Aurora

**Aurora Renée Jaymesson** (born October 22, 1996), known mononymously as **Aurora**, is an Australian singer, songwriter, rapper, and producer based in Platvia. In 2014, at age 18, Aurora signed dual publishing and recording contracts with Red Rose Records. Initially marketed as a commercial pop artist, she has become known for her versatility and successful crossover to the indie pop, alternative, and hip hop music scenes.

Aurora has earned sixteen number-one songs on the Platvia HitList, five number-one albums on the Platvian Albums Chart, and two number-one extended plays on the Platvian EP Chart. Additionally, she has attained several other number-one singles on various Platvian component charts.

As of 2023, Aurora's top selling and most acclaimed singles are 2015's "Set Sail", 2017's "Memories", "Aftertaste", and "Positano", 2019's "Playing God", and 2023's "First Place • Second Wind" and "Third Wish". Her top selling and most acclaimed studio album is *Mine* (2017).

## Early life

Aurora Renée Jaymesson was born in Melbourne, Victoria on October 22, 1996, to her mother Renée Sandra (née Samson) and father Josef Jaymesson. Aurora has English, Irish, and Italian ancestry. She has a younger sister, Emily Rae Jaymesson.

Growing up, Aurora was home schooled by private tutors. She displayed an aptitude for music from a young age, and began taking piano and singing lessons at ages 4 and 6, respectively. By age 12, Aurora had composed several original songs, performing at local events to build confidence and experience. She began experimenting with digital audio workstation GarageBand after receiving her first MacBook computer for her 13th birthday.

In 2013, at age 16, Aurora completed a trio of independently written and produced demos, which she sent to various major label A&Rs. She eventually connected with rising Platvian label Red Rose Records, who took particular interest in her lyricism and melodies. After many months of development and negotiations, Aurora relocated from Australia to Platvia, and signed dual publishing and recording contracts with Red Rose Records on her 18th birthday.

## Career

### **2014–2016: *Platinum Heart*, *Silhouettes*, Platinum Voice 8, and The Heartstorm Tour**

Aurora began work on her debut studio album immediately after signing with Red Rose Records. Her debut single, "Without You Now", was released on November 7, 2014, and peaked at #5 on the Platvia HitList. Impressed with its performance, Aurora continued to release commercial pop material throughout the remainder of 2014 per her label's request, resulting in a string of top two hits; "Whirlwind", "Italian Nights", and "Platinum Heart", the penultimate of which became Aurora's first #1 single on the Platvia HitList. In January 2015, single "Remember When" was a commercial disappointment, posing concern that her album may be shelved. In response, Aurora released the sixth single "Surrender" to critical acclaim, becoming her second #1 on the Platvia HitList. A final single, "Easy", marked Aurora's first foray into the hip hop genre, and subsequently topped its respective component chart. *Platinum Heart* debuted at #1 on the Platvian Albums Chart, where it remained for a total of three weeks.

Following her debut's commercial success, Aurora quickly returned to the studio in 2015 to begin work on her second studio album. Teasers of album tracks "Little Birds" and "Happy" debuted at #1 and #3 on the Platvia HitList respectively, demonstrating demand for her sophomore set. Its lead single, "My Paradise", was released on May 22, 2015, debuting at #1 on the Platvia HitList. On June 5, 2015, the album's second single, "Set Sail", was released, achieving her fifth #1 on the Platvia HitList. "Set Sail" became Aurora's top selling and most acclaimed single at the time. Third single "One-way Mirror" was released to moderate success in the top five, while fourth single and album title track "Silhouettes" debuted at #2 on the Platvia HitList. An extended play, *Heartstorm*, preceded the album's release, however after its lead single "Celestial" underperformed, it was marketed as the album's fifth and final single. *Silhouettes* debuted at #1 on the Platvian Albums Chart, where it remained for a total of four weeks.

Now with two successful eras to her name, Aurora signed on as a judge for the eighth season of popular singing reality competition series Platinum Voice. Team Aurora contestant Temporal ultimately won the season, and achieved several number-one singles on the Platvia HitList. Following the conclusion of Platinum Voice in February 2016, Aurora announced plans to embark on her first arena concert tour, The Heartstorm Tour, in support of her studio albums *Platinum Heart* and *Silhouettes*. The tour began in May 2016 in Platvia, concluding in August 2016 in Aurora's home country of Australia, with select dates throughout North America, Europe, and Asia during the tour's near four month span. The tour was considered a landmark success.

