Ava Max Biography

American singer and songwriter Ava Max was born Amanda Koci in 1994 in Wisconsin. Ava grew up in the Milwaukee area in an Albanian family deeply rooted in their local cultural community. When Ava was eight years old, the family moved to Virginia, and Ava discovered what would become a lifelong love of music and performance. After competing in multiple competitions as a young teen, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles so she could more effectively pursue a full-time career as a performer.

Ava Max released her debut song “Take Away the Pain” in 2013. By this time, Ava had submitted dozens and dozens of demos to record producers and songwriters, none of which yielded her any attention, but after a chance meeting with the producer known as Cirkut, she found an advocate for her talents. In 2016, under his guidance, Ava released the single “Anyone but You,” which finally gained enough traction to lead to a record deal with Atlantic Records.

But it was Ava’s single “Sweet by Psycho” that became her big breakthrough upon its release in 2018. The song hit number one on nearly every international chart, including charts in Australia, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and the UK, catapulting the rising performer to instant stardom. The song reached into the top ten on the US mainstream charts as well, and reached multi-platinum status. The single “So Am I” was also successful, reaching the top twenty in seven countries in 2019. She also appeared on the Witt Lowry single “Intro Your Arms,” the Jason Derulo song “Make Up,” and the David Guetta hit, “Let it Be Me,” which is featured on his album, 7.

Ava Max is currently a star on the rise and one to watch in the coming years. She is currently putting the finishing touches on her debut album, expected to release in early 2020. She recently appeared on the AJ Mitchell single “Slow Dance” as a featured artist, and she has been nominated for multiple music awards, including an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Song, for “Sweet but Psycho.”