DaniLeigh, 24, arguably has dance moves and a voice just as smooth as Chris Brown’s, making her one of the hottest artists entering the R&B/hip hop game. Breezy certainly seems to think so, after he teamed up with her for a project and even joked about being the singer’s “bae” under her Instagram selfie on Aug. 5. But DaniLeigh is known for much more than her association with Chris, so here’s what else you should learn about this singer of Dominican descent!
1. DaniLeigh got her foot in the industry (literally) by dancing. DaniLeigh, whose real name is Danielle Curiel, moved from Miami to Los Angeles at just 16 years old, but she didn’t immediately break into the recording studio. “I was dancing in music videos, commercials, you name it,” DaniLeigh wrote on her website. “From there, I met a lot of producers onset and just networked.” However, she pulled a Justin Bieber and began posting song covers on YouTube before relocating to LA.
2. Prince asked DaniLeigh to direct one of his videos. Yes, The Purple One himself changed DaniLeigh’s career! After watching one of her dancing clips, Prince asked DaniLeigh to send in a choreography video. He loved it and asked her to direct his video for “Breakfast Can Wait,” which aired on networks like BET and MTV. DaniLeigh was just 18 years old! The successful project led Prince to become a mentor for the singer until he sadly passed away in 2016. He even teamed up with DaniLeigh and her sister for the song “LIKE A MACK,” released under the sisters’ pop duo name Curly Fryz.
3. She collaborated with Chris Brown on the remix to her track “Easy.” DaniLeigh grooves right alongside Chris in their music video for “Easy (Remix),” which dropped on June 11. Despite that one flirty comment from Breezy on Instagram, his relationship with DaniLeigh is strictly professional! “Chris and DaniLeigh are really close friends, there is nothing romantic going on between them whatsoever,” a source close to DaniLeigh EXCLUSIVELY told HollywoodLife. “DaniLeigh thought Chris’ comment on her post was absolutely hysterical and she knows he was just being playful. Their relationship is completely platonic and is solely based off creating music.”
4. DaniLeigh has a famous collaboration with Lil Baby. The singer has also enlisted the help of another big hip hop artist, Lil Baby, for the remix of her appropriately named track “Lil Bebe.”
5. DaniLeigh released her debut EP at just 22 years old. DaniLeigh signed with Def Jam Records in 2017 and dropped her first EP, Summer with Friends, that year. She followed with another EP, The Plan, in 2018, which featured vocals from Lil Baby, YBN Yahmir and YG.