Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde[5] (born 15 May 1996), known professionally as Birdy (/ˈbɜːdi/BUR-dee), is a British singer. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12.
Birdy's debut single, a cover version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", was her breakthrough. The track charted all across Europe and earned platinum certification six times in Australia. Her self-titled debut album, Birdy, was released on 7 November 2011 to similar success, peaking at #1 in Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Birdy's second studio album, Fire Within, was released on 23 September 2013 in the UK. At the 2014 Brit Awards, she was nominated for Best British Female Solo Artist. Birdy's third studio album, Beautiful Lies, was released on 25 March 2016. Her fourth studio album Young Heart was released on 30 April 2021. Birdy's fifth studio album, Portraits, was released on 18 August 2023, which includes the singles "Raincatchers", "Heartbreaker", "Your Arms" and "Paradise Calling".
Early life
Birdy was born on 15 May 1996, in Lymington, England.[6][7] Her father is Rupert Oliver Benjamin van den Bogaerde, a writer; her mother is Sophie Patricia (née Roper-Curzon). She stated that the classical music and songs her mother played when she was growing up influenced her sound.[8] Her parents were married in 1995 and have two other children: Jake (born 1997) and Caitlin (born 1999). She also has two elder half-brothers, Moses and Sam, from her father's first marriage.[9] In 2012, Birdy featured on Colours EP by Native Roses, a band that included her elder brother Moses Bogarde. The EP was produced by John Illsley and Guy Fletcher.[10][11]
Birdy's second given name, Lucilla, was the name of her father's stepmother.[15]
Birdy's stage name comes from the nickname her parents gave her as a baby because she opened her mouth like a little bird when being fed.[16]
During her childhood, Birdy played outdoors with her cousins and swam in the reservoir on the family estate, spending much of the rest of her time playing music. She recalled finding it unusual to visit friends whose homes had no piano or other musical instruments.[17]
Her mother, a concert pianist, began teaching her piano when she was around seven. At eight, she started writing her own songs and combining singing with piano playing.[18] Alongside her mother's classical music, she listened to records her father played, including music by Tracy Chapman and the Beatles.[19]
2008–2011: Early career
In 2008, while still a 12-year-old pupil at Durlston Court Preparatory School,[20] Birdy won the UK talent contest Open Mic UK, a spinoff of the Live and Unsigned competition. She won both the under-18s category and the Grand Prize against 10,000 other competitors.[21][22] She performed her own song called "So Be Free" at the competition in front of 2,000 people.[23]
After winning the competition, she appeared with her father on Sally Taylor's BBC programme and performed "So Be Free".[1] She has said that a YouTube video of herself singing one of her own songs led to a publishing deal when she was 12.[19]
In 2009, Birdy performed live on piano for BBC Radio 3's Pianothon in London.[24]
Career
2011–2013: Birdy
Birdy at a recording of the French television programme Champs-Élysées on 19 October 2012
In January 2011, at the age of 14, Birdy released a cover version of Bon Iver's song "Skinny Love".[25] The song became her first hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #17. The single was chosen as "Record of the Week"[26] by radio DJ Fearne Cotton,[23] resulting in it being added to BBC Radio 1's B‑list playlist[3] upon release in March 2011.[4] The official music video for the song was directed by Sophie Muller.[27] The song was also featured in The Vampire Diaries episode "The Sun Also Rises", which aired on 5 May 2011. "Skinny Love" peaked at #1 in the Netherlands.
Before the album’s release, her original song "Without a Word" was made available as a free download from her official website.[30]
Birdy's eponymous debut album of cover versions was released on 7 November 2011; the album peaked at #13 in the UK, #40 in Ireland and #1 in Belgium, the Netherlands and Australia. The standard edition contained ten covers and "Without a Word", with production by Jim Abbiss, James Ford and Rich Costey. She selected the covers by developing her own piano arrangements and adding her vocals before deciding which songs to include. She explained that a covers album would introduce her musical style while allowing her time to complete her GCSEs.[29] The album also reached number five in France.[31]
On 26 November 2011, Birdy appeared at Little Noise Sessions, a series of concerts supporting Mencap, at St John-at-Hackney in London.[32]
On 28 November, she performed "Skinny Love" and "The A Team" on the Dutch radio station 3FM’s programme Giel.[33]
In December, she performed "People Help the People" and "Skinny Love" for 3FM Serious Request. After being presented with a gold record for her debut album at the event, she donated it to the charity auction.[34] On 22 December, she received another gold record during Studio Brussel’s Music for Life campaign in Belgium, which she signed and donated to its auction.[35]
On 12 April 2012, she performed at the Tabernacle in London, a concert later released as Live in London.[42]
On the 11 May edition of the French television music programme Taratata, she performed "Skinny Love" and "The A Team".[43]
In June 2012, she performed "Skinny Love" on the French television programme Le Grand Journal.[44]
In June 2012, Birdy contributed the song "Learn Me Right" with Mumford & Sons to the Pixar film Brave; she received her first Grammy Award nomination for the track.[45] The song was written, arranged and produced by Mumford & Sons and appeared on the film’s soundtrack, released on 19 June.[46]
On 7 August 2012, Birdy released her "Live in London" EP, which contained eight songs. This included her cover of Ed Sheeran's "The ATeam" and her song from The Hunger Games soundtrack, "Just a Game".[42]