### **2016–2019: *Diamond Mountain*, *Mine*, Platinum Voice 12, and The Diamine Tour**

After the positive commercial performance of her first two studio albums, a successful stint as a judge on Platinum Voice, and a landmark concert tour, Aurora returned to the studio in late 2016 to begin work on her third studio album. Afforded more creative freedom due to her past successes, Aurora experimented with new themes, drawing inspiration from the indie pop and folk genres. The album's lead single, "Pop!", peaked at #2 on the Platvia HitList. Promotion of the new era continued into 2017 with follow-up single "Deer", which matched its precursor's #2 high. Third single "Mountain" climbed to #3, assisted by a remix from Tijuana-based singer-songwriter ughgabriel, while fourth single "Enemy" saw Aurora once again experiment in the hip hop genre, peaking at #4. The album's fifth single, "Memories", debuted at #1, becoming Aurora's sixth number-one single on the Platvia HitList, as well as her best selling and most acclaimed single since 2015's "Set Sail". Final singles "Pendulum" and "Diamond" both topped their respective component charts. *Diamond Mountain* debuted at #1 on the Platvian Albums Chart, where it remained for a total of five weeks.

Shortly after the release of *Diamond Mountain*, Aurora signed on as a judge for the first season of new singing reality competition series Platinum Voice Kids, aimed at aspiring young talent aged between 4 and 17. The season's victor, SaintWest, topped the Platvia HitList with winner's single "Midsummer".

Aurora returned to the studio immediately following the conclusion of Platinum Voice Kids to begin work on her fourth studio album, with a clear vision of the era's direction and visual aesthetic in mind. An early demo of the album's lead single, "Aftertaste", was leaked on August 25, 2017, however due to its overwhelmingly positive reception, Aurora and Red Rose Records decided to officially release the unfinished demo. "Aftertaste" debuted at #1 on the Platvia HitList, and surpassed 2015's "Set Sail" as her top selling and most acclaimed single. Capitalising on the public goodwill surrounding her re-peak, Aurora achieved three more consecutive number-one singles; "Loch Ness", "Aegis", and "17", bringing her career total to ten. Initially considered promotional singles, tracks "Counterfeit" and "Digging Your Grave" were upgraded to fifth and sixth single respectively, following their chart-topping success on the Platvia HitList. Seventh and final single, "Positano", achieved similar success to "Aftertaste", becoming Aurora's thirteenth career #1 single. *Mine* debuted at #1 on the Platvian Albums Chart, where it remained for a total of ten weeks. *Mine* was one of the most successful eras in Platvia's history.

Following the unprecedented success of *Mine*, Aurora returned as a judge for the twelfth season of popular singing reality competition series Platinum Voice in 2018. Unlike her successful stint during its eighth season, Aurora's demeanour and judging were criticised, and her reputation challenged. Aurora's supporters, dubbed "Aurorites", insisted she was merely a victim of tall poppy syndrome, however the season's subpar ratings would suggest otherwise. Despite its controversies, the season's victor Gastrodonatella achieved several number-one singles on the Platvia HitList.

(The Diamine Tour)

### **2019–2020: *Scrapbook* sessions, and label disputes**

After a much needed hiatus, Aurora returned to the studio in 2019 to begin work on her fifth studio album. Its lead single "Imagination" was released under the pseudonym trlog, and debuted at #5 on the Platvia HitList. After its debut, Red Rose Records acknowledged the track as Aurora's lead single. Second single "Written in Lapis Lazuli" was praised for its themes, and peaked at #8. After an underperforming promotional single, Red Rose Records postponed plans for an album, instead opting for an EP. Third single "Playing God" received widespread acclaim, becoming Aurora's fourteenth career #1 on the Platvia HitList. Two final promotional singles were released to little fanfare, and the six released tracks were packaged as an EP on August 9, 2019. *Scrapbook, Pt. I* debuted at #1 on the Platvian EP Chart, spending one week at the summit.

