The Brandeis Campus Activities Board announced in an Instagram post on April 4 that singer Daya would take the stage at this year's Springfest as the event’s headliner. Daya, known for popular hits such as “Sit Still, Look Pretty” and “Don’t Let Me Down,” is an artist who has already found success before appearing here at Brandeis. Up-and-coming rapper Baby Tate will take the stage as her opener.

Finding success with her single “Hide Away” in 2015, Daya climbed the Billboard Hot 100 chart all the way to the 23rd spot. Only 16 years old at the time, the singer continued to produce hits as she released her debut album just weeks following. Her hit single was the beginning of a steep climb up the fame ladder.

Following the success of her debut album, Daya collaborated with the popular electronic duo the Chainsmokers to create the song “Don’t Let Me Down,” which earned the trio a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2017. After receiving word of the nomination, Daya told Billboard Music on Dec. 6, 2016, “I had just woken up, so I was like ‘Is this part of my dream? I can’t tell.’ And I was so ecstatic I texted all my friends and literally did a lap around my hotel room. I was completely alone but had the energy of like 30 people,” she said. “It was a moment, for sure.”

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the singer rose to fame from humble beginnings. Daya told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on Oct. 29, 2015, “I was not expecting this. It’s been my dream since I was a little girl and I knew it would be my career at some point. I didn’t know how fast everything would go. I should be right now a normal 17-year-old sitting in class in high school. Instead, I’m recording and it’s so exciting for me. I can’t imagine anything I’d rather be doing right now.“

The 26-year-old singer is making a pivot in her career. After experiencing fame at such a young age, Daya took an extended hiatus and left the music industry for nearly five years. In that time, the singer took her music back to the basics and focused on finding her sound and her purpose. Upon her return to the music industry, her music became stripped down and acoustic, nearly the opposite sound from when she first built her career. Despite the change, she has returned to her roots a couple of times since the rebrand to produce similar dance pop hits like she had produced during her teen years.

During her career exploration, Daya was able to do some self discovery as well. On Oct. 12, which is National Coming Out Day, Daya shared to her Instagram story that she was proudly in a same-sex relationship. She said, “All I gotta say is follow your gut and don’t feel like you owe any sort of explanation to anyone. Your sexuality is yours only so build with it at a pace that works for you.” 

Beyond her singing career, Daya has more recently expanded her talents into acting. Making her acting debut on season two of the Nickelodeon series “School of Rock,” a spin off of the original movie starring Jack Black, the singer played herself on the show.

Daya may be the Springfest headliner, but her opening act is just as exciting. Baby Tate, who was formerly known as Young Baby Tate, is set to be the opening act of the festival. Tate released her first Extended Play, “ROYGBIV” in November 2015. Since then, she has released various other albums and singles and has been featured on major songs with artists such as Flo Milli. 

The daughter of Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Dionne Farris, performing is in Tate’s blood. Farris, who rose to fame in the early 1990s, is known as a solo act as well as a former member of the hip hop group Arrested Development. Additionally, Tate’s father is David Ryan Harris, another well known singer-songwriter.

Like Daya, Tate has also used her platform to be an advocate for young girls and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In an 2024 interview with Billboard she explained, “I make music with girls and gays […] I really feel like as a person with a platform, especially in the music industry, I try to make it an effort a lot in my music to represent other girls like myself, that it’s OK for you to make music and be truthful about it.”

Despite being a rapper, Tate has explained that she takes influences from an expansive array of artists. For rap influences, Tate gives credit to performers like Missy Elliot and Pharrell Williams, but she has also enjoyed the production elements of artists like The Beatles and Marvin Gaye.

Tate has big plans for the future. Having attended performing arts schools throughout her adolescence, Tate has been involved in music and acting her entire life. In an April 4, 2018 interview with the  online afrobeat magazine, GrungeCake, the rapper explained, “I definitely want to get back into acting very soon, but right now I’m super focused on the music. That’s my main goal, but I definitely do want to get back into acting. I’m trying to snag every award there is. I want an Oscar, I want a Grammy, I want a Tony.”

Tate decided to take on a self-reinvention in early 2022, signing to a new label and changing her name. Making the switch from Issa Rae’s record label, Raedio, the rapper then signed onto a deal with Warner Records and dropped the word “Young” from her stage name. Warner Records, an offshoot of Warner Music Group, is one of the leading record labels in the world, and they’re associated with major artists like Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars and many more.

Since her fresh start as just Baby Tate, the rapper has most recently been on tour with superstar Charli XCX as the opener for the United States leg of her tour. Although her time on tour with the pop singer has come to a close, her appearance at Brandeis is highly anticipated.

With singing, acting and rapping, it is undeniable that this year's Springfest lineup of performers is incredibly talented and sure to put on an exciting show for Brandeis students on April 27.