Kygo/Ava Max

Kygo & Ava Max: A Dance-Pop and Tropical House Collaboration
Kygo is a Norwegian DJ and producer who pioneered the melodic "tropical house" genre, while Ava Max is an American pop singer known for her powerful vocals and hit anthems. Their collaboration represents a major crossover between Scandinavian electronic music and mainstream American pop, resulting in chart-topping success across multiple continents.
Early career
Kygo, born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll in 1991, began uploading his melodic house remixes to SoundCloud in 2013, quickly gaining a massive online following. Ava Max, born Amanda Ava Koci in 1994, moved to Los Angeles to pursue music, releasing her debut single "Sweet but Psycho" in 2018, which became a global phenomenon.
Breakthrough
Kygo's official breakthrough came with his 2014 remix of Ed Sheeran's "I See Fire," which amassed hundreds of millions of streams and led to a major label deal with Sony/Ultra. Ava Max's "Sweet but Psycho" peaked at number one in over 20 countries and was certified multi-platinum, establishing her as a new pop force on Atlantic Records.
Key tracks
Firestone — Kygo's 2014 debut single featuring Conrad Sewell became a streaming giant and is considered a definitive tropical house anthem.
Sweet but Psycho — Ava Max's debut single catapulted her to international fame, topping charts worldwide and earning diamond certifications.
Whatever — This 2017 Kygo single featuring vocals from Ava Max (under her former stage name) marked their first professional collaboration before her mainstream breakthrough.
Kings & Queens — Ava Max's 2020 hit further cemented her chart dominance, becoming a top 20 single in the United States.
Whatever — This 2017 Kygo single featured vocals from Ava Max (under her former stage name) and marked their first professional collaboration before her mainstream breakthrough.
The duo's most prominent joint release is the 2023 single "Whatever," a reworked and officially released version of their earlier work. This track successfully merged Kygo's signature piano-driven production with Ava Max's commanding pop vocals, receiving extensive global radio play and solidifying their creative partnership.
Continued Success and Major Collaborations
Kygo has released multiple studio albums, including "Cloud Nine" (2016) and "Golden Hour" (2020), and has collaborated with major artists like Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Donna Summer through posthumous releases. Ava Max's debut album, "Heaven & Hell" (2020), spawned several platinum singles, and she has worked with producers like Cirkut and writers like Bonnie McKee.
Both artists are known for impressive chart statistics; Kygo has billions of streams and numerous platinum records, while Ava Max's singles have consistently achieved multi-platinum status across Europe and North America. Their music continues to dominate pop and dance radio formats internationally.
Listeners who enjoy the fusion of Kygo and Ava Max might also appreciate the music of Alan Walker for his melodic, Nordic-inspired electronic productions. The pop sensibility of Dua Lipa shares a similar dance-floor energy with Ava Max's work. For more Scandinavian electronic pop, explore Galantis and their anthemic house style. The vocal-driven dance music of Zara Larsson also offers a comparable blend of pop and club-ready beats.
The energetic dance-pop and tropical house tracks from Kygo and Ava Max are staples on contemporary hit radio and dance music stations featured on this website. Their frequent airplay across various pop and electronic formats highlights their enduring appeal to a broad audience.
You can hear the music of Kygo and Ava Max on the pop and electronic dance music radio stations available on onairium.com, where listeners can discover their hit collaborations and solo projects through our curated radio streams.
