Dev (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dev
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Dev at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards
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Devin Star Tailes
July 2, 1989 Tracy, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Partner(s) | Jimmy Gorecki (2011–present) |
| Children | 1 |
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Devin Star Tailes (born July 2, 1989), known professionally as Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered by the music group the Cataracs and a record label called Indie-Pop. They found her through Myspace after a friend posted a video of her singing. One of Dev's songs was used in Far East Movement's popular single "Like a G6". This song became number one in the US and was downloaded over four million times.
Dev signed with Universal Republic in October 2010. She released her first single, "Bass Down Low", on November 16, 2010. This song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom. Her first album, The Night the Sun Came Up, came out on March 27, 2012. The album's second single, "In the Dark", reached number 11 in the US. This made it her most successful solo song so far. In 2014, Dev released two shorter music collections called EPs. These were Bittersweet July and its second part. She also hosts a popular radio show on Beats 1 by Apple Inc., which started in 2015.
In mid-2016, Dev began promoting her second album. The first song from it was "#1" (featuring Nef the Pharaoh). This song reached the top 15 on the Billboard Rhythmic Songs chart. Dev's second full album, I Only See You When I'm Dreamin', was available for pre-order in July 2017. It includes the songs "All I Wanna Do" and "Come at Me". This was her first full album since The Night the Sun Came Up in 2011.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Devin Star Tailes was born on July 2, 1989, in Tracy, California. Her mother, Lisa, was a real estate agent, and her father, Riki Tailes, was a painting contractor. Dev has two younger sisters, Sierra Sol and Maezee Lua. Her family background includes Costa Rican, Portuguese, and Mexican heritage. She grew up in Manteca. When she was 4, she started swimming. She was even part of the U.S. Olympic development program. She went to Brock Elliott Elementary and graduated from Sierra High School in 2007. There, she was part of the band and choir. She later attended San Joaquin Delta College, where she studied English and art history.
Music Career Journey
Starting Out in Music (2009–2010)
In 2009, Dev sang a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black". A friend posted this song and an original song online. Soon after, the production team the Cataracs contacted Dev. She told Fashion Indie Magazine that she didn't expect anything from it. She just wanted to feel good, like music usually does. But Niles from the Cataracs found her page. He really liked her voice and helped her get into singing. He also showed her business opportunities in music. She left college in her first year to focus on her singing career. Then, she signed with Indie-Pop, a record label and management team in Los Angeles. Indie-Pop also discovered the Cataracs.
Six months later, Dev and the Cataracs' song "2Nite" started getting attention. It was played on the radio, on the music video channel MTVU, and on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart. In 2009, Dev moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to make music with the Cataracs and work closely with Indie-Pop.
In 2010, the Cataracs produced "Like a G6" with Far East Movement. They decided to use a part from one of Dev's songs as the chorus. Both songs were made in the same summer. At that time, Dev and the Cataracs were working hard in the studio. They were making many simple, random songs. "Like a G6", which features Far East Movement and Dev, came out in April 2010. It reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song sold over four million downloads in the US.
In August 2010, a video was made for Dev's song "Booty Bounce". It was directed by Ethan Lader and uploaded to YouTube. It has been viewed over 20 million times. In October 2010, Dev signed with Universal Republic. Her first official single, "Bass Down Low", was sent to radio stations in November. It was released digitally in some countries on December 6, 2010. It came out in the United States one day later. The song reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also reached number two on the Heatseekers Songs chart. In Canada, the song peaked at number 35. "Bass Down Low" was most successful in the United Kingdom. It reached number ten on the UK Singles Chart in June 2011.
First Album Success (2011–2013)
On April 25, 2011, Dev released the song "In the Dark". This song was very popular in the United States. It reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song made it into the top 40 in Canada, Australia, Denmark, Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. The music video for the song shows black-painted hands touching Dev.
Dev's first album, The Night the Sun Came Up, was released in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2011. Since 2009, Dev had been working on this album with her main producers, the Cataracs. In March 2011, Dev and the Cataracs went to Costa Rica for three weeks. They recorded and produced most of the songs for the new album there. She explained that the album had different music styles. She said that typical pop music was not all she was good at. She had many ideas and songs influenced by hip-hop and some electro ballads.
In March 2011, New Boyz's song "Backseat", featuring the Cataracs and Dev, was released. This song reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dev was also featured on Demi Lovato's album Unbroken on a song called "Who's That Boy". She also sang on a song by British boy band JLS, "She Makes Me Wanna". This song reached the top of the UK Singles Chart.
Dev also released two more songs for promotion through Twitter. These were "Poison" and "Call Me". These were covers of songs by Bell Biv DeVoe and Blondie. She also appeared on French DJ David Guetta's album, Nothing but the Beat. She was on a song called "I Just Wanna..." with Timbaland and Afrojack. Dev was also featured on a song by Swedish singer Eric Saade, "Hotter Than Fire". This song was released on November 2, 2011, in Sweden. Dev was also on a remix of Girls' Generation's song "Bad Girl" by the Cataracs. This was on their Japanese remix album. Dev was also featured on Timbaland's promotional song "Break Ya Back".
The American version of The Night the Sun Came Up was released on March 26, 2012, in the United States. It included new songs compared to earlier versions of the album. Dev worked with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias on a song called "Naked". The Cataracs produced this song. It was released as the third single from the updated album. It reached number one in Mexico and number two on the US dance chart.
