KARLEE GIRL
Biography
Karlee Tanaka (born October 7, 2003), known professionally as KARLEE GIRL, is an American independent solo artist. She made her solo debut on April 25, 2025 with digital single "Little Things".
Appearing on the HYBE x Geffen Records survival show, The Debut: Dream Academy (also known as POPSTAR ACADEMY: KATSEYE via Netflix), she would be eliminated during the second mission.
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Following the show, Karlee chose to remain an independent artist, launching her own brand, Gnarly Karlee LLC. She leveraged her massive TikTok following (under the handle @gnarly.karleeee) to release original music.
In 2025, she released a string of successful singles including "Perfect Crime" and "R.I.P. the idea of you"
In February 2026, she released "Right Back!", which became her most successful commercial release to date, sparking a viral dance challenge across social platforms.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.