Tiara Thomas: From “Bad” To Award-Winning Music Career
Discover Tiara Thomas’s journey from breakout hits like “Bad” to her acclaimed EPs and collaborations. Explore her discography, style, and musical success.
Aug 15, 20251.8K Shares150.9K Views
When Tiara Thomas steps into a song, her voice instantly pulls listeners in with warmth and soul. She is best known for her standout feature on Wale's 2013 hit “Bad,” which climbed into the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned triple platinum status. That success opened the door to a music deal with Division1, a label under Interscope Records. From there, she went on to earn one of music’s highest honors by winning Song of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards for co-writing H.E.R.’s powerful song “I Can’t Breathe,” and later that year she struck gold with an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah.
Early Life
Tiara Thomas was born on September 12, 1989, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her parents supported her musical interests from a young age. She often performed in school and at church. She went to Lawrence North High School. Tiara loved hip-hop and pop music, and she mixed those styles with ballads, rap, and other sounds to create her own musical voice. She earned her degree from Ball State University in June 2012.
Career
Tiara Thomas began her career by meeting rapper Wale and his team in a club in Atlanta in 2009. She shared her music with them, and three months later, she got her first big break. She moved to New York and performed on the same stage as artists like J. Cole and Fabolous. By 2011, she signed with The Board Administration, Wale’s label. She became known online through YouTube and Twitter, especially after her song “The Cloud,” featured in Wale’s More About Nothing mixtape, caught fire as a video in 2011.
In 2013, Tiara landed her biggest feature yet on Wale’s hit song “Bad.” The track reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned triple-platinum status. That success led her to sign with Division1, a label connected to Interscope Records. She also released her own five-song EP called Dear Sallie Mae in October of that same year.
Over time, Tiara embraced songwriting even more. She co-wrote H.E.R.'s song “I Can’t Breathe,” which won Song of the Year at the 2021 Grammy Awards. That same year, she co-wrote “Fight for You” from Judas and the Black Messiah, earning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. She has also written songs for artists like Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., and others, and described songwriting as a deep outlet that has helped her express strong feelings and navigate tough times.
In recent years, Tiara has returned to making her own music. She released the single “Don’t Talk Back” in 2022. The song showed a new side of her—one that is confident, fun, and free of sadness. She said it reflects who she is now, a happier and more experimental artist who follows her own creative path.
Discography
Tiara Thomas’s music career includes a series of albums, EPs, singles, and collaborations that have shaped her artistic identity. In 2013, she released her first extended play, Dear Sallie Mae, which introduced her unique style blending R&B, hip-hop, and acoustic sounds. That same year, she released an album titled The Bad Influence, further establishing her as a promising new artist. In 2015, she followed up with the Up in SmokeEP, showcasing her growth in songwriting and production. In 2017, she released another EP titled Don’t Mention My Name, which featured more personal themes and a stripped-down sound. Her most recent project is the FWMMEP, released in 2018, which continued to highlight her skills as a singer and storyteller. As a lead artist, she released the single “One Night” in 2014, which gained attention for its catchy hook and relatable lyrics. Tiara Thomas has also been featured on notable tracks, most famously Wale’s 2013 hit “Bad,” which reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned triple platinum certification. She also appeared on Fat Joe’s 2014 track “Another Day” alongside Rick Ross and French Montana, adding her distinctive voice to the collaboration.
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