ARTIST/SONGWRITER/VOCALIST: INAYA DAY
LOCATION: BROOKLYN, NY, USA
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, INAYA DAY’s very first audience was found in the pews of her local church, where her powerful voice took root. From these early beginnings, her musical journey has blossomed into an extraordinary, multi-genre career that spans decades and continents.
A proud alumna of the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & the Performing Arts—famously known as the “Fame” School—INAYA honed her vocal talents with academic precision, continuing her solo voice studies at the University of Bridgeport. Later, she broadened her expertise with high honors in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University, perfectly blending art with acumen.
INAYA’s passion for performance began early. At just 13, she stepped into the world of musical theater, building a resume that includes Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, and international stages throughout Europe. As a proud, card-carrying member of the Actor’s Equity Association and a voting member of the Grammy Recording Academy, her credentials speak volumes about her dedication and impact.
While living in Germany, INAYA burst onto the global dance music scene with the release of three monumental singles: Keep Pushin’, Hold Your Head Up High, and Horny. Each one soared to the top of the charts, earning her gold and platinum records, and etching her voice into the DNA of club classics forever.
Named one of Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Top Dance Club Artists, INAYA has accumulated an impressive catalog of UK, Euro, ARIA, and Billboard Top 10 hits. These include her chart-dominating anthems: Nasty Girl, Feel It, I Am Tha 1, Glamorous Life, Movin’ Up, One Night in Heaven, and many more. Her current hit, Feelin’ Feelin’, produced by Grammy-winning producer Sting International, is setting dancefloors ablaze around the globe.
INAYA has collaborated with legends of the industry—Frankie Knuckles & Eric Kupper (Director’s Cut), Robin S, Harry “Choo Choo” Romero—and continues to innovate with upcoming projects alongside DJ Spen, Tedd Patterson, and her own long-anticipated secret project, five years in the making.
In an iconic moment, INAYA became the only artist in history to perform twice in one week on the UK’s famed Top of the Pops, cementing her place in music television history.
But INAYA’s artistry doesn’t end at house music. She’s a true musical chameleon, writing, recording, and performing across genres including jazz, R&B, hip-hop, funk, gospel, and musical theater. Her gospel foundation shines through in collaborations with the Newark Youth Choir, C.D. Hawkins, and appearances at Carnegie Hall alongside gospel greats like Shirley Caesar, Yolanda Adams, Kurt Carr, and Richard Smallwood.
As a prolific songwriter and arranger, INAYA has lent her talent to the likes of Michael Jackson, P. Diddy, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, Bootsy Collins, Ultra Naté, Crystal Waters, and even Ashford & Simpson—famously contributing to Oprah Winfrey’s theme song.
Her influence extends into pop culture and media: Keep Pushin’ was reimagined by Dua Lipa for Adidas’ global campaign “Original Is Never Finished.” Her unreleased R&B gem How Many Ways found a home on OWN’s Queen Sugar, while Nasty Girl scored a dance scene in Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carell. INAYA’s empowering anthem Step It Up featured in the final season of POSE, both in the show and on its soundtrack. Her voice has graced numerous other shows (Queer as Folk, Queer Eye, Neighbours, HighTown) and she even sang the Everybody Hates Chris theme alongside Victor Cook and Tichina Arnold—recorded and engineered in her own home studio.
Inaya Day is the full package: label owner, music publisher, bandleader, producer, engineer, and actress. She even appeared in the film Who Shot Pat? alongside a young Sandra Bullock.
With music signed to top-tier labels including Sony, WEA, Strictly Rhythm, OneLove, Toolroom, Subliminal, Defected, Vicious, Hed Kandi, Nervous, and Tommy Boy, INAYA DAY continues to push boundaries, uplift audiences, and remain a revered voice in the global music landscape.
