Entertainment

9 Facts About Pia Mia You Didn't Know

by Lisa Fogarty

If you salivated over photos and video taken from Kylie and Kendall Jenner's amazing high school graduation bash last week, you may have noticed a cute blonde joining forces with Kylie and singing along to the lyrics of a Chris Brown song. Well, it turns out that "Chris Brown song" is actually that cute blonde's song — one that features Brown as a guest instead of the other way around. So, who is she? Pia Mia is one of Kylie Jenner's close friends, long time Kardashian associate, and an up-and-coming singer you'll probably be hearing a lot more from.

Pia Ajdba Mia Perez, who is only 18, has been spotted out and about with Kylie and other young Hollywood faces including Stella Hudgens and Jaden Smith. She's talented enough to catch the attention of both Drake and West, the latter of whom thought so highly of her singing that he coaxed her into serenading Drake with one of his own songs at the Kardashian-West dinner table. And she recently released her first single, Do It Again , featuring Brown and another guy who has been over the Jenner's house for dinner: Kylie's rumored older boyfriend Tyga.

You might say receiving an invitation to the Jenner sisters' party confirms your star status, but it feels like Pia Mia is still straddling the fence between sort-of known and achieving the kind of mainstream success that will make her a household name in cities outside of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

So, who is Pia Mia and why should the world fall in love with her? Here are nine interesting facts about the up-and-coming singer.

1. She Was Born in Guam

Pia was raised in the West Pacific island of Guam where she, her little brother Peter Michael Jude, sister Paloma Colette, and older half sister Kandis Rae were raised with traditional Chamorro cultural values, according to her official website. She moved to California in 2010, and in an interview with V Magazine, the singer had only kind things to say about her native island: “Guam is very family-oriented. You’ll see generations living under one roof. It’s very laid-back. The beaches are insane. Everyone’s nice."

2. Before Scoring a Record Deal With Interscope She Started Her Own Label

Few talented singers/songwriters ever get a chance to cut a record with an established label, but Pia snagged deals with two bigwigs. Shortly after arriving in the U.S., she signed a one-year production deal with Babyface. When that ended, she showed her entrepreneurial spirit by starting her own record label called Wolfpack Entertainment, which must have caught Interscope's attention, because the label then came calling. She recently released her debut EP, The Gift, under Interscope.

3. Before Interscope, Pia Found Success On Social Media

Young stars don't wait for a company to build them up — they go out and kick ass promoting their own brand on social media. In 2013, Pia recorded a single called "Red Love" that Ryan Seacrest helped make famous by streaming it, exclusively, on his website. But her YouTube video for the track, which has been viewed more than 4 million times, really put her on the map. Pia also boasts 1.9 million Instagram followers and 453,000 Twitter followers — not too shabby.

4. Kim Kardashian Helped Make Her Famous

Forget all of those silly rumors about Pia being West's "other woman", according to Wet Paint — Kim Kardashian was the first to really support the teen by posting a video of her singing a Drake song while having dinner at her house. Oh, and here's the kicker: Drake and West were both at the dinner table. No pressure or anything.

5. Her Song "Do It Again" Received More than 20 Million YouTube Views

Sure, it doesn't hurt that she got some assistance from Chris Brown and Tyga, but Pia's vocal range and talent are undeniable.

6. She's a Fashion Icon

It shouldn't surprise anyone that a girl who hangs with Kylie Jenner is known for taking fashion risks, but her style, which is equal parts street cool and L.A. sexy, gets a great deal of attention.

7. She and Kylie Are Thick As Thieves

Pia may be taking fashion and makeup cues from Kylie, but it seems the youngest Jenner sister is as smitten with Pia, and she and Kendall have even taken (fake) singing lessons from the pop star.

8. She Didn't Grow Up With Money

Given her newfound love for Chanel and the Kardashians' lavish lifestyle, it would be easy to believe Pia was born wealthy. But in an interview with V Magazine, she revealed that all of this fame, fortune, and privilege is new for her. "Up until now, me and my mom were in a 600-square-foot studio apartment by the Westwood Denny’s," she said. "We were living on, like, 10 dollars a day eating peanut butter sandwiches."

9. Her Influences Include Beyoncé & Whitney Houston

Growing up in Guam, Pia told V Magazine she didn't have access to cutting-edge artists and songwriters, but that her influences include Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, and Michael Jackson. "Guam’s a U.S. territory, so we’re for sure up on American music, but we’re a little bit behind," she said.

With her talent, following, and the help of industry giants like West, this young star is going to be huge.