Nyanda Janelle Thorbourne, better known by her stage name/mononym Nyanda, is a Jamaican-American recording artist and songwriter from Kingston, Jamaica. Nyanda is a member of the R&B/reggae duo Brick & Lace whose debut album, Love Is Wicked, was released through Geffen / Kon Live in 2007 and featured the chart-topping single "Love Is Wicked". In February 2013, Nyanda released her first promotional single, "Trouble", after announcing that she would be pursuing a solo career in music. Her first official single, "Slippery When Wet", was released in September 2013. Early life Nyanda Thorbourne was born to an African American mother and a Jamaican father in Kingston, Jamaica. She has 3 sisters, Tasha, Nailah and Candace Thorbourne. Nyanda went to Campion College High School during which time her group Brick & Lace was formed. After graduating High School Nyanda studied Marketing at Miami Dade College and then Advertising & Theater at the University of Miami. The name "Nyanda" is a Swahili word which means "plains". Career Brick and Lace (2006–2012) Nyanda's career in music started as a member of the pop/reggae group Brick & Lace. In 2006 Akon signed the group to Konvict Muzik / Geffen Records and released their debut album, Love Is Wicked in 2007. The album spawned four charting singles – "Never Never", "Get That Clear", "Bad to di Bone" and their biggest hit, "Love Is Wicked", which was listed for 97 weeks in 7 different charts. Solo career (2013–present) February 2013 marked the launch of Nyanda's career as a solo artist with the release of her promotional single, "Trouble". Produced by Black Lion, "Trouble" is a remix of Taylor Swift's multi-platinum single "I Knew You Were Trouble" which fuses reggae, dancehall and pop music. "Trouble" entered UK Music Week's Top 30 Urban Club Charts in Week 7 (2013) and remained in the charts for 7 Weeks, peaking at No. 15. Nyanda's first official single, "Slippery When Wet", was initially released as a free download through SoundCloud on 8 March 2013. "Slippery When Wet" entered UK Music Week's Urban Club Charts in Week 27 (2013) and remained in the Top 30 for 5 weeks, peaking at No. 13. It was licensed and officially released later in the year by Cloud 9 (Benelux), Magic Records (Poland & Bulgaria) and Tropic Electric / InGrooves (Rest of the World). "Slippery When Wet" Won the Award for Best Reggae Song at the 2014