Krystal Hayes

Krystal Hayes
Hayes performing during the Deception World Tour, March 2014
Born	Krystal Jean Hayes (1991-12-02) December 2, 1991 McComb, Mississippi, United States
Residence	Calabasas, California, U.S.
Other names	Krystal Söderberg
Occupation	Dancer entrepreneur recording artist
Years active	2008–present
Works	Albums singles videos
Home town	Kentwood, Louisiana, U.S.
Height	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Spouse(s)	Dexter Söderberg (m. 2014; div. 2023)
Children	2
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	USNation
Genres	Dance pop
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Years active	2009–present
Labels	Music Nation

Krystal Jean Hayes (born December 2, 1991) is an American dancer, recording artist and entrepreneur. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, she performed in local stage productions and television shows as a child, before signing with Music Nation Label Group in 2008. Hayes' first two studio releases, Caught In A Fairytale (2009) and Music Box (2010), became international successes, solidifying Hayes as one of the most-recognizable artists in the MusicNation industry. Hayes' debut single, "Luv the Hurt Away", became an instant number-one hit on the Billboard Singles Chart. In 2011, Hayes released her eponymous third studio album, krYstal, which saw her assert her own sexuality and assume some control over her musical direction; the album's lead single "Striptease" was met with critical praise, especially following her performance of the song at the 3rd Video Music Awards. She assumed full creative control with her fourth release, Look Who's Talking (2013), which yielded the nationwide success of the "Third Degree" single.

In 2007, Hayes made a public return to the spotlight. Her sixth studio album, Explicit, was released that same year, and spawned singles such as "Get Me Off" and "Not for Sale". Praised by critics, Hayes received a Grammy Award nomination during the eighth annual event, in the Best Dance Recording category, for "Get Me Off". Her seventh studio album, Funhouse, was released in December 2018, preceded by the release of two singles: "Hypnotizer" and the title track.

Life and career

1990–2008: Early life and career beginnings

Hayes was born in McComb, Mississippi, the second child of Linda Priscilla Bancroft and Jedd Payton Hayes. Her maternal grandmother, Lara Porter, was English (born in London), and one of Hayes' maternal great-great-grandfathers was Maltese. Her siblings are Bryton John and Jayla Lea. At age three, she started attending dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital. During her childhood, she also attended gymnastics and voice lessons, and won many state-level competitions and children's talent shows. She said about her ambition as a child, “I was in my own world, [...] I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age.”

In June 2007, Hayes was in-talks with a high-profiled industry manager to join a newly-formed female recording group. Her mother found the potential position a good pathway for Hayes' introduction into the industry, and submitted a professional demo of Hayes singing a Whitney Houston classic into the manager. Feeling her to be the perfect fit, Hayes joined two other girls and they began shopping their music to record labels, including Sony Epic and Warner's Atlantic. However, majority of the labels differed in their opinions of Hayes' vocal abilities, citing that they could not see "another Madonna" or "another Debbie Gibson" in the modern music age.

In August 2008, executives from Music Nation Label Group expressed their interest in signing Hayes to a lucrative, multi-album recording deal. Label creator and CEO, producer Scott Larson, stated about Hayes' audition that “it's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal. [...] For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'—is extremely important. And Krystal had that.” She then sang Houston's "I Have Nothing" (1992) for the executives, and was signed to the label They appointed her to work with producer David James for a month, who reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Krrystal." After hearing the recorded material, Larson ordered a full album. On the album's original vision, Hayes had pushed for a "Sheryl Crow music, but younger more adult contemporary", but felt all right with her label's appointment of producers, since “It made more sense to go pop, because I can dance to it — it's more me.” Hayes relocated to New York City, where James' studios were headquartered, and they quickly began producing her debut album.

2009–2010: Caught In A Fairytale and Music Box

Hayes' debut album, Caught In A Fairytale, was released on January 13, 2009. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Albums Chart, becoming the first-ever number album on the chart. "Luv the Hurt Away" was released as the album's lead single on January 2, 2009, opening at number one on the Billboard Singles Chart, with 223,548 copies in its first week; the song remained at number one for a second week, selling an additional 319,987 copies in its second week, becoming certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Both the album and single earned nominations at the 1st GRAMMY Awards, in the categories of Album of the Year and Single of the Year, respectively; Hayes lost in both categories. On February 1, 20019, Hayes joined Brody Chandler during his performance at the Superbowl XLIII Halftime Show, as his exclusive guest performer, performing Hayes' song, "Bring The House Down" together. Subsequent singles released from the album included "Summertime", "Bring The House Down" and the double A-side release, "Goodbye Innocent" and "You Can’t Mend A Broken Heart". A planned concert tour was scheduled and expected to launch in the second-half of 2009. Plans were scrapped, however, when Hayes went back into the studio and began work on her second studio album.

Music Box, her second album, was released in May 2010. Like its predecessor, it debuted at number one on the Billboard Albums Chart, selling 329,241 copies on its opening week. The album sold over 25.5 million copies worldwide to date, becoming one of Hayes' best-selling album releases to date. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said that "the great thing about Music Box — under the cheese surface, Krystal demand for satisfaction is complex, fierce and downright scary, making her a true child of rock & roll tradition."

The same year, Hayes embarked on the Destruction of Avalon Tour, her first headlining concert tour. On August 15, 2010, Hayes performed at the 2nd Video Music Awards. Halfway through the performance, she ripped off her black suit to reveal a sequined flesh-colored bodysuit, followed by heavy dance routine. It is noted by critics as the moment that Hayes showed signs of becoming a more provocative performer. Amidst media speculation, Hayes continued to perform and promote her music, continued with releases, such as "Fame" and "Payback".

Discography

Main page: Krystal Hayes discography

• Caught In A Fairytale (2009)
• Music Box (2010)
• krYstal (2011)
• Look Who's Talking (2013)
• The Emancipation Of... (2014)
• Explicit (2017)
• Funhouse (2018)
• Dangerous Liaisons (2021)

Concert tours

• Destruction of Avalon Tour (2010)
• Ruins of Avalon Tour (2011–2012)
• Deception World Tour (2014)
• The Funhouse Featuring Krystal Hayes (2019)
• Dangerous Liaisons World Tour (2021)