Devin Star Tailes, known professionally as Dev, was born on July 2, 1989, in Tracy, California, to a real estate agent mother named Lisa and father Riki Tailes.

She grew up in a modest environment and showed early interest in music, posting covers on MySpace as a teenager, including an Amy Winehouse rendition that caught the attention of production duo the Cataracs and their Indie-Pop label.

Dropping out of college after her first year, Dev relocated to Los Angeles in 2009 to collaborate with the Cataracs, quickly gaining traction with tracks like "2Nite," which charted on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay and aired on MTVU.​

Her breakthrough came when her 2009 song "Booty Bounce" was sampled in Far East Movement's "Like a G6," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 2010 and sold over four million copies in the United States, introducing Dev to mainstream audiences.

Signed to Universal Republic Records, she released her debut single "Bass Down Low" in 2010, followed by the hit "In the Dark" in 2011, which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her most successful solo track. Her self-titled debut album, Dev, arrived in 2011, blending electropop, dance, and hip-hop elements, and featured collaborations with the Cataracs while peaking at number 51 on the Billboard 200.​

Dev ventured into acting with small roles in films such as Pitch Perfect (2012), The Internship (2013), and Daddy's Home (2015), often playing party girls or background singers that aligned with her musical persona.

In 2014, she independently released the EPs Bittersweet July Volume 1 and 2, signaling a shift toward more personal songwriting amid label challenges. By 2015, she transitioned into radio hosting on Apple's Beats 1, and in 2016 promoted a second studio album with the single "Lowkey," though it remained unreleased as she focused on independent projects and collaborations.​

Throughout her career, Dev has maintained a lower profile in the late 2010s and 2020s, occasionally releasing music and appearing in media, while partnering long-term with producer Jimmy Gorecki since 2011 and welcoming a child.

Her style, marked by breathy vocals and club-ready hooks, positioned her as a key figure in early 2010s electropop, though she later explored edgier electronic sounds.