Birdy paid a visit to Australia in August 2012, during which Dolly magazine took her on a visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney.[48] In August 2012 her début album peaked at #1 in Australia, while the singles "Skinny Love" and "People Help the People" peaked at #2 and #10 respectively.[49][50]
On 18 September, she recorded an NRJ Session with NRJ and iTunes in Paris for an audience of about 300. The set included band-accompanied performances of "1901", "Without a Word" and "People Help the People", and a solo piano performance of "Skinny Love".[53]
Her Australian television appearances included Sunrise and The X Factor, performing "Skinny Love" and "People Help the People". In October 2012, she performed "Skinny Love" on The X Factor.[55]
During 2012, she also gave two concerts in the Netherlands, both of which reportedly sold out within five minutes.[56] According to her record label, almost all the dates on her German tour that year sold out.[57]
In autumn 2012, "People Help the People" was selected as the campaign song for Germany’s Red Nose Day charity appeal supporting children in need. In its 4 November announcement, Warner Music Group Germany also reported that her debut album had been certified gold in the UK and Australia, and platinum in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.[57]
On 12 December, she returned to Le Grand Journal to perform "People Help the People".[44] On 14 December, she appeared in the final of The Voice of Germany, performing the same song.[58][59]
Birdy toured America and Australia in 2013. On 6 April, she performed at the Riverside Theatre in Perth; her set included songs from her debut album, "Learn Me Right", "Just a Game" and a cover of the John Butler Trio’s "What You Want".[62] On 7 April, she sang "Skinny Love" at the Logie Awards in Melbourne.[63] After her concert in the Palais Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, a reviewer described her as a sensational pianist who appears to be shy and timid, but whose voice "rings throughout the theatre." The only criticism was that what was "severely lacking" was any sense of crowd interaction.[64]
2013–2015: Fire Within
Birdy at the SWR3 New Pop Festival in Baden-Baden 2013
After touring Australia, Birdy recorded her second album in Los Angeles over several weeks, with some recording also taking place in London. "All About You" was the first song she had written on guitar.[65]
In July 2013, Birdy announced her second studio album, Fire Within.[66] The album's lead single, "Wings", received its world premiere on BBC Radio 1 on 22 July.[67] On 15 August, a lyric video for "All You Never Say", co-written with Dan Wilson, was released.[68]
On 16 September 2013, she performed "Wings" and "Light Me Up" with her band for the Dutch radio station Qmusic.[69]
On 20 September, she appeared on NPO 3FM’s programme Giel, performing "Wings", "Light Me Up" and a cover of Avicii’s "Wake Me Up", and discussing Fire Within.[71]
Birdy's album was released in the UK and other surrounding countries on 23 September 2013 and received mostly positive reviews.[72] Producers included Ryan Tedder, Rich Costey, Jim Abbiss, Dan Wilson and Fraser T Smith, while Sia, Ariel Rechtshaid and Ben Lovett were among the co-writers.[73] The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number eight.[69]
An EP titled Breathe was released on 24 September 2013.[74]
On 27 September 2013, Birdy performed "Wings" with her band on France 5’s C à vous.[75] That month, performances of "Wings", "Words as Weapons" and "No Angel" were also released as part of Deezer Sessions.[76]
Birdy performing at the Kentish Town Forum in London on 31 October 2013
During her autumn 2013 UK live dates, her set at The Forum in London included covers from her debut album alongside original songs from Fire Within.[77]
She also appeared on TV shows like Sunrise, on which she sang "Wings."[78]
The Japanese edition of Fire Within was released on 29 January 2014.[83]
In February 2014, Warner Music Germany announced that her European tour had sold out. The German dates were scheduled for 22–27 February in Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Berlin.[84]
Birdy won the Best International Rock/Pop Artist award at the Echo Award 2014, held at Messe Berlin on 27 March 2014. She performed "Words As Weapons" during the presentation.[85][86]
On 2 April 2014, Birdy performed "Skinny Love" on The Queen Latifah Show.[87] On 5 April, she appeared as a guest on the Italian talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi, performing "People Help the People" as a duet with contestant Deborah Iurato.[88]
In April and May 2014, she supported Christina Perri on her North American tour.[89][87]
"Wings" featured in The Vampire Diaries episode "Home", which aired on 15 May 2014 (her eighteenth birthday).[91]
In North America, the album was released on 3 June 2014.[87] In June, she performed "Tee Shirt" on NBC’s Today.[92]
Music videos for "Tee Shirt" and "Not About Angels" were released in June 2014.[93]
In 2014, Birdy was featured on four of the tracks on the Shadows album by Native Roses, in which her elder brother, Moses, is a drummer.[94][11][95]
Birdy also covered "Lucky Star" by Madonna, appearing on BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the 80s album. The compilation was released in the UK on 10 November 2014.[96]
Birdy appears on the 2014 David Guetta album Listen, featured on the song "I'll Keep Loving You". The album, on which she sings alongside Jaymes Young, was released in the UK on 24 November 2014.[97]
Birdy performing at Ellie Goulding & Friends at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 16 December 2014
On 16 December 2014, Birdy appeared at Ellie Goulding’s charity concert at Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, raising funds for the homelessness charity Streets of London.[98]
Birdy's song "Wings," from her second album, was used as the soundtrack to the Lloyds Bank 250-year anniversary Horse Story advertisements in June 2015.[99] The advertisement used an acoustic version of the song.[100] In July, "Wings" re-entered the UK Singles Chart and reached number eight, surpassing its original 2013 peak of number 16.[101]
In August 2015, Birdy announced "Let It All Go", a duet co-written with Rhodes.[105][106] The single was released on 11 September 2015 via digital download in the UK.[107]
