# Katelyn Tarver

Katelyn Tarver (born November 2, 1989) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has independently released four EP's since 2011, most notably Tired Eyes in 2017. She is also known for her recurring roles as Jo Taylor on the Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush, Natalie on the ABC series No Ordinary Family, Jesse in HBO series Ballers and Mercedes on ABC Family The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She co-wrote "Crazy Stupid Love" for the British singer Cheryl which peaked at #1 on UK Singles Chart in 2014.

## Career
### Music

In 2003, Tarver took part in the reality television program American Juniors, where she was one of the Top 10 finalists, before being eliminated from the competition on August 12, 2003.
On June 14, 2011, Tarver independently released her debut EP, A Little More Free, produced by Matt Grabe. She was Honor Society's opening act on their June–July 2011 "Wherever You Are" tour. Tarver also toured alongside the bands The Cab and Parachute during the summer of 2012.
In 2014, Tarver co-wrote Cheryl Cole's 2014 single "Crazy Stupid Love". Two more singles, "Weekend Millionaires" and "Nobody Like You" were released on the streaming platform SoundCloud in 2015. "Weekend Millionaires" was re-released on iTunes, Spotify, and other digital retailers on July 28, 2016. Another new track, "What Do We Know Now", was released in October, followed shortly by the BURNS-produced "Hate To Tell You" the following month.
In 2015, Tarver was featured on the Lost Kings track "You", which was released by Spinnin' Records as a single off their EP The Bad. In 2016, Tarver released a cover of Jeremih's song "Planez".
Tarver's second EP, Tired Eyes, was released on March 10, 2017. Her song "You Don't Know" went viral on YouTube and amassed over 50 million views by mid-2021. In 2018, Tarver released her third EP, Kool Aid. The EP received positive reviews from multiple music review websites including Clash.
In 2019, Tarver released five singles as well as her fourth EP, Kool Aid: Sugar Free (Acoustic). In 2020, she released nine singles including "Feel Bad". The music video of "Feel Bad" was directed by Se Oh and premiered on March 26, 2020, with Billboard. Later that year, Tarver co-wrote Jake Scott's song "Like No One Does". The single was released on April 7, 2020.
In 2021, Tarver collaborated with Will Anderson and launched a side-project called REAVES. Their debut EP, The First EP, was released on June 4, 2021.
Tarver was the winning songwriter on the Old Dominion episode of Songland, with her song "Young" being featured in a Jeep commercial in which Tarver also starred.
In 2025, it was announced that Tarver would reunite with her former Big Time Rush cast-members in a new concert tour titled the In Real Life Worldwide Tour as a supporting act.

### Acting

On January 29, 2010, she made her acting debut on Big Time Rush as Jo Taylor, a girl the boys admire. Her debut episode was "Big Time Love Song" which aired on February 5, 2010. She developed feelings for Kendall Knight (Kendall Schmidt) and they started dating. But the world tour changed everything: Jo became a television star and Kendall became a pop star. On "Big Time Break-Up" which aired on June 25, 2011, she landed a role in a movie in New Zealand which would keep her and Kendall apart for three years. She returned in season 3's episode "Big Time Surprise", which aired on September 22, 2012.
From 2010 to 2011, Tarver appeared as Natalie Poston in 5 episodes of the ABC series No Ordinary Family. In 2012, she appeared as Mercedes in ABC Family's series The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
In 2018, Tarver appeared as Jesse in 8 episodes of the HBO series Ballers. She was cast as Cydney Walker in the ABC Signature television pilot, None of the Above, in 2021.

## Personal life

Tarver married David Blaise on July 19, 2014.

## Filmography

Television roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | American Juniors | Herself | Contestant (Top 10) |
| 2010–2013 | Big Time Rush | Jo Taylor | Recurring role, 34 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | No Ordinary Family | Natalie Poston | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2012 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Mercedes | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Dead on Campus | Natalie Kellison | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2017 | Famous in Love | Rachael Davis | Recurring role (season 1), 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Babysitter's Nightmare | Claire Carven | Television film (Lifetime) |
| 2018 | Ballers | Jesse | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2019 | Songland | Herself | Episode: "Old Dominion" |
| 2020 | Twentyfiveish | Rosie | Main role |

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Details |
| Wonderful Crazy | Released: November 8, 2005 Format: CD, Digital download, Streaming Label: TC Music |
| Subject to Change | Released: November 12, 2021 Format: CD, LP, Digital download, streaming Label: Independent |
| Quitter | Released: February 9, 2024 Format: CD, LP, Digital download, streaming Label: Independent |

### Reissues

| Title | Details |
| Brand New Day | Released: September 27, 2006 Format: CD, Digital download, streaming Label: Trident Style Inc |

### Extended plays

| Title | Details |
| "I'll Make It Real/Lover Boy" | Released: December 15, 2005 Format: CD, Digital download Label: TC Music, LLC |
| "Chasing Echoes" | Released: March 6, 2007 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: TC Music, LLC |
| A Little More Free | Released: June 14, 2011 Format: CD, Digital download, streaming Label: Independent |
| Tired Eyes | Released: March 10, 2017 Format: LP, Digital download, streaming Label: Duly Noted Records |
| Kool Aid | Released: August 31, 2018 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Katelyn Tarver |
| Kool Aid: Sugar Free (Acoustic) | Released: March 8, 2019 Format: Digital download, streaming Label: Katelyn Tarver |

### Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications :
| Title | Year | Album |
| "Wonderful Crazy" | 2005 | Wonderful Crazy |
| "I'll Make It Real" (featuring Aaron Agassi) | 2005 | Wonderful Crazy |
| "Chasing Echoes" | 2007 | Wonderful Crazy |
| "Weekend Millionaires" | 2016 | Tired Eyes |
| "Planez" | 2016 | Non-album single |
| "What Do We Know Now" | 2016 | Tired Eyes |
| "Hate to Tell You" | 2016 | Tired Eyes |
| "Love Me Again" | 2017 | Tired Eyes |
| "You Don't Know" | 2017 | Tired Eyes |
| "Never Fade" | 2018 | Kool Aid |
| "LY4L" | 2018 | Kool Aid |
| "Labels" | 2018 | Kool Aid |
| "Kool Aid" | 2018 | Kool Aid |
| "Sinking In" (With Jake Scott) | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Cynical" | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Somebody Else" | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Heaven" (With SJ) | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Feel Bad" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Made It This Far" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "So Would I" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Young" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Side of My Heart" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Fall Apart Too" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Hundred" | 2020 | Non-album singles |
| "Shit Happens" | 2021 | Subject to Change |
| "All Our Friends Are Splitting Up" | 2021 | Subject to Change |
| "Nicer" | 2021 | Subject to Change |
| "Hurt Like That" | 2021 | Subject to Change |
| "Year from Now" | 2021 | Subject to Change |
| "What Makes A Life Good?” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Starting To Scare Me” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Cinematic” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Parallel Universe” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Ignorance Is Bliss” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Quitter” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Friend Like You” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "Japanese Cafe” | 2023 | Quitter |
| "One Without The Other” | 2024 | Quitter |
| "Revisionist History” | 2024 | Quitter |
| "Just A Person” | 2024 | Quitter |

### As a featured artist

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Broke" (Joe Budden featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2015 | All Love Lost |
| "You" (Lost Kings featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2015 | The Bad EP |
| "Another Universe" (BASTION featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2016 | Crystal EP |
| "Illegal" (Fareoh featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2016 | Non-album single |
| "I'm Here Now" (Tawny Newsome & Alex Kliner featuring Katelyn Tarver & Paul F. Tompkins) | 2018 | The Supergroup: Songs from Season 1 |
| "Take Care" (Dillistone featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2019 | Non-album singles |
| "Walking on the Moon" (Leucadia featuring Katelyn Tarver) | 2019 |

### Promotional singles

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Lover Boy" | 2005 | I'll Make It Real/Lover Boy |
| "Careless Whisper" | 2007 | Wonderful Crazy |
| "It's Good" | 2011 | A Little More Free |
| "Nobody Like You" | 2015 | Non-album promotional singles |
| "You Saxo Suelta" (with Esli Guzmán & Darek Sotelo) | 2019 | Non-album promotional singles |
| "Cool" | 2019 | Non-album promotional singles |
| "Dionne" | 2020 | Non-album promotional singles |
| "The Only Exception | 2022 | Non-album promotional singles |

### Other appearances

| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
| "I'll Never Fall in Love" | 2003 | — | American Juniors |
| "Us Against the World" | 2009 | Mitchel Musso | Mitchel Musso |
| "What We're Told | 2016 | Everett Champion | Aesthetic Sound |
| Life's a Cherry Pie | 2020 | Phil Danyew | The Planters |

### Music videos

As Lead artist :
| Title | Year | Director |
| "Wonderful Crazy" | 2005 | |
| "I'll Make It Real" (featuring Aaron Agassi) | 2005 | Treb Monteras II |
| "Weekend Millionaires" | 2016 | Chuck Willis |
| "Planez" | 2016 | Chuck Willis |
| "Hate to Tell You" | 2017 | Alejandro Reyes-Knight |
| "You Don't Know" | 2017 | Chuck Willis |
| "Never Fade" | 2018 | Luca Venter |
| "Labels" | 2018 | Nathan Presley |
| "Kool Aid" | 2018 | Luca Venter |
| "Sinking In" (with Jake Scott) | 2019 | Nathan Presley |
| "Cynical" | 2019 | Se Oh |
| "Somebody Else" | 2019 | Se Oh |
| "Heaven" (with SJ) | 2020 | Spencer Sutherland |
| "Feel Bad" | 2020 | Se Oh |
| "So Would I" | 2020 | Nathan Presley |
| "Shit Happens" | 2021 | Katelyn Tarver & Patrick Jones |
| "Nicer" | 2021 | Fiori |
| "Year from Now" | 2021 | Nathan Presley |
| "What Makes A Life Good?” | 2023 | |
| "Starting To Scare Me” | 2023 | Skyler Brown |
| "Cinematic” | 2023 | |
| "Parallel Universe” | 2023 | |
| "Quitter” | 2023 | |
| "Japanese Cafe” | 2023 | |
| "One Without The Other” | 2024 | |
| "Revisionist History” | 2024 | |
| "Just A Person” | 2024 | |
As featured artist :
| Title | Year | Main artist | Director |
| "You" | 2016 | Lost Kings | |

### Songwriting credits

| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
| 2014 | "Crazy Stupid Love" | Cheryl | Only Human |
| 2018 | "Young" | Old Dominion | Non-album single |
| 2020 | "Like No One Does" | Jake Scott | TWENTYTWENTY |
| 2021 | "Secret" | Joshua Bassett | Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free |
| 2021 | "Set Me Free" | Joshua Bassett | Crisis / Secret / Set Me Free |
| 2022 | "All in Due Time" | Joshua Bassett | Sad Songs in a Hotel Room |
* Source: - Discography at Spotify
* Source: - Discography at AllMusic