Okay Kaya

Kaya Wilkins, known as Okay Kaya, was born in New Jersey, United States, on August 14, 1990. She was raised in Nesoddtangen, outside Oslo, Norway, by her mother alongside five brothers, reflecting her Scandinavian and African-American heritage. Her musical journey began in 2015 with the release of her debut song, “Damn, Gravity.” This marked the beginning of her career as Okay Kaya, leading to her first full-length album, “Both,” released in 2018. This album was recorded in collaboration with Aaron Maine of the band Porches. In 2020, she released her second album, “Watch This Liquid Pour Itself,” through Jagjaguwar, which received critical attention including a three-star review from The Guardian. Her cover of Cher’s “Believe” was featured in the HBO series “Industry.”

Beyond music, Wilkins has ventured into acting, appearing in the Norwegian drama “Thelma” in 2017 and “Exit Plan” in 2019, both credited under her birth name, Kaya Wilkins. In August 2020, she released her mixtape “Surviving Is the New Living.” Her artistic endeavors extend to interdisciplinary art exhibitions, with her solo gallery show “Sandplay” at Copenhagen’s Etage Projects showcasing audiovisual and sculpture work in 2021. She also contributed to MUNCH Museum with the installation “Wet Suit.” In 2022, she released the album “SAP,” which she wrote, performed, engineered, and produced, exploring themes of consciousness. Her most recent album, “Oh My God – That’s So Me,” was released on September 6, 2024, by OneRPM. Okay Kaya continues to blend music, visual art, and acting in her career.