Colbie Caillat

Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame on the social networking website Myspace in 2005. Over her career, she has sold more than six million albums and ten million singles worldwide. In 2009, she was recognized by Billboard magazine as the 94th-best-selling music artist of the 2000s.

Caillat was born in Malibu, California, and raised in Newbury Park, California. Her father, Ken Caillat, co-produced several albums for Fleetwood Mac. Given the nickname "Coco" as an infant, she developed a passion for singing at age 11 after watching Lauryn Hill in Sister Act 2. She began vocal lessons, performed onstage in sixth grade, and later collaborated with producer Mikal Blue to sing on techno tracks for fashion shows. She began playing acoustic guitar at age 19 and recorded her first song with Blue. Before her professional breakthrough, she auditioned twice for American Idol, including a performance of her original song "Bubbly," though she was rejected both times.

After becoming a top unsigned artist on Myspace, Caillat signed with Universal Republic Records. Her debut studio album, Coco, was released in 2007, peaking at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and receiving a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album generated the hits "Bubbly" and "Realize," alongside singles such as "The Little Things" and "Somethin' Special (Beijing Olympic Mix)." During this period, she also released the holiday single "Mistletoe" and co-wrote and contributed background vocals to Taylor Swift's song "Breathe."

In 2009, Caillat released her second studio album, Breakthrough, which debuted atop the Billboard 200, earned an RIAA platinum certification, and featured the hit single "Fallin' for You." At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, she won Album of the Year for her contributions to Swift's Fearless, won Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Lucky"—her duet with Jason Mraz—and received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album for Breakthrough. In 2010, she was named BMI's songwriter of the year. She followed with her third studio album, All of You, in 2011, which featured singles such as "I Do," "Brighter Than the Sun," and "Favorite Song."

Caillat released the holiday album Christmas in the Sand in 2012. After transitioning to Republic Records, she co-wrote and recorded "We Both Know" with Gavin DeGraw for the film Safe Haven, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart, was produced by Babyface and released in 2014, supported by the platinum-certified single "Try." During this era, she also co-wrote Hilary Duff's single "Chasing the Sun."

In 2016, Caillat parted ways with her major record label, relocated to Nashville, and established her own independent label, PlummyLou Records. She released her album The Malibu Sessions later that year alongside an acoustic tour. From 2018 to 2020, Caillat performed as a member of the country music quartet Gone West.