On 15 September 2015, she joined Rhodes on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge to perform "Let It All Go".[108]
In 2015, Birdy also won Sync Artist of the Year at the Music Week Sync Awards.[100]
2016–2019: Beautiful Lies
Birdy performing at Frequency Festival 2017
In January 2016, Birdy released "Keeping Your Head Up",[109] the first single from her third album, Beautiful Lies, which she had started writing material for in 2014 while touring in America. She described the song as an uplifting account of finding light and the strength to overcome periods of feeling lost.[110]
On 14 January 2016, she performed "Keeping Your Head Up" on ITV's BRIT Awards nominations launch programme, The BRITs Are Coming.[111][112] The music video for "Keeping Your Head Up" was unveiled on 29 January.[113]
"Beautiful Lies", the second single from the album was released in February.[114] "Wild Horses", the third single from the album was released in March.[115] The album itself was released on 25 March 2016. Producers on the album included Jim Abbiss, Tim Bran, Roy Kerr, Steve Mac and Al Shux; Birdy also received production or co-production credits on several tracks.[116]
Speaking about Beautiful Lies, Birdy later said this album was what she was most proud of. She added: "The album is about growing up and not accepting change. It's about not really wanting to grow up; it's about lying to yourself. I'd missed a lot of growing up with my family so it's about that. It's also inspired by 'Memories of a Geisha' so it has an Asian feel to it and it's about feeling a much stronger person."[117]
In an interview with Qetic, she said that reading Memoirs of a Geisha had led her to try wearing a kimono, whose bold colours and sense of strength appealed to her. Red and gold became themes for the album; the kimono worn for its cover had been sent from Japan, and she also performed in vintage kimonos.[118]
In an interview with Interview magazine, on 22 March 2016, Birdy explained how she had always had ideas but was never confident enough to assert them. With 'Beautiful Lies', she felt that she was a lot stronger and everything felt better. Birdy stated that where she had gone wrong with her second album had been that she had compromised too much, allowing others to influence her too much. In contrast, with 'Beautiful Lies' she had been 'really bossy'. In conclusion, she added that she loves writing for film and would love to do more; it was a 'really natural' progression for her work.[119]
On the 25 March 2016 edition of the French music programme Taratata, she performed "Keeping Your Head Up" and joined Navii for a cover of Coldplay's "Adventure of a Lifetime".[120]
On 7 April, she recorded a session at Paste Studios in New York, performing "Lost It All", "Wild Horses" and "Beautiful Lies".[122][123][124]
On 16 April 2016, Birdy released a limited edition vinyl for Record Store Day of the songs 'Lost It All' and 'Take You Everywhere I Go'.[125]
On 20 April 2016, the Japanese Edition of Beautiful Lies was released, containing a bonus track entitled "Lights". The Japanese edition also included her duet with Rhodes, "Let It All Go", as a bonus track.[126]
On 8 May 2016, Birdy performed 'Wild Horses' at the opening ceremony of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards night, at the Royal Festival Hall in London.[132] The ceremony was broadcast on BBC One.[133] She was also the face of the REDValentino spring/summer campaign for 2016 and 2017.[119]
The first leg of her European tour concluded at London's Roundhouse on 10 May.[134]
On 23 May 2016, the official YouTube channel of the Belgian television programme The Voice van Vlaanderen, broadcast by VTM, published her guest performance of "Wild Horses".[135]
In June, she toured the United States, beginning in Boston and travelling along the East Coast, through the Midwest and on to the West Coast.[136]
She gave her first performances in Japan at Billboard Live Tokyo on 20 July, followed by her first Singapore concert at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on 2 August.[137][138]
Birdy toured extensively after the release of Beautiful Lies, including a tour of the United States and an Asian tour from Japan to Singapore. By this time, her band had grown from four to five, with an almost completely new lineup. The band members were: Charlotte Hatherley (guitar), Joel Grainger (violin), Richard Evans (bass), Jay Sikora (drums), and Hazel Mills (keyboards). She has said she found Asia like another planet, "such a different world." The audiences were very reserved and quiet, there would be a huge gap after each song, then they would start clapping; it made her wonder if they liked her. She said they don't really clap that much, then after the show they were going crazy and screaming. She found it "really strange."[117]
Birdy performing "Winter" on guitar in 2016
A seven-inch live record, Live at Zurich Volkshaus 7th May 2016, featuring "Winter" and "Take My Heart", was also released in 2016.[139]
On 23 September 2016, "Beautiful Birds" was released by Passenger, featuring Birdy.[140]
Birdy was featured on the cover of Wonderland magazine in the Autumn 2016 issue, with an accompanying shoot and interview. Speaking to the magazine, Birdy explained that her mother was a concert pianist and a lot of her family were very musical. Her mother would play classical music and her father would play "poppier records" like Tracy Chapman and The Beatles. It was a real mix of genres, she told the magazine.[141]
In the autumn, she undertook a ten-date tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland, running from the Hammersmith Apollo in London on 20 October to Bristol Academy on 4 November.[142]
On 17 April 2017, she appeared on the Quebec television programme La Voix on TVA, performing "Skinny Love", "Words" and "Wild Horses" with its twelve contestants.[150][151]
She continued performing at European festivals in 2017, including Pinkpop in the Netherlands on 4 June and the Avalon Stage at Glastonbury Festival on 24 June.[152][153] On 12 July, she played the Summer Series at Somerset House in London.[154]
