Raised with a passion for singing and playing guitar by his songwriter parents, Australia’s Kian Brownfield (born in Castlemaine in 2002) made his recorded debut at age 14. Singing the chorus on Indigenous rapper Baker Boy’s “Cloud 9” in 2017, KIAN (pronounced “Key-ahn”) then paired with fellow teen Vince the Kid on the following year’s “Too Far Gone” to build on his silky blend of pop, hip-hop, and R&B. He had the spotlight all to himself a few months later on his own single “Waiting,” embodying the heady promise of newfound infatuation over delicate acoustic guitar and sparse handclaps. That song saw KIAN win youth broadcaster Triple J’s national Unearthed High competition and dominate Aussie radio before he had even finished high school. His debut EP, Bliss, and subsequent singles like 2020’s light and funky “Sunbeam” have only refined his talents as a romance-minded multi-hyphenate.