At the 2012 Lollapalooza music festival, Dev shared that she was working on her second album. She said she was using more live instruments for this album. She had fun making her first album, which was very electronic. But now she was trying different things and sounds. Her song "Bass Down Low" was played during breaks in volleyball, beach volleyball, and basketball games at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2013, Universal Republic announced that they were closing down. All artists from that label moved to Republic Records. On November 1, Dev posted a new song on YouTube, "Kiss It" (featuring Sage the Gemini). Hit-Boy produced this song. "Kiss It" was released on December 17, 2013. A remix version was also released, featuring Casey Veggies instead of Sage the Gemini.
In November 2013, Dev also worked with Canadian singer Mia Martina for her song "Danse". This song became popular on Latin and dance music charts in spring 2014.
Recent Music and Releases (2014–Present)
In mid-2014, after her song "Kiss It" came out, Dev left Universal Republic. She decided to release music on her own, without a record label. On May 5, 2014, Dev released an EP called Not All Love Songs Have to Be So Sad with NanosauR. This EP was available on iTunes on July 31, 2014. On August 7, 2014, Dev posted a short clip of a new song called "Kids" on her Instagram account. She also announced that Bittersweet July would be available for pre-order on August 11. It was released on September 23 by her own label, Rica Lyfe Records.
On November 5, 2014, "Honey Dip" was confirmed as the first song from the EP. The video for it was directed by Oakland-based rapper Kreayshawn. On December 6, 2014, Dev announced the release of Bittersweet July, Pt. 2. This was a follow-up to Part 1. It was available for pre-order along with the song "The Night Is Young". The EP was released on iTunes on December 15. The third song from the second part, "Parade", was released as the main single.
In 2015, Dev worked with the female electro duo Nervo for their song "Hey Ricky". This song also features Kreayshawn, who directed the video. The video, released on Vevo on June 2, 2015, became very popular. It topped the real-time US chart. In December 2015, Dev was also the main singer on the club hit "Electric Walk" by electro house producer Nytrix. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
On January 25, 2016, Idolator posted a clip of a song called "Lowkey". They wrote that on January 27, Ebro Darden would play Dev's new song on Beats 1. Dev worked mainly with her friend and producer NanosauR, Dave Tozer, and Rey Reel. "Lowkey" was released on March 8, 2016. Critics liked the song and compared it to Selena Gomez's "Good for You".
In February 2016, Dev was the main singer on "We Rock It" by Sander Kleinenberg. In August 2016, Dev signed with Barry Weiss' record label RECORDS. She began promoting her album with the song "#1" (featuring Nef the Pharaoh). This song reached the top 15 of the Billboard Rhythmic Songs chart.
In July 2017, Dev started promoting her second album I Only See You When I'm Dreamin'. She released two songs, "All I Wanna Do" and "Come at Me". The album was available for pre-order and was released on September 8. Dev worked with other artists like Raye, MNDR, Sarah Hudson, and Marko Penn on the album.
From 2018, Dev started releasing individual songs. These included "Rock on It", "Down for Me", "Girls Don't Lie", and "Clean Break" throughout 2018. She also worked on the song "Make Out" by Da Candy and Ferry, released in September 2018. Starting in July 2020, Dev began releasing a new song every three weeks. This started with "Mango" on July 17, then "Follow My Lead" in August, and "Bom Dia" on September 1.
In July 2022, Dev performed at Lollapalooza and Hard festivals. She mentioned that she was working on new music.
Musical Style and Influences
Dev's electronic music style and her "sing-talk" way of singing have been compared to other pop singers like Kesha. Dev said that she is confident in her own music. She believes people will see her for who she is. She understands why people compare them, but thinks that after seeing her live, people won't connect them as much. While comparing her to Kesha, Idolator wrote that Dev's music often sounds calmer and more electronic than pop.
When compared to both Kesha and Uffie, Dev said she has more to say. She also feels she can create a wider range of sounds. She isn't criticizing other artists. But she believes she can offer more than what has been heard on those records. She hopes that when her album comes out, she won't hear any more comparisons. Much of Dev's music is inspired by rap music. She believes that fans like "pop music but with rap roots". She said that she has always liked hip-hop. Eminem changed her life when she was younger. The Hollywood Reporter compared her "futuristic" and "pulsing" sound to underground electroclash musicians Peaches and Yelle. Dev's music styles have been described as electro-crunk and electropop.
Personal Life
In September 2011, Dev announced that she was expecting a baby girl. Her daughter was due on December 24, 2011. Dev gave birth to her daughter, Emilia Lovely, on December 9, 2011. MTV aired a special show about Dev's life as a mom. It showed how she balances being a mother and a performer. The special also talked about her daughter, who was born with a condition called gastroschisis. It showed how her daughter overcame this condition.
Albums
- The Night the Sun Came Up (2011)
- I Only See You When I'm Dreamin' (2017)
Tours
Headlining Tours
- The Night the Sun Came Up Tour (2012)
- Bittersweet July Tour (2014–2015)
- Bay Nights Tour (with Lil Debbie) (2019)
Opening Act Tours
- The Fresh Meat Tour (with Jeffree Star) (2010–2011)
- OMG Tour (with Usher) (2011)
Awards and Nominations
Dev has been nominated for several awards. These include two Billboard Music Awards, a Brit Award, and two MTV Video Music Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Dev para niños
