Born and raised in a Jamaican household in the London Borough of Newham, Tiana Thomas absorbed numerous styles of music, sang in church, and was particularly drawn to jazz and R&B. Naming themself Tiana Major9, after one of their favourite chords, they gained some notice in 2014 as a finalist in MOBO's UnSung competition. Her first commercial recordings arrived in 2017 and 2018 with the singles "Merry Go", "Levee (Let It Break)" and "Mr. Mysterious" baring inspirations such as Lauryn Hill, Marsha Ambrosius, and Jazmine Sullivan.