North West is 12, has a debut EP and is about to headline a 14-city North American tour

North West is 12 years old, has a debut EP she wrote and produced herself, and is about to headline 14 cities across North America.

The Kimokawaii Tour – a co-headlining run with rapper Molly Santana, kicks off in Dallas on 5th August and wraps in Los Angeles on 27th August, a few days after North turns 13. Presales opened 17 June and general tickets went live on 19 June. Venues are intimate, which means they will go fast.

The EP, N0rth4evr, arrived earlier this year. North performed and co-produced every track herself. Before that came the single "PIERCING ON MY HAND" in February, which gave the first real taste of where her sound was heading: sharp, self-assured, and not particularly interested in being described as a celebrity kid who got lucky with genetics.

That framing gets complicated, of course, when your parents are Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

The nepotism conversation has followed every announcement and it is largely unavoidable. But the louder debate right now is a different one: what does it mean to raise a child star in 2026, when the public eye is relentless and the pressure to perform starts before the kid even finishes primary school? Reports of eight-hour studio days at 12 have drawn real criticism, regardless of how talented North clearly is.

She seems committed to the work. Whether the industry lets her grow on her own terms is the part worth watching.