V.V. Brown

Vanessa Brown, known professionally as VV Brown, is a British indie pop singer-songwriter, model, and record producer born on 24 October 1983 in Northampton, England. The eldest of six siblings born to a Jamaican mother and Puerto Rican father, she attended Overstone Park School and Kingsthorpe Upper School, sitting her A-levels a year early. After studying the violin until age nine, she shifted her focus to piano, vocals, and trumpet, completing her grade 8 trumpet examination at age 16 and playing in jazz bands until age 21.

Aged 18, Brown was offered a development deal by London Records after attending an open audition for a VH1 Divas concert. She later held contracts with Polydor and A&M Records before departing both in 2006 following the release of a single and the promotional EP Back to the Music. Moving back to London, she was signed to Island Records and recorded her debut album, Travelling Like the Light, between 2007 and 2008. The album produced four singles, including "Shark in the Water," which achieved gold status in France and the United States in 2009 and sold over 1.5 million records.

In 2011, Brown released a free preview mixtape titled The Playground ahead of a planned second album, Lollipops & Politics, which was ultimately cancelled. In its place, she released Samson & Delilah in September 2013, recorded in London alongside Dave Okumu and Pierre-Marie Maulini. She funded her third studio album, Glitch, through Pledge Music; it was preceded by the lead single "Shift" and released in September 2015. Following a six-year hiatus, Brown released her fourth studio album, Am I British Yet?, in 2023.

Brown has toured extensively throughout her career, performing at events such as the Glastonbury Festival, Camden Crawl, Camp Bestival, and SXSW. She was invited by Damon Albarn to join the Africa Express tour, performed at a Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and opened for acts including Pink, Maroon 5, and Little Dragon. Over the years, she has performed alongside artists such as Grace Jones, Femi Kuti, Q-Tip, Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, and The Ting Tings.

Beyond her recording career, Brown participated in charity fashion shows, modelled for Ashish during London Fashion Week, and appeared in advertising campaigns for Marks & Spencer alongside figures like Twiggy and Lisa Snowdon. Her television appearances include performances on Later... with Jools Holland, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and the MTV series World of Jenks. In 2020, Brown wrote and published her first children's book, Lily and the Magic Comb, through her own publishing house, Woke Kids Publishing.

Throughout her career, Brown has supported various charities and social causes. Her efforts include work with the Teenage Cancer Trust, Oxfam, the NSPCC, the Recycling Foundation, and the Bottle Top campaign, supporting poverty alleviation in Africa and fair trade. Additionally, she participated in Rockcorps community projects and concerts in London and Paris.