The British singing sensation Hayla graced us with her presence at the CalPak popup studio during the Nexus Lounge Miami. She shared what gets her musical juices flowing, gave us a sneak peek into her upcoming projects dropping this year, and even jumped in on our Take 5 Series fun!
Originally from Formby, Liverpool, Hayla possesses a stunning vocal prowess. Her journey as a professional singer started back in 2016 when she gained valuable experience by performing live at numerous venues across Liverpool, Manchester, and the wider North of England. A fortunate encounter with rapper Example propelled her into the mainstream music scene. Hayla draws inspiration from a diverse array of artists, including DJ Shadow, Bjork, Bonobo, Imogen Heap, Deftones, and Radiohead. She also tips her hat to contemporary artists like Tove Lo, Charlie XCX, and Paul Simon, along with legendary icons like Nick Drake and the incomparable Whitney Houston.
In recent years, Hayla has risen to prominence as one of the most sought-after vocalists in the dance music scene. Her impressive resume includes collaborations with renowned artists such as Wilkinson, Example, Ben Nicky, deadmau5, Maxinne, and many others, solidifying her status as a go-to vocalist for top-tier electronic music productions.
In a groundbreaking moment, Kaskade made history as the first-ever in-game DJ for the Super Bowl. During the event, he dropped the track “Escape” by Kx5, his collaboration with deadmau5, featuring Hayla’s vocals, which captivated an audience of over 130 million viewers worldwide.
In 2024, the unstoppable singer-songwriter claimed two EDMAs (Electronic Dance Music Awards) by clinching the titles of “Vocalist Of The Year” and “Dance Song Of The Year.” Her victory in the latter category was for the infectious dance anthem “Where You Are,” a collaboration with John Summit that soared to the top of the charts. She went on to twin a Future of Dance – Level Award from Nexus Radio.
Adding to her accolades, EDM Maniac honored her with the prestigious “TikTok Track of the Year” award for the same hit song, recognizing its viral success and impact on the popular social platform. Not stopping there, Nexus Radio also bestowed upon her the esteemed “Future Of Dance” award, acknowledging her as a leading force shaping the future of electronic dance music.
Fresh from the buzz of Miami Music Week, Hayla has set the music world in a frenzy with exciting news: “I could probably give this away, but I’ve never had my own body of work before, I’ve had singles, obviously, but I’ve never had an EP or an album. And I’m happy to say that I am working towards having an album released at the end of this year.”
Just ahead of her highly-anticipated album release, Hayla is gearing up to drop her next solo single titled "Embers" on April 19th. Describing the track as "like the little flame that won't go out," she gives a glimpse into the fiery energy and passion that listeners can expect. What's more exciting is that "Embers" will also be featured on her debut solo album.
During the interview, we couldn’t help but ask Hayla about her thoughts when she’s alone in a car. Her response was quite whimsical: “Sometimes I’ll be thinking about everything, fantasy, fairies, whatever. And then it just comes like a ball of lightning; I have to pull over to do a little voice note. That has happened quite a few times.”
To learn more about Hayla, including 3 songs that make her excited, listen to our full interview below.
