Max in 2019
Born
Amanda Koçi
February 16 1994 (age 28
Milwaukee Wisconsin U.S.
Education Lexington High School
Occupation Singer
Years active 2013–present
Musical career
Genres
Pop
dance-pop
Instruments Vocals
Labels Atlantic
Website avamax.com
Amanda Ava Koci (born Amanda Koçi February 16 1994 known professionally as Ava Max is an Albanian-American singer and songwriter. Max signed with Atlantic Records in 2016 through which she released the song Sweet but Psycho in August 2018. It became her breakthrough single after peaking at number one in 22 countries including the United Kingdom Germany Austria Switzerland Sweden and New Zealand. The song also peaked at number two in Australia and at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In March 2020 Max released the song Kings & Queens which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by the release of her debut studio album Heaven & Hell in September 2020 which charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and at number 27 on the US Billboard 200. In November 2020 the song My Head & My Heart was released which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.
Early life
Amanda Ava Koci was born Amanda Koçi in Milwaukee Wisconsin on February 16 1994.123 Maxs parents are from Albania her father Paul is from Qeparo and her mother Andrea is from Sarandë.45 Max also has a brother approximately seven years older than her.6 In 1991 her parents fled Albania after the fall of communism in the country and lived at a Red Cross supported church in Paris for a year. While in Paris they encountered a woman from Wisconsin and were given passports by her before immigrating to the United States to reside in the state where Max was born.578 During her childhood Max often saw her parents struggle to earn an income as they each worked three jobs without speaking English.9 Her mother was a classically trained opera singer while her father was a pianist.5610
Max moved with her family to Virginia when she was 8 years old where she was raised in Hampton Roads. While living in Virginia she competed in numerous Radio Disney singing competitions at Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake and debuted at the NorVa in Norfolk when she was 10 years old as an opening act where she performed Whitney Houstons 1987 song I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me.2 Max often traveled to Florida in order to perform in singing competitions8 and began releasing music under the moniker Amanda Kay.11 At the age of 13 Max came up with the middle name Ava and adopted it as her first name after stating that she did not like being called Amanda while growing up.31213
Max adopted the stage name Ava at the age of 146 and moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a music career at the suggestion of her mother but was constantly rejected for being underage.278 Max relocated to South Carolina a year later where she began writing songs about relationships she had observed including those of her brother.14 She later stated that she was grateful for the move as it allowed her to experience a normal childhood.3 During her time in South Carolina Max attended Lexington High School for a year after being previously homeschooled and she recalled being constantly bullied there.61516 After she turned 17 Max returned to Los Angeles with her brother who acted as her manager.1718 She acknowledged that the partnership did not work out due to differences and receiving orders from her brother and because neither knew anyone in the area. Maxs difficulty in searching for producers and songwriters alone caused her to spiral down a really bad path which led her to drink at an early age and having to survive on 20 dollars a week.7
Career
2013–2017 Career beginnings
Maxs logo which displays the Max Cut
Max released Take Away the Pain in 201319 which was remixed by the Canadian duo Project 46 in July 2015.20 For several years her demos were rejected and not returned by record producers and songwriters.21 She also faced several incidents of sexual harassment.15 In 2014 Max met Canadian record producer Cirkut at a dinner party in the Chateau Marmont.622 Cirkut was also an acquaintance of her brother.23 Max sang Happy Birthday to him142425 which led both musicians to work together writing hundreds of songs and releasing Anyone but You on SoundCloud in July 2016.22 The song gained traction and attracted the attention of various record labels that contacted Max through email ultimately leading her to sign a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2016.221 Max acknowledged that working with Cirkut changed her life as she considered leaving the music industry after being creatively stifled.26
After signing the deal at the age of 226 she began searching for a last name to use as her stage name eventually deciding on Max. The name was chosen since it combined elements of being masculine and feminine. From 2016 to 2017 Max adopted her signature hairstyle titled the Max Cut which is seen in her logo as a substitute for the A in Max.3 On August 4 2017 Max was featured on the Le Youth song Clap Your Hands where she sang two different melodies.27
