American pop singer Ashley J began her diverse musical journey in Orlando, Florida, where she developed her love of songwriting (as well as attaining a blackbelt in taekwondo and practicing ballet). She attended Doctor Phillips High School of Performing Arts and, upon graduating, enrolled at the University of Tulsa, where she began writing material for country artists. Though she had a fondness for country -- some of her biggest inspirations were Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton -- she decided to transition to the pop world. Her first single, "One and One," was released in 2014 and rose to the Top 20 of the Billboard Dance charts. The song recalled the dance-pop of early Lady Gaga, which she repeated on her next single, 2015's "Cali." The club-oriented dance track broke into the Dance chart Top 10 and spawned a bevy of remixes. That same year, before she graduated from the University of North Texas, she signed with Electra Star Group. For her third single, Ashley J took a step away from the big-beat dance numbers and incorporated her country-rock background on the glittering guitar pop of "Dare Ya." With less EDM aggression and a breezy pop sound, "Dare Ya" was an uplifting, feel-good anthem in the vein of Carly Rae Jepsen, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi