Erica-Cody (née Erica-Cody Kennedy-Smith) is an Irish R&B singer-songwriter.

She was born at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, Ireland and grew up in Baldoyle, Ireland. Her mother is Irish, and her father is an African-American man from South Carolina. As a teenager, Cody had hoped to become a professional basketball player, until an anterior cruciate ligament injury at age 18 ruled that out. She attended the Billie Barry Stage School and then BIMM Institute, studying vocals.

“During her time at Billie Barry Stage School, she had her first live gig at age 15 as the support act for WizKid. She released Addicted in 2017. Cody played at Longitude, Electric Picnic, as well as supported Jessie J and En Vogue in 2018. She released her EP Leoness in April 2019. Her style has been described as close to that of TLC and Aaliyah. Cody’s experiences of racism in Ireland led to her launching a campaign called Don’t Touch My Hair (DTMH). She was one of the artists featured in Hot Press’s Lockdown Sessions in April 2020.

In 2020, Cody took part in the Black Lives Matter protests in Dublin and spoke publicly about racism she and others have experienced in Ireland. She also spoke about how her father’s family in America have been affected by racism and prejudice. She was named one of Irish Country Magazine’s Women to Watch in 2020. Cody also took part in a collective of female Irish singers and musicians called “Irish Women in Harmony.” They recorded a version of the Cranberry’s “Dreams” in aid of the charity Safe Ireland, which supports victims of domestic abuse who increased in number significantly during the Covid-19 lockdown.

In 2021, Cody made a cameo in an episode of the Netflix series Fate: The Winx Saga. In 2022, Cody will appear on the fifth series of the Irish version of Dancing With the Stars."

Source: Wikipedia