kwn
kwn | |
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_(cropped).jpg) kwn performing at the 2026 Montreux Jazz Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Khyra Wilson 5 April 2000 Walthamstow, East London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2022–present |
| Labels | |
Khyra Wilson[1] (born 5 April 2000), known professionally as kwn (pronounced kay-wuhn) and formerly k1, is a British singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer.[2] She is best known for her 2024 single "Worst Behaviour", which entered the UK singles chart, while its remix (featuring Kehlani) entered the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
She was nominated for Best New International Act at the 2025 BET Awards,[3] was named Billboard's R&B Rookie of the Month,[4] and was included on the NME 100 list of "essential emerging artists".[5]
Early life
Kwn was born and grew up in Walthamstow, East London.[6] She has two older sisters.[7] Her father is Nigerian and her mother is Irish.[8]
She started playing piano and drums in her childhood.[7] She realized by the time she was 11 years old that she wanted to become a musician,[6] after which she started making music and releasing it on SoundCloud.[2] She was inspired in part by her father, who was at one time a DJ,[8][2] and who exposed kwn to a wide variety of Western musical genres, including R&B, pop, garage, house, as well as various genres of African music.[7] When she was 16, she began attending the arts college East London Arts & Music,[4][6] which pushed her to work harder at her music.[9] After college, she worked as a chef,[6] and before deciding to pursue music, she was interested in playing football professionally.[10]
Career
Initially known as k1, she changed her stage name to kwn – incorporating the first and last letters of her last name – to avoid being mistaken for a drill rapper.[10][9]
She began releasing music with Black Butter Records in 2022, debuting with the single, “wn way or another".[2] Her debut EP episode wn was released later in 2022.[4] She was dropped by the label shortly before the release of her single "Worst Behaviour".[11]
Kwn opened for Kehlani for some of the latter's Crash European tour dates.[4]
She was nominated for Best New International Act at the 2025 BET Awards.[3] In March 2025, she was named Billboard's R&B Rookie of the Month.[4] Billboard called her music "a moody amalgam of trap, soulful vocal stacks and splashes of dark electronic music that both captures and reimagines the post-Bryson Tiller R&B landscape."[4] When asked about her own genre placement, kwn said, "I don’t really think I could pinpoint a sound; I just do whatever feels good," though she noted R&B as a consistent influence in her music.[4] She also received a place on NME's 2025 list[12] of one hundred "essential emerging artists".[5]
Her music videos often feature one-shot filming.[10][4]
Personal life
Kwn has described herself as "literally . . . gay since [she] came out of the womb". Of her sexuality, she has said, "I’m just a girl who likes girls. I don’t like putting labels on things."[6] She is an introvert.[3] Her favorite tattoo reads "lord i've tried" in Spanish ("dios he tratado"), after her song of the same title.[10]
In October 2025, she confirmed that she was in a relationship with Kehlani, after months of speculation.[13][14]
Discography
Extended plays
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [15] |
AUS [16] | ||
| Episode Wn |
|
— | — |
| With All Due Respect |
|
— | — |
| And All Pride Aside |
|
93 | 74 |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [15] | |||
| "Wn Way or Another" | 2022 | — | Episode Wn |
| "Nobody" | — | ||
| "No Cinderella" | 2023 | — | Non-album singles |
| "Five More" | — | ||
| "Wn Up" | — | ||
| "Lord I've Tried" | 2024 | — | |
| "Eyes Wide Open" | — | ||
| "Worst Behaviour" | 75 | ||
| "Worst Behaviour" remix (featuring Kehlani) | 2025 | — | With All Due Respect |
| "Do What I Say" | — | ||
| "Back of the Club" | — | ||
| "All the Girls" | — | ||
| "Hopeless Romantic"[17][18] | 2026 | — | And All Pride Aside |
| "Touch Myself" | — | ||
| "Idea of Love" | — | ||
| "Risk It All" | — |
Features
- "Clothes Off" (Kehlani, While We Wait 2, 2025)
- "Too Many Women" (Jordan Adetunji, A Jaguar's Dream, 2025)
- "Sex in Peace" (FLO, Therapy at the Club, 2026)
- "Amazing" (Ayra Starr, Starr Girl, 2026)
Awards and nominations
| Organisation | Year | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BET Awards | 2025 | Herself | Best New International Act | Nominated |
| Ivor Novello Awards | 2026 | Herself | Her song | Pending |
| BRIT Awards | Herself | Best R&B Act | Pending | |
| BBC Radio 1 | Kwn[19] | Sound of 2026 | Nominated | |
| MOBO Awards | "Do What I Say"[20][21] |
|
Nominated | |
References
- ↑ Savage, Mark (26 June 2026). "KWN: From delivering Amazon parcels to becoming one of the UK's hottest new stars". BBC News.
- 1 2 3 4 Dazed (5 July 2022). "kwn, the rising artist writing relatable tracks about toxic exes". Dazed. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 "KWN Gets Real On: Kehlani Collab, The EP, New Fame + Crushing on KeKe | New York's Power 105.1 FM". Angie Martinez. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Denis, Kyle (13 March 2025). "How a Bedroom Instagram Live Session Yielded KWN's Breakthrough Hit 'Worst Behaviour'". Billboard. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 NME (12 February 2025). "THE NME 100: ESSENTIAL EMERGING ARTISTS FOR 2025". NME. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Dazed (13 June 2025). "Rising R&B star Kwn on her new EP and that viral kiss with Kehlani". Dazed. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 King, Tyrese (19 September 2024). "Get To Know: KWN". newwavemagazine. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 "Who is Kwn? Age, ethnicity & girlfriend and more". Capital XTRA. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- 1 2 "Kwn - COEVAL Magazine". COEVAL. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 EDITOR (14 March 2025). "Everything you need to know about rising star Kwn". diva-magazine.com. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ↑ "KWN Reflects on Losing Her Deal, Kissing Kehlani & More - The Angie Martinez Show". iHeart. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ↑ Williams, Kyann-Sian. "R&B's sultry new star Kwn just wants to feel good". WTYE / WTAY. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ↑ EDITOR (30 October 2025). "Kwn responds to backlash after hard-launching relationship with Kehlani". Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ↑ "Kwn addresses backlash after confirming Kehlani relationship". Capital XTRA. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- 1 2 "Kwn songs and albums | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 6 July 2026". The ARIA Report. No. 1896. Australian Recording Industry Association. 6 July 2026. p. 6.
- ↑ "kwn Steps Into Her Lover Girl Era With New Single "Hopeless Romantic"". trenchtrenchtrench.com. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ↑ Murray, Robin (20 February 2026). "kwn Returns With New Single 'hopeless romantic' | News". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ↑ "BBC Radio 1 unveils its Sound of 2026 longlist". BBC. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ↑ Akhimien, Nosakhale (15 January 2026). "Olivia Dean, Little Simz, Central Cee Lead 2026 MOBO Nominations". Channels Television. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- ↑ Vinter, Robyn (26 March 2026). "Olivia Dean leads the way with three wins at 2026 Mobo awards". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
- 2000 births
- Living people
- 21st-century Black British women musicians
- 21st-century Black British women singers
- Black British women rappers
- 21st-century British rappers
- Black British LGBTQ people
- English LGBTQ singer-songwriters
- English people of Nigerian descent
- English people of Irish descent
- English LGBTQ musicians
- LGBTQ people from London
- People from Walthamstow
- Rappers from the London Borough of Waltham Forest