To have faith in the simplicity and earnestness of connection is the powerful foundation upon which the arts stand. Kayla Rae Haywood is a story teller whose very feet run wild and bare on those pure origins. She is an unrestrained, endlessly evolving canvas, a multifaceted singer, songwriter and entertainer fuelled by passion, she is an elixir of hope, painting pictures of purpose through the hard times, and the good ones.
Kayla's humble Australian beginnings bolster depth, elevate her authenticity and magnify the heights of her success. Her modest roots are the bedrock of her ever growing heart to know deeply the brokenness of humanity and harness the light piercing through it’s cracks. Since her earliest days, music has been Kayla’s constant companion and shapes her strong desire to connect with the world.
Kayla’s imaginative spirit found expression from the tender age of seven, when she began writing plays and songs. It wasn’t until she was twelve that her talent garnered recognition beyond familial praise. Winning Australia's esteemed Country Music Festival in Tamworth with her captivating song 'Walking on Water' validated her artistry and marked a significant milestone in her journey. At the age of sixteen Kayla crafted composition ‘The Day’, a heartfelt tribute to the mission of ‘Compassion’, a charity close to Kayla’s heart and dedicated to releasing children from poverty.
Through her teenage years, she continued to nurture her passion and skills into a mosaic of the performing arts; weaving together singing, acting and song writing. From gracing the stages and screens of Sydney with her presence, her affinity for musicals was ignited by her involvement in “Sunday in the Park with George” at the Joan Sutherland Centre at the age of twelve. At the remarkable age of seventeen, Kayla captivated audiences with her portrayal of "Boyka" in the musical “Eurovision,” while simultaneously earning acclaim for her self-composed HSC drama piece inspired by ‘Pygmalion,’ which garnered a prestigious nomination for the renowned ‘On Stage’ showcase.
While theatre and the silver screen stole pieces of her heart, Kayla’s dreams of becoming a recording artist only grew stronger. Her love for song writing and performance took center stage as she embarked on a dual journey under the pseudonym Ivy Adara, simultaneously co-writing for esteemed Australian artists and making her mark as a top 20 contestant on X-Factor. Kayla began to carve out her own musical niche, cultivating a dedicated following and expanding her influence within the song writing community. Collaborations with notable Australian talents such as Dami Im (co-writing "Beautiful" and "Let Go" on the "Heartbeats" album) and Marlissa (co-writing "Forever Young") propelled her career to new heights.
It was then time for Kayla to leave behind her small, home town of Penrith, and head to the wonderful and wild Los Angeles. Despite encountering hurdles for years in gaining recognition from Australian record labels, Kayla's narrative swiftly transformed upon her arrival in the City of Angels. Within a brief span of six months, she secured both a publishing and recording deal, solidifying her position as a sought after songwriter and captivating solo artist.
At this time Kayla begins seamlessly balancing her loves of co-writing and artistry. Her debut EP, 'Intraduction,' catapulted her from obscurity to over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify within a year of its release. Notably, the track 'Currency' soared to #13 on iTunes and was added across the board to Australian radio. Kayla made a cameo on ‘Home & Away’ and Channel 7’s ‘The Morning Show’ and ‘The Daily Edition’ The EP itself surged to #6 on the iTunes chart and secured a coveted spot on the Global Spotify Viral Top 50 chart, while also earning placements on prestigious playlists across Spotify and Apple Music in more than 30 countries. Garnering praise from esteemed publications such as Idolator, Ones To Watch, NZ Herald, The New Nine, and the Western Weekender. The EP marked a triumphant start to her blooming career, hinting at even greater achievements to come.
Meanwhile her success in LA began to cascade onto the Australian music scene when her collaboration on the chart-topping sensation 'Fallin,' performed by Jess Mauboy, soared to #1 on iTunes and secured a spot in the top 10 on the ARIA charts—a monumental achievement in Kayla’s song writing career. Her song writing talents continued to shine as she co-wrote Jessica Mauboy’s single 'Then I Met You,' prominently featured in Channel 7’s hit series, 'The Secret Daughter’. As she continued to excel in her homeland, Kayla's influence transcended borders, making waves in her newfound home, the USA. Her vocal talents were showcased for the first time on 'Everybody Hurts,' a track she co-wrote for 'The Him,' marking her debut in the American music scene. Additionally, her collaboration on the hit 'Obsessed' for Maggie Lindeman garnered widespread acclaim, earning a coveted place in an exclusive campaign alongside industry giants Pat McGrath and Spotify.