Birdy performed two songs at the BFI Luminous fundraising gala on 3 October 2017. Interviewed at the function, she said she was writing material for her new album, but it was still in the early stages.[164]
In December 2017, Variety.com reported that Warner/Chappell Music, the publishing arm of Warner Music Group, had signed Birdy to a global publishing deal. Mike Smith, Warner/Chappell UK managing director, said that Birdy was an incredible talent, there was a lot more to come from her and he looked forward to working with her in the years ahead.[165][166] Her previous publisher was Good Soldier Songs, and she said at the time of the announcement that she was writing her fourth album.[167]
After completing her tour in 2017, Birdy began writing material for her next album while also taking time away from the cycle of recording and touring. She later explained that a breakup had left her struggling with writer's block and that she had not initially felt ready to write about the experience.[168] She travelled to India for three months with her sister, cousin and a friend, describing part of this period as a "gap year". During subsequent visits to Los Angeles, she stayed in Santa Monica and a log cabin in Topanga, where she found renewed inspiration. She described the emerging sound of Young Heart as having a 1970s Laurel Canyon feel.[169] She subsequently worked in Nashville with producers Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian on the album.[168]
In 2019, Faber Music published Birdy: The Piano Songbook, a collection of piano and vocal arrangements selected and approved by Birdy, with an introduction written by her.[170]
2020: Piano Sketches
Birdy had largely completed her fourth studio album, Young Heart, before the COVID-19 pandemic.[171]
On 4 September 2020, she released "Open Your Heart", ahead of the four-track EP Piano Sketches, which followed on 6 November.[172][173] Birdy explained that the EP brought together songs with personal stories that she wanted to release but did not feel belonged on her forthcoming album. She also drew the artwork for each track.[174]
Birdy produced all four tracks and performed the piano and vocals. Richard Woodcraft handled recording and mixing, while Jeremy Cooper mastered the EP.[175]
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Birdy released a series of performances filmed at home on her official YouTube channel under the title "Live at Home". These included "People Help the People" on 16 June,[176] James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" on 30 June,[177] "Silhouette" on 4 August,[178] and "Find Me" on 20 October.[179]
Between September and November 2020, she released live performance videos for all four tracks on her official YouTube channel: "Open Your Heart" on 4 September,[180] "Island Lights" on 1 October,[181] "If This Is It Now" on 16 October,[182] and "Just Like a River Does" on 6 November.[183]
On 20 November 2020, she released a cover of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies".[184] A cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" followed on 4 December.[185]
In December 2020, she re-recorded "People Help the People" for NHS Charities Together's Christmas campaign, "The Gift". Music supervisors Wake the Town used her "Live at Home" performance as a reference, and Birdy recorded a new version at home with a revised piano introduction and ending to fit the advertisement.[186]
2021–2023: Young Heart
Birdy recorded a series of solo piano performances at the Pool Studios, including "Surrender", "Second Hand News", "Loneliness" and "Deepest Lonely".[187][188]
"Surrender" was released on 22 January 2021 as the lead single from her fourth studio album, Young Heart.[189]
The second single, "Loneliness", followed on 12 February 2021.[190]
In March 2021, she discussed the inspiration behind Young Heart and her career in an interview for Headliner Radio.[191][192]
"Deepest Lonely" was released on 19 March 2021.[193]
In March 2021, Birdy participated in Deezer's "Women's Voices" initiative, launched to mark International Women's Day. As part of the project, she covered Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You" and also performed her own song "Loneliness".[194][195]
In April 2021, Birdy paid tribute to French singer Christophe on the first anniversary of his death by performing a French-language cover of his song "Les Mots Bleus", accompanied by acoustic guitar. Birdy described singing an entire song in French as a challenge and cited French artists Édith Piaf and Barbara among her influences.[196]
On 15 April 2021, Birdy presented Live from Wilton’s Music Hall, a livestreamed concert from the London venue. She performed with a new band and an ensemble that included eight string players, clarinet and French horn, presenting material from Young Heart alongside songs from her earlier albums.[197][198]
"Second Hand News" followed as a single on 16 April 2021.[199]
On 30 April 2021, Birdy released her fourth studio album, Young Heart. Its producers included James Ford, Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian.[200] The album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart.[201]
In a Reddit AMA, Birdy said that she had taken up watercolour painting during lockdown and created 16 illustrations, one for each song on the album, which could be viewed on Spotify.[202]
She also gave an interview to the French radio station RFM for its 16/20 programme, published on 30 April 2021.[203]
In June 2021, Birdy performed "Second Hand News" and "Young Heart" on piano in the garden of her family home in the New Forest for FLOOD magazine’s Neighborhoods series. The video also featured her dog and her duck, Petrie, whose name was inspired by the character in The Land Before Time.[204]
On 12 September 2021, she performed "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do" at the National Lottery’s ParalympicsGB Homecoming at Wembley Arena, celebrating the British team’s return from the Tokyo Paralympics. The performance featured the Royal Ballet and wheelchair dancer Joe Powell-Main.[205][206]
On 21 November 2021, Birdy performed at the O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, with a set including songs from Young Heart.[207]
On 1 December 2021, she released a cover of Dusty Springfield’s "I Only Want to Be with You".[208]
On 21 December 2021, Birdy joined the Dutch radio programme Jan-Willem Start Op! on NPO Radio 2 by telephone to discuss her collaboration with HAEVN, "Open Hearts".[209]
In 2022, she contributed "Quietly Yours" to the Netflix film Persuasion, in which the song accompanies the ending.[210]
On 9 December 2022, she released "Walking in the Air".[211]
In March and April 2023, Birdy toured the UK and Europe in support of Young Heart. The tour included dates postponed from 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Brussels venue described it as her first European headline tour since 2016.[212][213]
On 7 May 2023, she appeared at the National Lottery’s Big Eurovision Welcome outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool.[214][215]
2023–present: Portraits
Ahead of the release of her fifth studio album, Birdy released four singles: "Raincatchers" on 3 March 2023, "Heartbreaker" on 21 April, "Your Arms" on 9 June, and "Paradise Calling" on 12 July.[216][217][218][219]
In spring 2023, she performed "Raincatchers" and "People Help the People" at the studios of French radio station RFM. Videos of both performances were published on the station’s website on 4 May.[220]
On 12 July 2023, "Paradise Calling" premiered on BBC Radio 2 during Jo Whiley’s programme. Birdy also discussed filming the song’s music video with Whiley.[221]
In July 2023, Birdy performed in the United Kingdom ahead of the album’s release. On 6 July, she played a Banquet Records album-launch show at St John’s Church in Kingston upon Thames. She also performed in Brighton that month.[222][223]
Her fifth studio album, Portraits, was released on 18 August 2023. It peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart, number five in Scotland, number ten in Switzerland and number 18 in Germany.[219][224][225]
The expanded digital edition, Portraits (+ Remixes), includes the standard album's eleven tracks, three remixes and a live cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry" recorded for BBC Radio 2.[226]
Alongside Birdy, contributors to the album’s songwriting and production included Anya Jones, King Ed, Barney Lister, Dan Priddy, Mark Crew, Gabe Simon and Bullion.[227]
On 23 August 2023, she held an album-launch concert at EartH in London.[228]
On 25 August 2023, videos of her performances of "Wings", "People Help the People", "Raincatchers" and "Heartbreaker" for the Deluxe Music Session were released on her official YouTube channel.[229][230][231][232]
On 13 September 2023, she played another Banquet Records album-launch show at Pryzm in Kingston upon Thames.[233]
In October 2023, she released "Live at the National Gallery", a performance video of "Portraits" recorded at London’s National Gallery.[234]
That October, she played shows in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles to mark the release of Portraits.[235]
On 18 October 2023, she appeared as a guest on the American television programme Today.[bettersourceneeded][236]
In November 2023, her version of "People Help the People" was used in a Christmas advertisement for Charlie’s Bar in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland.[237]
During 2024, she appeared at festivals in Europe and Asia, including North Music Festival in Portugal, Gent Jazz in Belgium, Parkenfestivalen in Norway and LaLaLa Festival in Indonesia.[239][240][241][242]
Ahead of her April 2024 appearance at Zermatt Unplugged, she described a planned three-part set consisting of solo piano performances, a section accompanied by a string quartet, and a section with her band.[243]
On 8 and 9 June 2024, she opened for Ed Sheeran at the Lucca Summer Festival in Italy.[244]
On 2 August 2024, she performed at Lüneburger Kultursommer at the Sülzwiesen in Lüneburg, Germany. Accompanied by a five-piece band, she performed songs from Portraits, including "Raincatchers", "Your Arms" and "Paradise Calling", alongside material from earlier releases.[245]
On 13 December 2024, she appeared at Streets of London’s Starry Night, a charity concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall raising funds for the homelessness charity Streets of London.[246]
Birdy was a special guest for the February 2025 edition of Art on Ice, held in Zürich, Fribourg and Davos. The organisers announced performances of songs including "Skinny Love", "People Help the People" and "Wings".[249]
On 24 March 2025, "A Dancer’s Mind", featuring Birdy and released under the name Strangers on a Bench, was issued as a single. It was used as the closing song of episode 28 of Tom Rosenthal’s podcast Strangers on a Bench.[250]
On 16 April 2025, she released "A Lot to Give", a co-written duet with British singer-songwriter Hohnen Ford. The song explores growing up, self-awareness, and what women carry and let go of.[251]
She also appeared at Hohnen Ford’s concert at Omeara in London on 12 June 2025.[bettersourceneeded][252]
On 10 September 2025, she performed at the VIP opening of the David Bowie Centre at V&A East Storehouse in London.[253] She performed covers of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "When the Wind Blows".[254]
On 10 October 2025, Lockeland Strings released a live performance video of "Black Waves" featuring Birdy on YouTube.[255]
On 30 April 2026, marking the fifth anniversary of Young Heart, Birdy shared an oil-painted self-portrait made during the album’s creation on Instagram. She said that she had once considered using the painting for the album’s cover.[256]
In 2026, she collaborated with artist and filmmaker Charlotte Colbert on a soundscape for the opening event of Possible Landscapes, an exhibition presented in Venice from May to September during the Venice Biennale. A soundscape created with Birdy also accompanied Colbert’s Supernatural Tendencies exhibition at London’s Fitzrovia Chapel in July. A limited-edition record, Chasing Rainbows, was released in connection with the latter exhibition, with proceeds supporting Effective Altruism Funds.[257][258][259]
In summer 2026, she began an email series, "The Songs That Shaped Birdy", to mark the fifteenth anniversary of her debut album. Sent to subscribers to her official mailing list, the series introduced individual songs that had influenced her before and around the time of her debut.[bettersourceneeded][260]
