The Kid Laroi

Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, born on 17 August 2003 and known professionally as the Kid Laroi (stylised as The Kid LAROI), is an Australian singer, rapper, and songwriter. He gained widespread international recognition following the release of his 2021 collaboration with Justin Bieber, "Stay," which topped charts worldwide, including the Billboard Hot 100, Canadian Hot 100, and the ARIA Charts in Australia. Howard's debut mixtape, F*ck Love, released in 2020, also achieved major success, reaching the top of the ARIA Charts and the US Billboard 200.

Howard was born in Waterloo, New South Wales, a suburb in the inner south of Sydney. His mother, Sloane Howard, was a record executive and talent manager of Aboriginal and European descent, while his father, Nick Howard, worked as a music producer and engineer. Howard's stage name was inspired by his maternal great-great-grandfather, who was part of the Indigenous Kamilaroi people. Following his parents' separation, Howard spent his childhood moving between Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Sydney, where he briefly attended the Australian Performing Arts Grammar School before dropping out to pursue an international music career.

Beginning his musical efforts by recording raps on his phone, Howard initially posted his work to SoundCloud. In 2015, he formed the rap duo Dream$Team with DJ Marcus Jr. He later connected with producer Khaled Rohaim in Sydney and signed a development deal with Sony Music Australia in 2017. Howard released his debut extended play, 14 with a Dream, in August 2018 and achieved wider local attention by placing in the top five of the Triple J Unearthed High competition with his song "Disconnect."

In 2019, Howard signed a joint venture deal with Grade A Productions and Columbia Records. During this period, he was mentored by American rapper Juice Wrld, whom he supported on tour in Australia and lived with in Los Angeles to study studio recording. Throughout 2020, Howard released several notable singles, including "Diva" featuring Lil Tecca, "Go" featuring Juice Wrld, and "So Done." His debut mixtape, F*ck Love, was released in July 2020 and subsequently expanded through commercial re-issues.

Howard's mainstream breakthrough accelerated in 2021 with the release of the re-issue F*ck Love: (Savage), featuring "Without You," which became a top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hit after a remix with Miley Cyrus. Later that year, his single "Stay" reached number one on global charts. The success of the project's final re-issue, F*ck Love 3: Over You, propelled the mixtape to the top of the Billboard 200. That year, Howard won Best Artist and Best Pop Release at the ARIA Music Awards.

Howard launched his debut headlining world tour, the End of the World Tour, in 2022. He made his acting debut in the A24 film Y2K and contributed the track "Forever & Again" to the Barbie movie soundtrack in 2023. His debut studio album, The First Time, arrived in November 2023, featuring singles such as "Love Again" and "Too Much" with Jung Kook and Central Cee. In 2024, Howard released the documentary Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named Laroi and toured Australia. His second album, Before I Forget, reached the top five on both the ARIA and Billboard 200 charts.