Justine Skye tagged along with her mother, an entertainment lawyer, to a music panel held by performance rights organization BMI. During the question-and-answer session, Justine surprised everyone in attendance by asking to sing. In front of various music executives, she performed a cover of Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold." The Brooklyn native subsequently took singing lessons and honed her songwriting, then worked with August Rigo (Justin Bieber, One Direction, Musiq Soulchild) and Eric Hudson (Kanye West, Diddy, August Alsina). Their sessions led to Everyday Living, a confident contemporary R&B EP released on Atlantic in August 2013. The brief collection featured a cover of Aaliyah's "I Don't Wanna." In August 2014, Justine returned with the slow-jam single "Collide," a DJ Mustard production that involved a guest verse from Tyga.