Born Amanda Ava Koci in Wisconsin, she was raised by Albanian immigrant parents in Virginia. She started singing at a young age and was already active in singing competitions by the time she reached high school. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue music full-time, she joined local disco revival producer Le Youth on his bright dance track “Clap Your Hands“, which became a summer hit in 2017.
The next year, she showcased her Sia-esque vocals with debut solo single “My Way” (Atlantic) before following with “Slippin” and “Not Your Barbie Girl” which interpolated Aqua’s ’90s classic. That year, she also joined rapper Witt Lowry on his track “Into Your Arms” and David Guetta on “Let It Be Me” from his album 7. Ava Max issued her biggest hit to date that summer as breakthrough single “Sweet but Psycho”, an addictive pop gem produced by Cirkut (the Weeknd, Katy Perry, Rihanna), began charting across Europe. As the song built momentum across the globe, she signed with Full Stop Management, home to Charli XCX, Harry Styles, HAIM, and others.