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 as Dev, is an American singer. She was discovered online by the music group the Cataracs and record label Indie-Pop. This happened after a friend posted a video of Dev singing.
Dev's song "Booty Bounce" was used in Far East Movement's popular song "Like a G6". This song became number one in the US. It sold over four million copies in the country.
Dev signed with Universal Republic in October 2010. She released her first song, "Bass Down Low", in November 2010. This song reached the top ten in the United Kingdom. Her first album, The Night the Sun Came Up, came out in March 2012. The album's second song, "In the Dark", reached number 11 in the US. This made it her most successful solo song.
In 2014, Dev released two shorter music collections called EPs. These were Bittersweet July and its second part. She also became a radio host for Beats 1 by Apple Inc., which started in 2015.
In 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 album, I Only See You When I'm Dreamin', was available for pre-order in July 2017. It included 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
Devin Star Tailes was born on July 2, 1989. Her mother, Lisa, was a real estate agent. Her father, Riki Tailes, was a painting contractor. Dev has two younger sisters, Sierra Sol and Maezee Lua.
Dev's family background includes Costa Rican, Portuguese, and Mexican roots. She grew up in Manteca. When she was 4, she started swimming. She was even part of a US Olympic development program.
She went to Brock Elliott Elementary School. She graduated from Sierra High School in 2007. There, she was part of the band and choir. Later, she studied English and art history at San Joaquin Delta College.
Career
2009–2010: Starting Her Music Journey
In 2009, Dev sang a cover of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black". A friend posted this song and another original song online. The music production team the Cataracs then reached out to Dev. She shared that she didn't expect anything from it. She just wanted to feel good through music. But the Cataracs found her page and liked her voice. They helped her get into singing as a career.
Dev left college in her first year to follow her music dreams. She signed with Indie-Pop, a record label in Los Angeles. This label also discovered the Cataracs. Six months later, Dev and the Cataracs' song "2Nite" started getting attention. It was played on the radio and on the music video channel MTVU. It also appeared on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay chart. In 2009, Dev moved to Los Angeles. She worked with the Cataracs and Indie-Pop to create music.
In 2010, the Cataracs produced "Like a G6" with Far East Movement. They decided to use a part of Dev's song "Booty Bounce" as the chorus. Both songs were made in the same summer. Dev and the Cataracs were working hard in the studio. "Like a G6", featuring Far East Movement and Dev, came out in April 2010. It became number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song sold over four million copies in the US.
In August 2010, a music video for "Booty Bounce" was made. 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 song, "Bass Down Low", was sent to radio stations in November. It was released digitally in December 2010. The song reached number 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It did very well in the United Kingdom, reaching number ten on the UK Singles Chart in June 2011.
2011–2013: The Night the Sun Came Up
On April 25, 2011, Dev released the song "In the Dark". This song was very successful in the United States. It reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It made it into the top 40 in Canada, Australia, and the UK.
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 the Cataracs. In March 2011, Dev and the Cataracs went to Costa Rica for three weeks. They recorded most of the album there. Dev explained that her album would have different styles. She said she was good at more than just typical pop music. She had hip-hop and electro influences.
In March 2011, New Boyz's song "Backseat" was released. It featured Dev and the Cataracs. The song reached number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dev also appeared on Demi Lovato's album "Unbroken" on a song called "Who's That Boy". She was also featured on a song by the 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. These were "Poison" and "Call Me". She also appeared on EDM artist David Guetta's album, Nothing But the Beat. Dev was also featured on a song by Swedish singer Eric Saade, "Hotter Than Fire". This song was released in November 2011 in Sweden. Dev was also featured in a remix of Girls' Generation's song "Bad Girl".
The American version of The Night the Sun Came Up came out on March 26, 2012. It included new songs compared to earlier versions. Dev worked with singer Enrique Iglesias on a song called "Naked". This song was produced by the Cataracs. It became the third song from the repackaged album. It reached number one in Mexico and number two on the US dance chart.
