Kristinia DeBarge
Kristinia at a shoot for her music video, "Sabotage" on 2009
Background information
Born	March 8, 1990 (1990-03-08) (age 20)
Origin	Pasadena, California, United States
Genres	Pop, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, dancer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2003–present
Labels	Sodapop, Island,[1][2] Universal
Website	KristiniaDeBarge.com

Kristinia DeBarge (pronounced /krɪˈstɪniə/; born March 8, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Pasadena, California, She is the daughter of James DeBarge, the youngest member of the musical family DeBarge. She first appeared on national television in 2003 as a contestant on the American Idol spin-off, American Juniors. In 2009, DeBarge signed a contract with the Island Records department Sodapop, releasing her debut album Exposed in July of the same year. The album debuted at number twenty three on the Billboard 200.^[3]

[edit] Life and career

[edit] Childhood and youth

DeBarge began singing when she was 3 years old, but did not begin to take it seriously until she was 12. When she was 12, her father took her into a recording studio. They worked until 4 A.M. recording a duet, which made her father realize that she was serious about beginning a singing career.^[4]

During the summer of 2003 she was a contestant on the American Idol spin-off, American Juniors. DeBarge progressed to the semifinal round of twenty contestants. She was featured in the first group of ten semifinalists and sang the song "Reflection" from the Disney movie Mulan. However, she was not one of the five to progress from that group into the final ten.^[5] DeBarge is of African American, Italian, Irish, Mexican and German descent.

[edit] Career beginnings

At 14, DeBarge was introduced to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. She worked with him for five years and, two days before her nineteenth birthday, signed to a new division of Island Def Jam Records founded by Edmonds and Jeff Burroughs called Sodapop Records. DeBarge began work on her debut album in March of 2009, with the record completed in May of 2009.

DeBarge's debut single, "Goodbye" was released on April 7, 2009 for digital download and April 28, 2009 for airplay. The single went on to reach number fifteen on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming a top 20 hit. DeBarge announced on July 15, 2009 that she would be releasing the song "Sabotage" as the second single from the album on July 21, 2009. However, it only managed to reach number twenty-five on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 (number one-hundred-twenty-five on the Hot 100).

Her debut album, Exposed was released on July 28, 2009 to positive reviews. DeBarge promoted the album by performing as the opening act for the Britney Spears tour, The Circus Starring Britney Spears in August and September 2009.

In December of 2009, DeBarge confirmed via Twitter that she had begun work on her second studio album, which would be dance-pop influenced, and was originally due for a release in May of 2010.^[6] The album has yet to be released.

[edit] Influences

DeBarge's musical influences include Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Nancy Wilson, Minnie Ripperton, Aaliyah, and DeBarge.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] Filmography

• School Gyrls (2009) - as Herself
• Turn the Beat Around (2010) - Herself

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• Kristinia DeBarge at the Internet Movie Database
• Kristinia DeBarge 'Blues & Soul' interview by Pete Lewis, August 2009