Lianne La Havas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lianne La Havas
La Havas in 2013
Background information
Birth name	Lianne Charlotte Barnes
Born	(1989-08-23) 23 August 1989 (age 35) London, England
Genres	Soul pop folk
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Warner Bros. Nonesuch Labour of Love
Associated acts	Paloma Faith

Lianne Charlotte Barnes (born August 23, 1989), known as Lianne La Havas, is a talented British singer and songwriter. Her music mixes soul, pop, and folk styles. She started her career by singing backup for other musicians, like Paloma Faith.

In 2010, Lianne signed with Warner Bros. Records. She spent two years working on her songwriting skills. Her first album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, came out in 2012. It received great reviews and was named iTunes Album of the Year. Since then, she has released two more albums: Blood in 2015 and Lianne La Havas in 2020. She has also been nominated for a Grammy Award and two Brit Awards. Lianne La Havas lives in London, England.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Lianne La Havas was born and grew up in London, England. Her father is Greek, and her mother is Jamaican. She spent most of her childhood with her grandparents after her parents separated.

Lianne started singing when she was seven years old. She says her parents' different musical tastes greatly influenced her. Her father, who played many instruments, taught her the basics of guitar and piano. Lianne wrote her first song at age 11. However, she didn't learn to play the guitar properly until she was 18. She also sang in her school choir.

Her birth name is Lianne Barnes. Her stage name, La Havas, comes from her Greek father's last name, Vlahavas.

Career Journey

Starting Out and First Album (2008–2014)

Lianne La Havas in 2012

While in college, Lianne met musicians who helped her record her first demo songs. Through these friends, she also met British singer Paloma Faith. Lianne later sang backup vocals for Paloma Faith on tour.

Lianne was discovered on Myspace in 2008. In 2010, she signed with Warner Bros. Records. She spent two years improving her songwriting before releasing any music to the public.

Her first collection of songs, called an EP, was Lost & Found. It came out in October 2011. That same month, Lianne released a live EP called Live from LA. She also made her TV debut on Later... with Jools Holland. Soon after, she supported the band Bon Iver on their North American tour.

Her first official song, "Lost & Found," was released in April 2012. Her first full album, Is Your Love Big Enough?, came out in July 2012. By the end of 2012, iTunes named Is Your Love Big Enough? the Album of the Year.

In September 2012, Lianne opened for Alicia Keys at a special MTV concert in Manchester. She also performed on the BBC's New Year's Eve show in December 2012. In 2013, she played at big music festivals like RockNess, Glastonbury Festival 2013, and the Isle of Wight Festival.

In 2014, the famous musician Prince played a concert in Lianne's living room in London. She also sang on songs for Prince's album Art Official Age. Lianne even performed with Prince on the TV show Saturday Night Live.

Blood Album (2015–2019)

After touring for her first album, Lianne and her mother traveled to Jamaica. This trip inspired Lianne to write new songs for her second album. Many of these songs were about reconnecting with her Greek and Jamaican family roots.

The first song from the album, "Unstoppable," was released in April 2015. The full album, named Blood, came out in July 2015. Lianne toured the UK and Europe to support the album. Blood was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016.

Lianne also sang on two songs for Rudimental's album We the Generation in 2015. She performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and did a special "Tiny Desk Concert" for NPR. In 2016, Lianne supported the band Coldplay on their "A Head Full of Dreams" world tour.

Self-Titled Album (2020)

Lianne La Havas released "Bittersweet" in February 2020. This was the first song from her self-titled album, Lianne La Havas. In May 2020, she released another song, "Paper Thin," and announced the album would be out in July 2020.

She recorded the album between October and December 2019 in different cities like London, Los Angeles, and New York City. Lianne worked with her long-time friend Matt Hales and other producers on the album.

The album won the Best Album award at the 2021 Ivor Novello Awards. Many critics praised the album. A reviewer from The New York Times said that Lianne's songs showed strong feelings, but her music was clear and balanced. Another reviewer called the album "soulful."

Discography

• Is Your Love Big Enough? (2012)
• Blood (2015)
• Lianne La Havas (2020)

Concert Tours

Headlining

• Is Your Love Big Enough? Tour (2012–13)
• Blood Tour (2015–16)

Supporting

• A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016)

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Lianne La Havas para niños