Havana Brown
Havana Brown is an Australian DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer who gained international recognition with her hit single We Run the Night. Known for her energetic dance music and successful career as both a performer and remix artist, Havana Brown became one of Australia’s most successful electronic music exports.
Signing with Island Records and Early Touring Success
In 2008, Havana Brown signed with Island Records Australia after being approached by a label executive who invited her to create a compilation album. She subsequently launched her successful Crave compilation series through the label.
The same year, Havana Brown supported Rihanna on the Australian leg of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour. In 2009, she continued building her reputation by supporting the Pussycat Dolls during their Australian Doll Domination Tour and later joined Britney Spears on both the European and Australian legs of the Circus Tour.
Since December 2009, Havana Brown has provided weekly DJ mixes every Saturday night on Party People, a nationally syndicated radio program broadcast across Australia on the Today Network.
Recording Debut and International Breakthrough (2011–2013)
In April 2011, Havana Brown joined Chris Brown’s Australian F.A.M.E. Tour as a support act. Shortly afterwards, on 29 April 2011, she released her debut single, We Run the Night. Written and produced by Cassie Davis and Snob Scrilla of More Mega, the track became a major success.
The song reached number five on the ARIA Singles Chart and earned triple platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Later in 2011, Havana Brown signed a US recording contract with Universal Republic Records through RedOne’s label, 2101 Records.
A remix of We Run the Night featuring Pitbull was released in the United States in September 2011. The track topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart and helped establish Havana Brown as an international dance music artist.
Her second single, Get It, was released in September 2011 and reached number 38 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In April 2012, she followed up with the promotional single City of Darkness.
When the Lights Go Out EP
Havana Brown released her debut EP, When the Lights Go Out, on 17 July 2012. The Australian version featured five new songs, while the US release included the RedOne remix of We Run the Night.
Following the EP’s release, Brown appeared as a musical guest on America’s Got Talent. She also joined Pitbull’s Australian Planet Pit World Tour alongside Timomatic and Taio Cruz.
In October 2012, Havana Brown represented Australia at the inaugural ABU TV Song Festival in Seoul, South Korea.
The EP produced several successful singles, including Big Banana, a collaboration with R3hab and Prophet of 7Lions. Released in December 2012, the song became Havana Brown’s second number-one hit on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. It also performed strongly in Australia, reaching number 18 on the ARIA Singles Chart and earning Gold certification.
Another single from the EP, Spread a Little Love, was released but did not chart.
Flashing Lights Album and Continued Success
Havana Brown released her debut studio album, Flashing Lights, on 11 October 2013. The album debuted at number six on the ARIA Albums Chart and featured collaborations with RedOne, R3hab, Cassie Davis, Snob Scrilla, and Afrojack.
The album included previously released hits such as We Run the Night, Big Banana, and You’ll Be Mine. Development of the album began shortly after the success of We Run the Night, which sold more than one million copies in the United States and charted internationally.
The title track, Flashing Lights, was released in August 2013 and became Havana Brown’s third number-one single on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The second single, Warrior, was released in September 2013 and reached number 11 on the ARIA Singles Chart. It was later certified Platinum in Australia.
In October 2013, Havana Brown performed Warrior on the fifth season of The X Factor Australia.
Later Releases
Havana Brown continued releasing new music following the success of Flashing Lights. In March 2014, she released Whatever We Want, which reached number 35 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Her next single, Better Not Said, was released in September 2014 and entered the ARIA chart. In January 2015, Havana Brown released No Ordinary Love, a dance-inspired reinterpretation of the classic Sade hit of the same name.
These releases further cemented Havana Brown’s reputation as one of Australia’s leading dance music artists, with a career spanning DJing, radio, live performance, and international chart success.
