Hip-hop/R&B singer and songwriter Lei Avila Santiago, also known as 'Lavils', was born in Rotterdam on November 18, 2001. Her passion for singing began when she was three years old, as her Filipino father always took her to his band rehearsals. Consequently, Lei grew up in the world of music. Her fanbase began to grow when she was 14 years old and started posting vocal covers on Instagram. At the age of 15, she released her first mash-up cover on SoundCloud, which was very well received by her audience. This was a sign for her to pursue music seriously. In 2019, at 17 years old, she started releasing a number of studio-recorded singles and collaborations on Spotify. From that moment on, she began writing her own songs seriously. In 2024, she made a comeback with her track "FIRST PLACE" and secured a collaboration with COLORS Studios. Her song "LIE BACK HARDER" became a huge hit and marked her first breakthrough on an international level.