Artistry
Birdy generally begins writing a song with its melody, adding lyrics afterwards. She sometimes records melodic ideas on her phone and brings them to co-writing sessions. In a 2016 interview, she explained that the music itself conveyed meaning to her. Discussing "Unbroken", she said that she valued the combination of music and lyrics, including the sound of the words when sung and their appearance on the page.[261]
As a child, she imagined becoming a writer and created fictional stories. She has described writing for films as a natural extension of her approach to songwriting, drawing inspiration from stories. Her lyrics address love, growing up and changing relationships. She explained that "Growing Pains" concerned growing apart from friends as their lives took different paths, while "Wild Horses" drew on the experiences of people around her and explored independence outside a relationship.[261]
Birdy has expressed an interest in Tracy Chapman and soul singers including Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. In 2017, she said that she sometimes went for months without listening to music because she wanted silence after spending so much time singing and surrounded by music.[262]
She has also expressed a preference for intimate concerts, where she can see audience members' faces and reactions at close range.[262]
She draws inspiration from emotionally significant experiences, but has said that she often finds it difficult to write about them immediately. She needs time to process her feelings and organise her thoughts, with songs frequently emerging several weeks later.[263]
On Young Heart, she explored heartbreak and the conflict between continuing to love someone and feeling compelled to leave and live independently. Influenced by the conversational quality of Joni Mitchell's lyrics, she sought a more direct approach to storytelling.[264] Natural landscapes also informed the album: she said that the scenery of India and her sense of being small within it had filtered into some songs. "River Song" arose from the idea of asking a river for the wisdom it had accumulated from centuries of hearing people's stories and secrets.[265]
Birdy described Portraits as capturing different moments in her life and examining how her feelings about them had changed. Some songs adopt other people's perspectives. "Your Arms" was inspired by someone close to her who was grieving a person they had lost when they were very young; the song addresses fading memories and the sadness of never having had the opportunity to know that person fully.[266]
Folk elements
During the making of Young Heart, Birdy drew inspiration from Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. She explained that writing more frequently on guitar gave her music a Laurel Canyon feel, prompting her to travel to Los Angeles to write. She subsequently worked in Nashville, where she felt a strong connection with the emphasis on storytelling in songwriting.[267]
Craig McLean of The Independent described "Learn Me Right", her collaboration with Mumford & Sons for Brave, as a folk song with a Celtic flavour.[268] "Words as Weapons" was also described as "vaguely Celtic-sounding" in The Guardian.[269]
Vocals
Discussing Beautiful Lies in 2016, Birdy said that experimenting with her voice had led her to discover a high, whistle-like sound. She also described a soulful quality in her singing that she had had since childhood.[270]
Reviewing Young Heart, Eric Mason of Slant Magazine described a broader and more confident vocal range, contrasting the husky ad-libs on "The Otherside" with the falsetto on the title track. He identified her voice as the album's central focus, both within the harmonies of "Voyager" and in the more spacious arrangement of "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do".[271]
For "Heartbreaker", Birdy experimented with chant-like vocals over a two-chord foundation, taking inspiration from Christine and the Queens' "People, I've Been Sad".[272] Reviewing Portraits, David Smyth of the Evening Standard described her voice on "Your Arms" as richer and slightly lower than on earlier recordings, and found that her confident vocals held their own against the album's more electronic arrangements.[273]
Piano
Birdy's classical piano training was shaped by her mother, a concert pianist, who encouraged her to listen closely to music, develop her ear and hear the piano's harmonics.[18] She has described her singing and piano playing as intertwined, particularly when writing, with one leading to the other.[274]
She has described playing the piano as a means of emotional release.[275] Discussing the writing of "Wings" with Ryan Tedder, she explained that finding chords at the piano allowed her to communicate musical ideas by playing them, even when she felt nervous about speaking during a co-writing session.[276] By contrast, writing "Open Your Heart" with Rick Nowels involved him playing the piano while she sang, an unfamiliar way of working because she usually accompanied herself.[277]
For Young Heart, she sought to capture the softer singing voice she used when playing piano alone, rather than the voice she adopted during stage performances. She said that the awareness of being recorded could unintentionally change her approach, making this difficult to achieve.[265]
After struggling to complete "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do" in Nashville, she recorded it on her piano at home during lockdown with help from her brother. "Chopin Waltz in A Minor (Interlude)" originated in an informal performance of a piece her mother had taught her and which she habitually played; Daniel Tashian happened to record it, and she decided to include it on the album.[278]
Birdy has also used Roland RD-series stage pianos.[279]
Guitar
Birdy playing acoustic guitar at the SWR3 New Pop Festival in Baden-Baden on 13 September 2013
