Holly Wasserfall (born 27 December 1996), professionally known as Holly Rey, is a South African singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, her musical career began at the age of 14, signing her first publishing deal with Sony.
Holly Rey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Holly Wasserfall 27 December 1996 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Alma mater | University of KwaZulu-Natal |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Years active | 2010-present |
Rey rose to prominence after releasing her single "Deeper" in 2018, which won Record of the Year.[1]
Education
editIn 2019, Rey graduated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Media studies.[2]
Career
editShe grew up in musical background her uncle is a musician, he taught Rey how to play the guitar during their lessons.[1] Rey signed a record deal with Sony[3] and released her first album Strawberry Skies in 2010.[4]
Her breakthrough single "Deeper" was released in May 2018. The song was produced by Mondli Ngcobo. It won Record of the Year at the 25th South African Music Awards.[5]
On March 15, 2019, her single "You" was released. The song surpassed 3,5 million streams[6] and was certified 3× platinum by the Recording Industry of South Africa with sales of 293 055 units.[7][8] In August 2019, Rey headlined to One Big Night in Sobekeng concert.[9]
In March 2020, she signed a record deal with Soulstic Music.[10]
In April 29, she announced the title and the release date of her EP via her Instagram account.[11] Unconditional EP was released on April 29, 2022.
Rey and Blxckie released "Slow Down" on April 28, 2023.[12]
Towards the end of August 2023, Rey competed on the Masked Singer South Africa and won becoming the first person to hold the title.[13]
Same month, Rey announced her extended play 3 AM Pt. 1, released on September 15, 2023.[13][14]
Discography
editExtended plays
edit- Unconditional (2022)
- Unconditional (Stripped) (2022)
- 3 AM Pt. 1 (2023)
Singles
editAs lead artist
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | |||||||
| "Deeper" | 2018 | ||||||
| "Home" | 2020 | — | |||||
| "Slow Down" (featuring Blxckie) | 2023 | — | |||||
| "Ngiyazifela" | — | ||||||
| "These Tears (featuring Mr. Luu) | 2024 | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Achievements
editBasadi in Music Awards
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Herself | Artist of the Year | Nominated | |
| Pop Artist of the Year | Won | |||
| 2023 | Won | [15] |
Dance Music Awards South Africa
edit| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Herself | Best Female Vocalist | Nominated | [18] |
References
edit- ^ a b Coetzee, Nikita (5 February 2020). "From where it all began to her greatest achievements - We get to know SA singer Holly Rey | Channel". South Africa: Channel. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "LOOK: House music star Holly Rey graduates cum laude at UKZN". Online Independent. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Holly Rey creates musical waves". Sowetan LIVE. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Holly Rey | Music In Africa". Music in Africa. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Tjiya, Emmanuel (7 June 2019). "Holly Rey revives Mabrrr spirit with her Sama". Sowetan LIVE. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Holly Rey celebrates going platinum with East Coast Breakfast". ecr.co.za. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Holly Rey goes multi-platinum on 'You'". Independent Online. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Israel A, John (12 September 2020). ""Holly Rey Shocked As Single "You" Is Confirmed Triple Platinum". Ubetoo. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ "Lira, Holly Rey and Zamo Dlamini to perform at women-centred concert in Sobekeng". Biz Community. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Congrats! Holly Rey Signs A New Major Recording Deal - SA Music Magazine". SA Music Magazine. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ Birjalal, Alyssia (20 April 2022). "Holly Rey strips down her music in new EP". Independent Online. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
- ^ https://www.snl24.com/drum/celebs/news/collaborating-with-blxckie-was-the-most-insane-experience-holly-rey-on-new-song-dropping-friday-20230425
- ^ a b Simpasa, Precious (28 August 2023). "Holly Rey makes history as first-ever winner of Masked Singer SA!". The South African. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
- ^ Mallac, Skye Ayla (15 September 2023). "Holly Rey's new EP 3AM Part 1 is a scintillating Afro-house release – Texx and the City". Texx and the City. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/well-known-stars-win-big-at-basadi-dc8e5243-9c6c-45c7-a5aa-372945f1ebaf
- ^ https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2023-08-13-heres-what-went-down-at-the-second-annual-basadi-in-music-awards/
- ^ https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/basadi-music-awards-2023-all-winners
- ^ "Dance Music Awards South Africa 2019: All the winners". Music in Africa. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2024.