Kyine Smith, known professionally as Kyla, was born on 22 September 1983 in Germany to a father of Jamaican and English descent and a mother with American, Native American and Chinese lineage; the family relocated to the United Kingdom when she was six, where she began singing in local clubs. Her first single, "Do You Mind", was released on 21 December 2007 and later featured on the Do You Mind? maxi-single on 27 January 2009, the track entering the UK Singles Chart at number 48 the following year. The 2008 collaboration with Crazy Cousinz on the UK funky remake of "Do You Mind" gained further attention and led to a partnership with producer DJ Paleface (Errol Reid), who would later become her husband. In early 2016, Kyla’s 2008 recording was sampled in Drake’s hit "One Dance", which topped the charts in 15 countries, including the UK, US and Canada, and raised her profile. She appeared at major UK festivals that summer and featured on Naughty Boy’s "Should've Been Me" (November 2016, peaking at number 61 UK) and Zac Samuel’s "Play It Cool". On 15 September 2017 she released her first lead‑artist single, "You Ain't Mine", featuring Popcaan. In 2026 Kyla released new remixes of "Do You Mind", which reached number 16 on the US Dance & Electronic Dance Songs Chart.