At the 2012 Lollapalooza festival, Dev shared that she was working on her second album. She said she was using more live instruments for this album. She enjoyed making her first electronic album, but wanted to try different sounds. Her song "Bass Down Low" was played during breaks at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2013, Universal Republic Records closed down. All their artists, including Dev, moved to Republic Records. In November 2013, Dev posted a new song on YouTube. It was called "Kiss It" and featured Sage the Gemini. A remix version was also released, featuring Casey Veggies.
In November 2013, Dev also worked with singer Mia Martina on her song Danse. This song became popular on Latin and dance charts in 2014.
2014–Present: New Music and Albums
In mid-2014, Dev left Universal Republic. She decided to release music on her own. On May 5, 2014, Dev released a short album called Not All Love Songs Have to Be So Sad with NanosauR. It was released on iTunes in July 2014. On August 7, 2014, Dev shared a preview of a new song called "Kids" on Instagram. She also announced that Bittersweet July would be available for pre-order. It was released on September 23 by her own label, Rica Lyfe Records.
In November 2014, "Honey Dip" was confirmed as the first song from the EP. The video was directed by Oakland-based rapper Kreayshawn. In December 2014, Dev announced Bittersweet July, Pt. 2. This was a follow-up to the first part. It was released on iTunes on December 15. The third song from the second part, "Parade", was released as the main song.
In 2015, Dev worked with the electro duo Nervo for their song "Hey Ricky". This song also featured Kreayshawn, who directed the video. The video was released on Vevo in June 2015. It became very popular, topping the US chart. In December 2015, Dev was the main singer on the club song "Electric Walk" by Nytrix. The song reached number eight on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
In January 2016, Idolator shared a preview of a song called "Lowkey". They announced that Ebro Darden would play Dev's new song on Beats 1. Dev worked with her friend NanosauR, Dave Tozer, and Rey Reel. "Lowkey" was released in March 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 started 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 came out on September 8. Dev worked with artists like Raye, MNDR, Sarah Hudson, and Marko Penn on the album.
From 2018, Dev began releasing individual songs. These included "Rock on It", "Down for Me", "Girls Don't Lie", and "Clean Break". She also worked on the song "Make Out" by Da Candy and Ferry in September 2018. Starting in July 2020, Dev began releasing a new song every three weeks. These included "Mango" in July, "Follow My Lead" in August, and "Bom Dia" in September.
In July 2022, Dev performed at the Lollapalooza and Hard music festivals. She mentioned that she was working on new music.
Musical Style
Dev's electro style and her way of "sing-talking" have been compared to other pop singers. Dev said she is confident in her own music. She believes people will see her for who she is. She understands why people compare her to others. But she thinks that once people see her perform live, they won't connect them as much.
Idolator noted that Dev's music often sounds more calm and electronic than typical pop. Dev said she has more to say and a wider range of sounds. She hopes that when her album comes out, people won't compare her to others as much. Much of Dev's music is inspired by rap music. She feels that fans like pop music that has rap roots. She said that Eminem changed her life when she was younger. The Hollywood Reporter described her sound as "futuristic" and "pulsing". They compared it to underground electroclash artists like Peaches and Yelle. Dev's music styles are often called electro-crunk and electropop.
Personal Life
In September 2011, Dev announced that she was expecting a baby girl. Her daughter, Emilia Lovely, was born on December 9, 2011. MTV aired a special show about Dev's life as a mom. It showed how she balanced being a mother and a performer. The special also shared that her daughter was born with a health challenge. It showed how her daughter bravely overcame it.
Discography
- The Night the Sun Came Up (2011)
- I Only See You When I'm Dreamin' (2017)
Tours
Headlining
- The Night the Sun Came Up Tour (2012)
- Bittersweet July Tour (2014–15)
- Bay Nights Tour (with Lil Debbie) (2019)
Opening Act
- The Fresh Meat Tour (with Jeffree Star) (2010–11)
- OMG Tour (with Usher) (2011)
Accolades
Dev has been nominated for two Billboard Music Awards, a Brit Award, and two MTV Video Music Awards.
See also
In Spanish: Dev para niños