Birdy also writes songs on guitar. In a 2013 interview, she identified "All About You" as the first song she had written on the instrument, explaining that the process felt very different from writing on piano and that completing the song had taken a long time.[280] Several songs on Fire Within were written on guitar, including "Heart of Gold", which was recorded as a piano ballad. In 2014, she said that she had been writing extensively on guitar and that the resulting songs were happier, brighter and lighter.[281]
She has also played a four-string tenor guitar in concert, having been introduced to the instrument by Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons.[281] The guitar tablature for "Words as Weapons" published by Quickpartitions specifies an alternate tuning, E–A–D–G–B–D from the lowest to the highest string, instructing players to lower the first string from E to D to reproduce her playing.[282]
During the creation of Young Heart, she increasingly wrote on guitar, inspired by Joni Mitchell and Nick Drake. She has said that different instruments bring out different songs.[283] She explained that, as she wrote more on guitar, her music developed a Laurel Canyon feel, prompting her to travel to Los Angeles to write.[284]
The music equipment database Equipboard lists guitars by Martin, Gibson and Gretsch among the instruments associated with Birdy.[285]
Production and arranging
Birdy co-produced six of the fourteen tracks on Beautiful Lies (2016). Discussing her involvement, she described production as a natural progression and said that she had become increasingly confident in contributing to the process with each album.[286]
She produced all four tracks on Piano Sketches (2020), also performing the piano and vocals. Richard Woodcraft handled recording and mixing.[287]
On Young Heart (2021), she shared string, horn and woodwind arrangement credits with Jordan Lehning on songs including "The Otherside" and "River Song". She also produced "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do", with her brother Moses van den Bogaerde credited as its recording engineer.[288]
Her credits on Portraits (2023) include production on "Your Arms", co-production on "Raincatchers", and production and programming on "Battlefield".[289]
Live arrangements
For her 2021 livestream from Wilton's Music Hall, Birdy performed with a new band and an expanded ensemble including eight string players, clarinet and French horn. She described the absence of an audience in the venue as an opportunity to give the performance a cinematic character.[290]
Her touring collaborators in 2023 included Charlotte Hatherley and Essence Martins, with Richard Evans serving as musical director. Hatherley, who had taught Martins at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance, introduced Martins's music to Evans, leading to her joining Birdy's band.[291]
Discussing the live presentation of Portraits in February 2024, Birdy described combining live drums with drum machines on her recent tour, during which she played four keyboards. She said the songs could work in both electronic and acoustic arrangements.[292] Ahead of Zermatt Unplugged that April, she outlined a three-part performance moving from solo piano to accompaniment by a string quartet and then her band.[293]
Visual style
In 2014, Birdy appeared in Gap's global spring advertising campaign, "Lived-In", alongside other musicians, actors and a photographer. The campaign was photographed by David Sims.[294]
In 2014, Birdy was among the limited-edition cover subjects of the "Legendary" Issue 7 of The Untitled Magazine.[295] Her accompanying fashion shoot was photographed by Jason Bookallil.[296]
In 2016, she appeared in photographic features in Interview, photographed by Jack Waterlot and styled by Amy Mach,[297] and Wonderland, photographed by Charlotte Hadden and styled by Warren Leech.[298] She also appeared in the October 2021 feature in Fabric, photographed by Suzie Howell and styled by Holly White.[299]
In a 2016 interview, she cited Pre-Raphaelite art as a visual influence, described her preference for romantic, eccentric and vintage clothing, and named FKA Twigs and Florence Welch as style inspirations.[300] For Beautiful Lies, reading Memoirs of a Geisha led her to try wearing a kimono. She said that its bold colours and sense of strength appealed to her; red and gold became themes for the album. The kimono worn on its cover had been sent from Japan, and she also performed in vintage kimonos.[118]
She appeared in REDValentino's spring/summer 2016 campaign, photographed and filmed by Olivia Bee at London's Bush Hall, with "Winter" accompanying the imagery.[301] She also featured in its autumn/winter 2016 campaign and videos in which she sang "Take My Heart".[302] For the label's spring/summer 2017 campaign, Scott Trindle photographed her with models in London streets, buses and cafés.[303]
Birdy has also worn designs by British fashion designer Maximilian Raynor.[305]
Painting and artwork
Birdy's interest in visual art predates Piano Sketches and Portraits. In 2016, she said that she enjoyed painting and drawing people, particularly their faces, and recalled having practised more regularly at school.[306] In a 2017 interview, she said that she would probably have become a painter had she not pursued music, recalling her enjoyment of painting while studying for her GCSEs.[307]
Birdy enjoys painting and drawing alongside her music. In a 2020 interview, she explained that she would turn to drawing when she could no longer write songs or listen to herself singing. She created the artwork for each song on her EP Piano Sketches.[308]
In a May 2021 Reddit AMA, she said that she had been painting with watercolours during lockdown and had made 16 illustrations, one for each song on Young Heart, which could be viewed on Spotify.[309]
Painting also informed her songwriting for Portraits. She explained that the title track emerged from a conversation with co-writer Gabe Simon about falling in love with a painting and the distinction between a projected image and reality. She connected this idea with fantasy and obsession at the beginning of relationships.[310]
Cover versions
The following table lists cover songs recorded or performed by Birdy, including tracks from her debut album. Years refer to documented performances or releases by Birdy, rather than the original songs' release dates.