Aurora continued to work on new music following the release of *Scrapbook, Pt. I*, intending to release its companion EP later that year. Single "Shapeless" saw her return to the top three for only the second time since 2017, while its follow-up promotional track achieved a moderate #7 peak. Despite its modest preliminary success, *Scrapbook, Pt. II* was shelved indefinitely due to irreconcilable differences between Aurora and Red Rose Records.

After another hiatus, and an incident involving Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, Aurora resumed work on new music in mid-2020. The single "Signs" was released as the first of a new project on August 28, 2020, debuting at #8 on the Platvia HitList. Following a top ten promotional single, the second single from the new project "(If) I Like You" was released, reaching a peak of #9. Third and final single "Take a Bite" was released, aiming for a top five debut, however it ultimately peaked at #6. In order to satisfy contractual agreements to Red Rose Records, one final track was surprise-released, after which Aurora and Red Rose Records announced they were parting ways on October 22, 2020 after 6 years, due to irreconcilable differences.

### **2021–present: Independent career, re-recordings, and *Aurenaissance***

Six months after her relatively amicable split from Red Rose Records, Aurora announced the launch of her own independent label, Aurora Records. Alongside the announcement, Aurora revealed she would be re-recording and reissuing all of her past studio albums, with each reissued album featuring bonus tracks left off their standard track list. Releasing each reissue on a Saturday in order not to divert attention from new releases, Aurora began the month of May, dubbed #Mayrora, with *Mine: Multifaceted Edition* on May 1, 2021. The following week, Aurora released *Scrapbook: Recycled* on May 8, 2021, comprised of songs written and released during the 2019–2020 *Scrapbook* sessions, effectively becoming her long-lost fifth studio album, due to it having never been released as a complete body of work prior. Aurora continued to reissue deluxe versions of her albums throughout the remainder of #Mayrora; *Diamond Mountain: Deluxe* on May 15, 2021, *Silhouettes: Deluxe* on May 22, 2021, and *Platinum Heart: Deluxe* on May 29, 2021.

Simultaneously, Aurora began work on her sixth studio album. Its lead single "“Satan, Not Today!”" was released on May 16, 2021, peaking at #7 on the Platvia HitList. Another single, "2", was released later that month, debuting at #6. "2" was revealed to be the lead single of one of two parts of forthcoming album *Aurenaissance*. Third overall single "Riverbed (Aspen's Lullaby)" followed in June, matching the previous single's #6 high. Fourth overall single "Aurenaissance II • Creation" was released to critical acclaim, becoming Aurora's fifteenth career #1 on the Platvia HitList, first since 2019's "Playing God", and first since becoming an independent artist. Following a trio of promotional singles, the *Aurenaissance* rollout was temporarily disrupted while Aurora became involved in a private legal dispute with former label Red Rose Records concerning the distribution of her fifth studio album, *Scrapbook: Recycled*. In March 2022, Aurora confirmed a settlement had been reached, and that more *Aurenaissance* material could be expected soon.

## Discography

**Studio albums**

* *Platinum Heart* (2015)
* *Silhouettes* (2015)
* *Diamond Mountain* (2017)
* *Mine* (2017)
* *Scrapbook: Recycled* (2021)
* *Aurenaissance* (2022)

**Reissues**

* *Mine: Multifaceted Edition* (2021)
* *Diamond Mountain: Deluxe* (2021)
* *Silhouettes: Deluxe* (2021)
* *Platinum Heart: Deluxe* (2021)

**Compilation albums**

* *First Place: The #1s* (TBA)

**Extended plays**

* *Heartstorm* (2015)
* *Diamond* (2017)
* *Haus of Cards* (2017)
* *Scrapbook, Pt. I* (2019)
* *Playing God: The Complete Confession* (TBA)

**Box sets**

* *Epiphanies* (TBA)

## Tours

**Headlining tours**

* The Heartstorm Tour (2016)
* The Diamine Tour (2018–2019)
* The Book of Aurenaissance Tour (2021–2022)
* The First Place • Second Wind • Third Wish • Fourth Tour (2023–2024)