Paula De'Anda was born in San Angelo, Texas, and spent her formative years in Corpus Christi, the hometown of her idol, the renowned Tejano-Soul singer Selena Quintanilla. She was raised by her father, Estévan De'aanda, a restaurant owner and Angelo State University faculty member, and her mother, Barbara De'Anda, a nurse at their local hospital and clinics. From a young age, Paula demonstrated a natural talent for singing, joining her church's choir and participating in local talent shows. By the time she was in her early teens, she had already started recording music at local studios, eventually catching the attention of Clive Davis at Artista Records.
Davis took Paula under his wing, putting her on tour with notable artists such as Baby Bash, Lil' Bow Wow, Ne-Yo, Jojo, and Nivea. Her breakout single, "Doing too Much," received critical acclaim and nominations from MTV. By the age of sixteen, Paula had already released a certified Gold self-titled studio album. Her early success led her to work on multiple projects, including a film for MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen spin-off and a sophomore album.
As she continued to hone her craft, Paula developed an interest in modeling, signing a joint deal with Clive Davis. However, in 2009, Davis parted ways with Jive and Arista Records, and Paula followed suit. Her last singles, "Roll it" and "Besos," were released digitally, along with two shelved album projects.
Paula took a hiatus from music for two years, releasing limited singles and covers of famous tracks, including a remix of Drake's "Marvin's Room" with JoJo. Her performance of the National Anthem at the world broadcast of "Canelo vs. Trout" brought her back into the spotlight, inspiring her to release an E.P. and audition for NBC's The Voice.
After her time on The Voice, Paula released a mixtape titled "The Voices & The Beats" and a cover of Ariana Grande's "The Way," which garnered widespread acclaim. She then took another hiatus to re-engage herself in modeling. Eventually, she performed the Star Spangled Banner once again for the rematch of Canelo vs. GGG, which was broadcasted on live television.
Paula later returned to release a digital single "Don't Werk" with producer Chad Dexter, which drew significant attention. She continued to release digital singles, including a reunion with Baby Bash and a sampled track from Cassie titled "Me, You, Naw." Her success culminated in 2019 with the release of two titled singles, "Roll It" and "I Don't Wanna Wait," featuring Rico Rossi & M-Status.