Birdy has expressed an interest in Japanese literature and traditional culture, citing Arthur Golden's novel Memoirs of a Geisha as an influence on the music and visual presentation of her 2016 album Beautiful Lies.[337]
During her first visit to Japan in July 2016, Birdy was featured in a segment on Nippon Television's morning news programme Oha!4 NEWS LIVE. The programme showed her visiting Asakusa, wearing a yukata and taking part in traditional craft and Japanese calligraphy activities. She also spoke about how reading Memoirs of a Geisha had sparked her interest in Japanese culture.[338]
In September 2022, Birdy attended the London premiere of the film Catherine Called Birdy. During a red-carpet interview, she again expressed her fondness for kimonos, reflecting her continuing interest in Japanese traditional clothing since the Beautiful Lies era.[339]
Following the release of Portraits, Birdy performed in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles in October.[344]
2024
European and other concerts
Birdy performed at concerts and music festivals in several countries, including Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands.[345]
Performances at ceremonies and commemorative events
2012: London Paralympics opening ceremony
On 29 August 2012, Birdy performed at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, singing "Bird Gerhl" by Antony and the Johnsons. Her performance accompanied a sequence featuring dancer David Toole and other performers suspended above the stadium.[346]
On 12 September 2021, Birdy appeared at The National Lottery's ParalympicsGB Homecoming at Wembley Arena. The event celebrated the British team's achievements at the Tokyo Paralympics and was broadcast by Channel 4.[348] She performed "Nobody Knows Me Like You Do" alongside dancers from The Royal Ballet and Joe Powell-Main, who uses a wheelchair and crutches in his performances. Powell-Main created the accompanying dance piece with Royal Ballet dancer Kristen McNally.[349]
2023: The National Lottery's Big Eurovision Welcome
The United Kingdom hosted the contest on behalf of the previous year's winner, Ukraine, after security concerns prevented the event from being held there.[352]
Birdy joined Jamala, Ukraine's Eurovision winner in 2016, and The Coral's Paul Molloy to perform the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love". During their performance, an illustration by Charlie Mackesy depicting two people holding hands was projected onto St George's Hall to represent the bond between the people of the United Kingdom and Ukraine. The event as a whole attracted an audience of more than 25,000.[353]
Charity work
In December 2011, Birdy performed for the Dutch fundraising campaign 3FM Serious Request and donated the gold record she received for her debut album to its charity auction.[354] In 2012, her recording of "People Help the People" was selected as the campaign song for Germany's Red Nose Day appeal, supporting children in need.[355]
In December 2020, she recorded a new acoustic version of "People Help the People" at home for NHS Charities Together's Christmas campaign, "The Gift".[356]
On 13 December 2024, Birdy performed at Streets of London's Starry Night at the Royal Albert Hall, supporting the charity's work with people experiencing homelessness. The event as a whole raised more than £200,000.[357] She also supported its associated fundraising prize draw, offering concert tickets and an opportunity to meet her.[358]
Music in film, television and advertising
The following table lists selected uses of Birdy's recordings in films, television programmes, soundtrack albums and advertising. Years refer to the release or broadcast of the relevant production, soundtrack or campaign; a dash indicates that the year of use has not been established.
Selected soundtrack contributions and uses of Birdy's recordings
Birdy's self-titled debut album consisted mainly of cover versions, allowing her to introduce her musical style while continuing to develop her songwriting.[376]
The title reflects Birdy's passion for writing her own songs. She explained that her experiences of travelling and meeting new people inspired the album's material.[377]
The title reflects growing up, independence and a reluctance to accept change. The cover artwork was inspired by Memoirs of a Geisha, featuring Birdy in a kimono sent from Japan, with red and gold as thematic colours.[378][379]
The title track, the first song written for the album, represents its themes of heartbreak and finding one's way through life. The cover photograph was taken by Birdy's friend Lotta during a songwriting stay in Topanga Canyon, California, reflecting the album's 1970s West Coast influences.[380][381]
The title refers to capturing moments in life, changing emotions and experiences seen from different perspectives. Birdy worked with her friend Lilly Ashley on the album's visual direction.[382][383]
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