by Runs Jan. -23rd.
Colbie Marie Caillat born May 28, 1985) is an American pop singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist from Malibu, California. Caillat grew up in Newbury Park, California. Her father, Ken Caillat, co-produced Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours (1977) and Tusk (1979) albums. When she was an infant, her parents gave her the nickname “Coco”, which she would later name her debut album.
Caillat took piano lessons as a child, but lacked significant inspiration until she turned 11 years old, when she became enthralled with Lauryn Hill‘s performance in Sister Act 2. She realized that she wanted to be a singer, and began taking vocal lessons, performing onstage for the first time in sixth grade.She debuted in 2007 with Coco, which included hit singles “Bubbly” and “Realize“.
Caillat soon met producer Mikal Blue, who hired her to sing on techno songs used at fashion shows. Caillat began playing the acoustic guitar at age 19, and Blue helped her record her first song.[3] She auditioned for American Idol but was rejected at the pre-audition stage and was unable to sing for the judges. The second time she auditioned for the show, she sang her own original song, “Bubbly“, and was rejected once again.
Colbie Caillat welcomes change. Being a Gemini might have something to do with it, or it could just be her innate predilection for progression. Either way, the Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum songstress’s fourth album, Gypsy Heart, and EP Gypsy Heart Side A, see her artistically evolve yet again.
After 2012’s Christmas in the Sand, she spent the next year tirelessly writing with an acoustic guitar at a cozy house overlooking the beach in Malibu.
Reluctantly, she agreed to continue writing, and it proved to be the right decision. Teaming up with her “Brighter Than The Sun” collaborator OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder [Adele, Beyoncé]. The two cut the shimmering dance floor anthem “Hold On,” which hinted at what lay on the horizon for Caillat. Songwriting can be an emotional rollercoaster, and that makes it fun for me. It’s personal therapy.”
For Gypsy Heart’s campaign song “Try”, she joined forces with Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Gently plucking an acoustic guitar along to a lush piano melody, the singer makes a powerful statement about female body image. For the lyric video, she enlists both fans and celebrities to appear without makeup, freeing themselves and bravely embracing natural beauty.
During “Live It Up”, Caillat confronts stage fright and her struggles to overcome it even after eight years of professionally performing. The chorus is her personal reminder before every show.
Caillat’s music lasts forever. To date, she has been honored with Two Grammy Awards and sold over six million albums and ten million singles worldwide. Her breakthrough hit “Bubbly” remains “one of the best-selling digital tracks in history” and her multi-platinum debut COCO hit #5 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart upon release, while her sophomore set Breakthrough landed at #1. From 2011’s All of You, “Brighter Than The Sun” went platinum and enjoyed over twenty film and television placements, while seeing acclaim from People and NY Post. She’s also played sold out venues everywhere alongside everybody from John Mayer to Sheryl Crow. Beyond music, she’s an avowed spokesperson and supporter for the The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, Farm Sanctuary, Surfrider Foundation, and Save The Music.
Still, at the end of the day, Colbie always challenges herself as a writer, regardless of which direction she travels. “I just want to write songs that stay with people,” she concludes. “If fans can listen to my music on repeat, that’s amazing. And play my songs during memorable moments in their life, I know I want that more than anything.”
