Mila Jam facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mila Jam
Background information
Born	(1989-02-22) February 22, 1989 (age 37) Aurora, Illinois, U.S.

Jahmila Adderley, known professionally as Mila Jam, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She is also an activist who supports the LGBTQ community.

Early Life and Education

Mila Jam was born in Aurora, Illinois, near Chicago, on February 22, 1989. She grew up in Columbus, Georgia. Her mother, Stephanie Adderley, worked in IT, and her father, Phillip Adderley, was a lab technician.

Mila went to Columbus High School. After high school, she moved to New York City to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Before that, she performed in many plays and TV commercials across the country.

Career Highlights

YouTube and TV Appearances

Mila Jam became well-known as "Britney Houston" on YouTube. She created funny versions, called parodies, of popular music videos. She would often post these parodies just a few days after the original videos came out. She started making these videos while touring with the musical Rent.

Many of her parodies became very popular, with some getting over a million views. Her parody of Rihanna's song "Umbrella" received more than two million views. For her parody of the Pussycat Dolls' song "When I Grow Up," she worked with four drag queens, who she called the "Britney Cat Dolls." In 2008, Mila also choreographed and starred in a TV show pilot for MTV called Newsical.

Mila has appeared on several TV shows, including BBC Three's Lily Allen and Friends, where she performed with Mark Ronson. She has also been on MTV and MTV News. She even hosted episodes of the YouTube talk show I’m From Driftwood.

Music Journey

Mila Jam recorded a song called "And the Crowd Goes." This song was written and produced by Jonny McGovern and appeared on his album, The East Village Mixtape 2: The Legends Ball. The song also featured New York rapper Jipsta.

Mila has performed with many famous artists. These include James Brown, Mark Ronson, Laverne Cox, Travis Wall, Jody Watley, Lady Kier from Deee-Lite, and Natasha Bedingfield.

The music video for Mila's song "Faces" was released to celebrate International Transgender Day of Visibility. Many well-known people appeared in the video, such as Laverne Cox, Tituss Burgess, Candis Cayne, Geena Rocero, Peppermint, Zackary Drucker, Trace Lysette, and Nathan Lee Graham. This song is seen as an anthem for the LGBTQ movement. It talks about accepting yourself, finding inner beauty, and feeling like you belong. Mila said the song is about looking in the mirror and wondering, "Do I belong, am I enough, will someone love me for who I really am?" She explained that people often hide their fears, even when they smile, because they feel different. She believes this feeling is something everyone experiences.

Awards and Recognition

Mila Jam has received several awards for her work. In 2013, she won Best Video and Dance Artist at the GLAM Nightlife Awards. In 2015, she was named the Breakthrough Artist at the Odyssey Nightlife Awards.

Discography

EPs

• Bruised (2018)
• Pretty One (2021)
• A Mila Jam Christmas (2022)

Singles

Singles as featured artist

• "Better Days" (Kayu feat. Mila Jam, 2018)
• "Summer ... Magic (Hot NYC Mix)" (Keo Nozari feat. Mila Jam, 2022)