Natalia Kills

Already a popular British actress, Natalia Keery-Fisher launched her music career with the release of 2005′s “Don’t Play Nice,” a hit single that was credited to her stage name, Verbalicious. She later ditched the nickname for a new moniker, Natalia Kills — she also adopted her grandmother’s last name of Cappuccini before the stage name Kills —  and restructured her sound to include the theatrical dance-pop of Lady Gaga, 1940s film noir, and the electro-gloom of Depeche Mode. Born in Bradford in August 1986, Keery-Fisher landed the part of Sima in the popular BBC sitcom All About Me while still a teenager. Appearances in Coronation Street, The Archers, and Casualty followed, as did the release of “Don’t Play Nice,” which peaked at number 11 on the U.K. charts and seemed to prime Keery-Fisher for a successful singing career. The label went bankrupt after the song’s release, though. She bounced back by becoming the number one unsigned artist on MySpace, and her self-produced Wommanequin EP attracted the attention of will.i.am, which led to a deal with will.i.am/Cherrytree Records/Interscope/Dandyville. Showcasing her versatility, she wrote and co-directed a Quentin Tarantino-style web mini-series, Love Kills xx, and a film, The Exhibition, both of which were promoted as an extension of her debut album. Produced by Akon, Perfectionist was released in 2011, hitting German-speaking countries in April before receiving a wider release later that year. Natalia also supported Robyn and Kelis on their European tours and appeared on “2 Is Better,” a track on Far East Movement’s fourth album, Free Wired. In 2013, Kills released her sophomore full-length album, Trouble, featuring the single “Problem.” ~ Jon O’Brien