album, Heaven & Hell, was released on September 18, 2020. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart. It also reached number 27 on the Billboard 200 in the US. On November 13, 2020, Ava Max was part of the charity single "Stop Crying Your Heart Out". This song reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart. "My Head & My Heart" was released on November 19, 2020. On June 8, 2021, Ava Max released "EveryTime I Cry". She said it was a "continuation" of her first album. She was featured on "Sad Boy" with R3hab and Jonas Blue on September 10, 2021. She also sang on Tiësto's song "The Motto" on November 4, 2021. "The Motto" reached the top 10 in many countries.
Diamonds & Dancefloors (2022–2023)
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In February 2022, Ava Max hinted at a new music project. She changed her 'Max Cut' hairstyle to cherry-red hair. She also used red and pink colors on her social media. She shared that her second album was written during a tough time in her life. The first song from the album, "Maybe You're the Problem", was released on April 28, 2022.
Ava Max announced her second album, Diamonds & Dancefloors, on June 1, 2022. It was released on January 27, 2023. She released "Million Dollar Baby" on September 1, 2022. The album's third song, "Weapons", came out on November 10, 2022. The dance game Just Dance 2023 Edition featured "Million Dollar Baby". Ava Max was even the coach for the dance in the game. She released "Dancing's Done" on December 20, 2022.
On January 12, 2023, Ava Max released "One of Us". She performed at the WorldPride festival in Sydney, Australia, on March 5, 2023. She then started her first concert tour, called On Tour (Finally). This tour took place between April and September 2023. It included shows in Europe and North America. During a concert in Los Angeles on June 20, 2023, a person jumped on stage and touched Ava Max. She later said her eye was scratched. She worked with Brazilian DJ Alok on "Car Keys (Ayla)", released on June 30, 2023. Her song "Choose Your Fighter" was on the soundtrack for the 2023 film Barbie. This song was released on July 21, 2023.
Don't Click Play (2024–Present)
On January 19, 2024, Ava Max and Norwegian DJ Kygo released their song "Whatever". It reached number one in Norway. On April 4, 2024, Ava Max released "My Oh My". On August 9, 2024, she was featured on a remix of "Brought the Heat Back" by the South Korean band Enhypen. On September 20, 2024, she released "Spot a Fake".
On October 18, 2024, she released "Forever Young" with David Guetta and Alphaville. This was a new version of Alphaville's hit "Forever Young". On November 20, 2024, Ava Max performed a mix of her songs at the 2024 ARIA Music Awards in Sydney, Australia. The next month, she released her Christmas song, "1 Wish".
In February 2025, Ava Max released "Lost Your Faith". Three months later, she announced her third album, Don't Click Play. It was released on August 22, 2025. The album's second single, "Lovin Myself", was released on May 29, 2025. Ava Max released the album's third single, Wet, Hot American Dream, on July 1, 2025.
Music Style and Inspirations
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Ava Max is known for her pop, dance-pop, and electropop music. Her songs often use parts of older songs. People have compared her to other pop artists like Sia and Lady Gaga. Ava Max grew up listening to artists such as Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. She also said that Beyoncé, Madonna, and Lady Gaga influenced her. She mentioned that Mariah Carey was a big influence on her album Heaven & Hell.
Public Image
Ava Max is often compared to Lady Gaga because of her music and bold style. This includes her blonde hair and stage presence. Ava Max has said that while Lady Gaga is an amazing artist, people should not compare them just because they have similar hair or make pop music. She thinks these comparisons are "lazy".
Ava Max likes to wear unique and bold outfits for public events. She is inspired by fashion from the 1990s. She mentioned Gwen Stefani and Cindy Crawford as influences. However, she prefers making music in the studio more than being in the spotlight. Her special "Max Cut" hairstyle is asymmetric. One side is short, and the other is longer and wavy. She said this hairstyle helps her feel true to herself and unique. She described her hair as a symbol of freedom and self-expression.
Personal Life
Ava Max says she is "100% Albanian". She can speak the language but cannot read it. She often speaks about female empowerment, and this idea is also in her music. In a 2023 interview, Ava Max shared that she briefly dated Cirkut after they met. They have remained friends since then.
Discography
Studio albums
- Heaven & Hell (2020)
- Diamonds & Dancefloors (2023)
- Don't Click Play (2025)
Tours
Headlining Tours
- On Tour (Finally) (2023)
- Don't Click Play Tour (2025; cancelled)
Supporting Tours
- Maroon 5 – 2021 Tour (2021)
- Jingle Ball Tour (2022)
Awards
See also
In Spanish: Ava Max para niños
