Editing Kimbra Johnson

[[image:Kimbra.jpg|right|thumb|''Kimbra Johnson'', c.2007]]

''Kimbra Johnson'', who performs simply as ''Kimbra'', rose to prominence while competing three years running in the high school [[Rockquest]] competition, while a student at Hillcrest High School. This included making the national finals twice, and taking second place at the 2004 national competition. From these winnings (and with two rounds of ''New Zealand on Air'' funding) she recorded two songs, ''Deep for You'' and ''Simply on my Lips'', both with videos that received airplay on the C4, Alt TV and Juice TV music channels. She also had the song ''Thoughtful Escape'' included on the [[Smokefree Rockquest 2005]] compilation. Her ''Simply on my Lips'' video ultimately won the "Breakthrough Video Award" at the 2007 Juice TV Awards. [[Image:Johnson.jpg|left|thumb|"Johnson" from ''Cameo Lover'' video, 2011]]

''Kimbra'' entered the first [[Play it Strange National Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition]] in 2004, making the top 10 of over 300 entrants, and from this had the song ''It Takes Time'' included on the [[Play It Strange Top 20 Volume 1]] compilation. In 2005 she placed in the 31st to 50th place bracket of the same competition with the song ''Reminisce''. <br>

In 2007 ''Kimbra'' duetted with [[Gian Perrone]] on the [[Dynamo Go]] song ''Sad Again'', which was released on the [[Affordable Pop Music]] EP. She also performed at the 2007 [[Hamilton Circle Jerk]], covering songs by [[Amy Racecar]] and [[This Night Creeps]]. In 2008, she signed a contract with Australian company Freemantle Media, leaving Hamilton for Melbourne following a performance at the Hamilton Gardens summer festival. In that year she also featured on the ''Nesian Mystic'' song ''Mr Mista'', which reached #3 and spent 17 weeks in the New Zealand charts.

In 2011 ''Kimbra'' signed to Warner Bros Records, and was named by Hollywood blogger ''Perez Hilton'' as "one to watch". Her debut album, [[Vows]], was released on 29 August 2011, and entered the official New Zealand charts at #4 (peaking at #3); it ended the year as the 10th largest selling New Zealand album for 2011. On the back of this release, her single [[Settle Down]] entered at #37 on the New Zealand singles chart, although left the chart the following week. ''Vows'' also went to #4 in the Australian charts. In May 2012 [[Vows]] was released in the United States, and entered the charts at #14, although it fell to #45 the following week, spending four weeks in the charts overall. Later in 2012, the album briefly entered the Polish (peak #23) and Dutch (peak #95) album charts.

In 2011, Kimbra also featured on the release [[Somebody That I Used to Know]] by Australian artist ''Gotye''. The digital download-only single peaked at #1 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and entered the New Zealand Charts at #4, moving up to #1 on 12 September 2011. The song went on to reach #1 on the Austrian Top 75, Belgian Top 50, Bulgarian Top 40, Canadian Top 100, Danish Top 40, Dutch Top 40, Finnish Top 20, French Top 100, German Top 100, Irish Top 50, Portugese Top 50, Swedish Top 60, UK top 75, USA Singles Top 100, and has charted in Norway (peaking at #2), Spain (#3) and Switzerland (#2). It ended 2011 at #5 on the top selling singles for the year in New Zealand. The song was covered in the television programme ''Glee'' in early 2012.<br>

 

In October 2011 Kimbra received the New Zealand ''Critics' Choice Prize'' for up-and-coming acts, who the judges believe are destined for greatness; the award comprised a NZ$10,000 recording and music video grant, and a NZ$2000 [[Rockshop]] gift voucher. In November 2011, she won "Best Female Artist" at the Australian Music Industry Awards (ARIA) for her single [[Cameo Lover]]. At the same awards, ''Gotye'' won "Single of the Year", "Best Male Artist" and "Best Pop Release" for ''Somebody That I Used to Know''. <br>

 

In 2012, ''Kimbra'' teamed up with ''Mark Foster'' (from the band ''Foster the People'') and DJ/turntablist ''A-Trak'' on the song [[Warrior]], part of the Converse "Three Artists. One Song" series. The song was included as a bonus track on the 2012 "deluxe" and "Australian Tour" editions of [[Vows]]. The song spent 9 weeks in the New Zealand charts, entering at #40, and peaked at #22. In late 2012, she had the song ''With My Hands'' included on the album [[Frankenweenie Unleashed!]], featuring music inspired by the ''Tim Burton'' movie ''Frankenweenie''. In November 2012, ''Kimbra'' won five "Tui" awards at the New Zealand Music Awards: Album of the Year, International Achievement Award, Best Female Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and Best Pop Album. She also won the ARIA award for Best Female Artist for a second consecutive year. By the end of the year, she also released videos for ''Two Way Street'' and ''Come into my Head''.

 

 

In 2014, Kimbra released her second album, [[The Golden Echo]]. It debuted at #5 in both the New Zealand and Australian charts, which was its peak position in both countries. It spent one week in the USA album charts, at #43.

 

Her live band has included [[Fagan Wilcox]] (2009-2014), [[Timon Martin]] (2009-current) and [[Stan Bicknell]] (2009-2010), all of whom were previously in [[The New Caledonia]].

*''Cameo Lover'' appears on the 2011 promo CD [[Kiwi Hit Disc 137]]<br>

*''I Look to You'' (French Horn Rebellion Original Mix) by ''Miami Horror'' (ft. Kimbra) appears on the 2011 single [[Summersun]]

*[[Somebody That I Used to Know]] by ''Gotye'' (ft. Kimbra) appears on the 2011 album [[Making Mirrors]]

 

See also, [[Releases Featuring Somebody That I Used to Know]]