2018–2021 Breakthrough and Heaven & Hell
Max performing at the Gothenburg Rix FM Festival in August 2019
Max released the song My Way on April 20 201828 which peaked at number 38 on the Romanian Airplay 100 chart.29 On May 11 2018 Slippin a collaboration with Albanian-American musician Gashi was released.30 On June 8 2018 Max was featured on the song Into Your Arms by American rapper Witt Lowry.3132 A month later Salt was sent to SoundCloud.33 On August 13 2018 she released Not Your Barbie Girl as a promotional single.2634 Sweet but Psycho was released on August 17 2018. The song became Maxs commercial breakthrough reaching number one in more than 22 countries including Germany Switzerland Austria Norway Sweden New Zealand and the United Kingdom where it stayed at number one for four consecutive weeks.3536 In January 2019 the song reached the top of the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and later peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.37 Max was also featured on the Vice and Jason Derulo song Make Up on October 23 201838 and made an appearance on David Guettas 2018 studio album 7 on the track Let It Be Me.39
On March 7 2019 she released the follow-up single So Am I40 which reached the top 10 in Poland Norway and Finland.4142 A remix of the song was released on July 3 2019 which featured South Korean boy band NCT 127.43 The songs Blood Sweat & Tears and Freaking Me Out were released as promotional singles in July 2019.44 On August 7 2019 Max was featured on the song Slow Dance by American singer-songwriter AJ Mitchell4546 and released Torn as a single on August 19 2019.47 On September 4 2019 she entered a joint co-publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and Artist Publishing Group.48 On October 31 2019 she released a music video for Freaking Me Out as a Halloween special.4950 Max won Best Push Act at the 2019 MTV Europe Music Awards.51 On November 6 2019 a duet called Tabú between Max and Pablo Alborán was released.52 The previously released song Salt was sent to digital streaming platforms on December 12 2019.53 She collaborated with British-Norwegian disc jockey and record producer Alan Walker on the song Alone Pt. II which was released on December 27 2019.54 On Somebody was released as a promotional single on December 30 2019.5556
On March 12 2020 Max released Kings & Queens as the fifth single from her then-unreleased debut studio album Heaven & Hell (2020.57 The song topped the Billboard Adult Top 40 on the chart dated December 12 2020.58 She also appeared as a featured artist on the country song On Me with Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown. It was included on the soundtrack of the 2020 film Scoob! on May 15 2020 accompanied with a music video.5960 Max released Whos Laughing Now on July 30 202061 and OMG Whats Happening on September 3 2020 as singles from the album.62 Heaven & Hell was released on September 18 2020 alongside a music video for the song Naked.63 The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart64 and at number 27 on the Billboard 200.65 On November 13 2020 Max was featured on Stop Crying Your Heart Out as part of the BBC Radio 2 Allstars Children in Need charity single66 which peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.67 My Head & My Heart was released on November 19 2020 which served as a bonus track from the digital re-issue of Heaven & Hell.68 On June 8 2021 Max released EveryTime I Cry which she stated was a continuation of her aforementioned studio album.6970 She appeared on the R3hab and Jonas Blue song Sad Boy as a featured artist with Kylie Cantrall on September 10 20217172 in addition to Tiëstos song The Motto on November 4 2021.73
2022 Diamonds & Dancefloors
In February 2022 Max hinted at a new project by replacing her Max Cut hairstyle with cherry-red shoulder-length hair and emphasizing a red and pink appearance on her social media accounts.7475 While interviewed at the Billboard Women in Music event in March 2022 she acknowledged that her second studio album was written the previous year during a personally difficult time.7677 The albums lead single Maybe Youre the Problem was released on April 28 2022.7578 Max announced her second studio album Diamonds & Dancefloors on June 1 2022 which is scheduled to be released on October 14 2022.79
Musical style and influences
Max has been labeled as a pop924 and dance-pop808182 singer whose music often contains interpolations from previous songs.8384 She has been compared to contemporary artists such as Sia Lady Gaga36 Bebe Rexha Sigrid and Dua Lipa.85 Max grew up listening to artists including Alicia Keys Norah Jones14 Celine Dion Aretha Franklin Fugees86 Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.87 She also cited Beyoncé86 Madonna Gwen Stefani Fergie Britney Spears Christina Aguilera and Gaga as some of her influences.87 Max stated that Carey was the biggest influence on Heaven & Hell and recalled how she grew up listening to her music on loop88 such as Vision of Love (1990.24
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