Kayla’s co-writing endeavours continued to flourish with a series of notable releases, she co-crafting 'Friends Go,' with Maggie Lindeman a track later featuring Blink 182's Travis Barker. Additionally, she co-wrote ‘Cheat Codes' 'Feeling of Falling,' featuring Kim Petras, and 'Lean on You,' featuring the esteemed R&B legend, Tinashe.
Under her alias, Ivy, she went on to lend her vocals to Justin Caruso's standout 'If We Stay,' featured on ‘Ninja's’, debut album. Followed by a spontaneous song writing session that propelled her onto the illustrious Coachella stage, where she delivered a captivating performance of the co-written anthem 'Bye Bye' alongside DJ ‘Gryffin’ to an audience of over 50,000. Her commanding stage presence, cultivated from her early years, continued to resonate across iconic venues such as the Palladium in Hollywood, the Bill Civic Centre in San Francisco, and ‘We The Fest’ in Jakarta.
Kayla’s emergence in the DJ realm marked the genesis of her international acclaim. She landed her first Billboard Dance number #1 with co-creation “I Wanna Be There” released by Dub Vision & Animal Kingdom. As her renown spanned continents, she achieved yet another top 20 hit on Europe's Dance Billboard charts. Her impact then extended into Asia with the release of the K-Pop album "Woman," featuring a title track co-authored by Kayla. Sung by artist Boa, "Woman" achieved remarkable success, peaking at #6 on the South Korean Gaon Album Chart, #11 on the Billboard Top 200, and #10 on Billboard's World Album chart.
Kayla’s musical ingenuity is boundless, reflecting a deep empathy for the human experience, allowing her work to embrace a diverse range of musical genre’s. This was showcased as she went on to earn the prestigious "Song of the Year" award in the "Blues and Roots" category at the esteemed Australian ARIA Awards for her co-written gem "Drinking Over You" by Busby Marou.
Under Ivy, she garnished releases with Why Don’t We, Mae Muller, G-Flip, Syn Cole, Soleima, Loren Grey, Alex Mattson, Plain White T’s, Portair, and her latest co-write with Australian pop legend, Rickie-Lee.
Most recently and most proudly, Kayla co-wrote two songs released by Jenifer Lopez herself featuring in Block Buster hit movie, Marry Me. “On My Way” reached top #7 on the US iTunes charts and “Love of My Life” remix reaching #11 on US iTunes dance charts.
Her musical endevours to this point had also earned her countless synch success. Notably Kayla nestled herself into the hearts and homes of every Australian when she performed her song Currency on Australia’s legendary soap opera “Home & Away”. This was only the beginning of her television success as her music went on to grace shows such as Get Even (BBC & Netflix) The Bold Type (NBCUniversal), So You Think You Can Dance (FOX), Into the Dark (Hulu), World of Dance (NBCUniversal) - twice, The Black Box Series (ABC), Radio Disney Music Awards (Disney Channel), The Live 2018 XMAS (Avex Ent Inc) and even the infamous Love Island (CBS).
Kayla began releasing music again with her first single “Pressure” in 2020. Pressure was then followed by more singles “Stranger”, “Apartment No. 2”, “Want What I Can’t Have” and “Digital Canvas”. These singles garnered the airwaves of Australia’s iconic Triple J on Home & Hosed, Good Nights & Unearthed. Throughout these releases Kayla started directing her own music videos, earning her hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and touching the hearts of so many around the world.
After a long hiatus of self discovery, she has hung her hat on co-writing for other artist’s. She will continue directing music video’s that sweep in the masses and will begin to unveil her debut album through a string of releases that intertwine hope and pain to tell stories of the oppressed and become a voice for the voiceless. The honesty she communicates through her own brokenness and trauma will lure you in, making you feel more than you’ve ever felt. Wrapping you up in clever and catchy confessions that are acoustically driven, beautiful soundscapes, she is pop with a conscience and will captivate you through her unique perspective on the world.
Kayla is introspective and universal, she is vulnerable and empowering and believes connection is the true purpose of art. The finger print she is leaving has brightened and deepened the music the industry and we know this will only keep spreading into all corners of entertainment.