The Kid LAROI

The Kid LAROI is the stage name of Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, an Australian rapper, singer and songwriter from Waterloo, Australia. Born in 2003, he works in emo rap, hip hop and pop rap, and is signed to Columbia Records.

Career

He gains his widest mainstream recognition with the 2021 single “STAY”, a collaboration with Justin Bieber. The song reaches number one in Australia, the Canadian Hot 100 and the Billboard Hot 100, making it his highest-charting single in the United States.

Howard releases F*ck Love and later expands it with the deluxe edition Savage, which he announces on Instagram and releases in November 2020. Savage reaches number one in Australia and number three on the US Billboard 200. He then issues another deluxe version, F*CK LOVE 3: OVER YOU.

His releases in this period include “Always Do”, “Maybe”, “Without You” and “Tragic”, the last of which features YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Internet Money. He also appears on Juice Wrld’s posthumous “Reminds Me Of You”, which samples Kim Petras’ “Reminds Me”.

In 2021 he appears on Justin Bieber’s “Unstable” from Justice, and releases a remix of “Without You” with Miley Cyrus. That version reaches number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and becomes his first top-ten single as a lead artist.

The First Time and later work

Howard announces his debut studio album, The First Time, in 2023. The album is supported by “I Can’t Go Back to the Way It Was (Intro)”, “Love Again” and “Kids Are Growing Up (Part 1)”. He also releases “I Guess It’s Love?” and appears in the music video with his girlfriend Katarina Deme, with the video revealing the final album track “What Just Happened”.

He hosts a Fortnite concert titled “Wildest Dreams”, announces the Bleed for You headlining tour, and is cast for an acting debut in the A24 film Y2K. He performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and records “Forever & Again” for the soundtrack of Barbie.

In October 2023 he releases “Too Much” with Jungkook and Central Cee. The First Time follows in November and peaks at number three in Australia and number 23 on the Billboard 200. The album includes guest appearances from YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Future, and receives mixed critical reception.

Documentary and later singles

In 2024 he releases the documentary Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named Laroi, which focuses on his experiences in the music industry, his personal life and his connection to Juice Wrld. He also releases the single “Girls”.

He takes The First Time tour to Australia, including performances in Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne, and pays tribute to Juice Wrld during the run.

In 2025 he releases “All I Want Is You”, “HOW DOES IT FEEL?”, “HOT GIRL PROBLEMS” and “SHE DON’T NEED TO KNOW”. He later replaces the planned Watch This! project with BEFORE I FORGET, and releases “A COLD PLAY” and “A PERFECT WORLD” alongside the album announcement.