Amanda Ava Koci (born Amanda Koçi; February 16, 1994), known professionally as Ava Max, is an American singer and songwriter. She signed with Atlantic Records in 2016, through which she released her breakthrough single "Sweet but Psycho" in August 2018. The song peaked at number one in 22 countries, reaching number two in Australia and number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In March 2020, Max released the song "Kings & Queens", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by the release of her debut studio album, Heaven & Hell, in September 2020, which charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart and at number 27 on the US Billboard 200. In November 2020, the song "My Head & My Heart" was released, which peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.
Amanda Ava Koci was born Amanda Koçi, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 16, 1994. Max's parents are from Albania; her father, Paul, is from Qeparo and her mother, Andrea, is from Sarandë. Max also has a brother approximately seven years older than her. In 1991, her parents fled Albania after the fall of communism in the country, and lived at a Red Cross supported church in Paris for a year. While in Paris, they encountered a woman from Wisconsin and were given passports by her before immigrating to the United States to reside in the state, where Max was born. During her childhood, Max often saw her parents struggle to earn an income, as they each worked three jobs without speaking English. Her mother was a classically trained opera singer, while her father was a pianist.
Max moved with her family to Virginia when she was 8 years old, where she was raised in Hampton Roads. While living in Virginia, she competed in numerous Radio Disney singing competitions at Greenbrier Mall in Chesapeake and debuted at the NorVa in Norfolk when she was 10 years old as an opening act, where she performed Whitney Houston's 1987 song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". Max often traveled to Florida in order to perform in singing competitions, and began releasing music under the moniker Amanda Kay. At the age of 13, Max came up with the middle name Ava and adopted it as her first name after stating that she did not like being called Amanda while growing up.

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