Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde (born 15 May 1996), better known by her stage name Birdy, is an English singer and songwriter. She won the music competition Open Mic UK in 2008, at the age of 12. Her debut single, a cover version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love", was her breakthrough, charting all across Europe and earning platinum certification six times in Australia. Her self-titled debut album, Birdy, was released on 7 November 2011 to similar success, peaking at number one in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands. Her second studio album, Fire Within, was released on 23 September 2013 in the UK. At the 2014 Brit Awards, she was nominated for Best British Female Solo Artist. Her third studio album, Beautiful Lies, was released on 25 March 2016. Her fourth studio album Young Heart was released on 30 April 2021. Early life Birdy was born on 15 May 1996, in Lymington, England, United Kingdom. Her father is Rupert Oliver Benjamin van den Bogaerde, a writer; her mother is Sophie Patricia (née Roper-Curzon), a concert pianist. Birdy learned to play the piano at the age of seven, and began writing her own music at the age of eight. She stated that listening to classical music and the songs her mother played has been a big influence on her sound. Her parents were married in 1995 and have two other children: Jake, born in 1997, and Caitlin in 1999. She also has two elder half-brothers, Moses and Sam, from her father's first marriage. Birdy studied at Durlston Court Prep School in Barton on Sea, at Priestlands School, and at Brockenhurst College, a sixth form college in the New Forest. Her maternal grandfather was Captain John Christopher Ingram Roper-Curzon, the 20th Baron Teynham, and she grew up on the family estate near Lymington, Hampshire. Her great-uncle was the actor Sir Dirk Bogarde. She has English, Belgian (Flemish), Dutch and Scottish ancestry. Birdy's second given name, Lucilla, was the name of her father's stepmother. Birdy's stage name comes from the nickname her parents gave her as a baby, because she opened her mouth like a little bird when being fed. Career 2008–2012: Early career In 2008, while still a 12-year-old pupil at Durlston Court Preparatory School, Birdy won the UK talent contest Open Mic UK, a spinoff of the Live and Unsigned competition. She won both the under-18s category and the Grand