Karen O

Karen O is one of the most electrifying frontwomen of the 21st century, a whirlwind of beer-spitting chaos on stage who could turn around and deliver something as tender and devastating as 'Maps.' The Yeah Yeah Yeahs defined a huge chunk of early-2000s art-rock cool, and her fearless, fashion-forward stage presence influenced a generation. What I love most is the contrast: she's equally convincing as a punk banshee and as a hushed, vulnerable balladeer. The Oscar nomination for 'The Moon Song' showed just how much emotional range hides behind the wild persona.

Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek on November 22, 1978, in Busan, South Korea) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She is the lead vocalist of the New York rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who emerged in the early 2000s indie scene with hits such as 'Maps.' She has also released solo work and earned an Academy Award nomination for the song 'The Moon Song' from the film Her.

Name (English)

Karen O

Name (Japanese)

カレンO

Reading

かれんO

Born

November 22, 1978 (age 47)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Scorpio / Horse

Origin

Busan, South Korea

Blood type

Private

Height

Private

Agency

Private

Occupation

Singer / Recording artist / Rock singer / Musician

Elementary school

Private

Junior high

Private

High school

Private

University

Oberlin College

Spouse

Private

Children

Private

Parents

Private

Siblings

Private

Motto

Private

• Official sitehttps://karenomusic.com
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/ko/
• Xhttps://x.com/kareno
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3O

Tags

• From the United States
• Singer
• Recording artist
• Rock singer

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.