2011–2014: A.N.T. Farm and the McClain Sisters
In February 2011, McClain guest-starred on Wizards of Waverly Place (2011). In May, McClain won the NAMIC Vision Award for Best Performance – Actress of Comedy, for her performance as Jazmine Payne. Later that year, McClain was cast as the lead role, Chyna Parks, in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm, which Disney suited for her. She sang and composed the series' theme music titled "Exceptional". For the show, McClain recorded a cover of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite", for which the music video amassed more than 1 million views in under a week after release on YouTube. She appeared in an episode of PrankStars (2011). For the Disney Channel Halloween special in 2011, she performed the song "Calling All the Monsters". On June 14, 2011, McClain and her sisters – known as the McClain Sisters – signed with Hollywood Records.
The A.N.T. Farm soundtrack was released on October 11, 2011, which includes McClain's version of "Dynamite" and her original song "Calling All the Monsters", among other songs performed by her featured in the show with new songs performed by some of her fellow cast members and two songs performed by the McClain Sisters. The soundtrack for the show was successful, spending five weeks on the Billboard Kids chart in 2011, peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200, peaked at number 2 on the US Top Soundtracks, and sold 14,000 copies within the first week of release. On September 28, 2011, McClain released "Calling All the Monsters" to iTunes. "Calling All the Monsters" charted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and received 25,000 downloads within its first week of release. That same month McClain earned a J-14 Teen Icon Award nomination for Icon of Tomorrow.On November 10, 2011, McClain met with the then First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House to speak about the Joining Forces initiative; the next day, Disney Channel aired messages promoting the initiative, which its event recognizes America's military families and children, and brings awareness on Veterans Day. On November 19, 2011, McClain performed at the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago, IL. On November 24, 2011, she performed her song "Unstoppable" at the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In December, McClain and her sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, performed their new version of the song "Jingle Bell Rock" at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.
In February 2012, McClain performed her song "Unstoppable" and guest-starred in the sketch comedy/variety TV series So Random!. Later that month, she received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Youth for her performance as Chyna Parks in A.N.T. Farm. On March 4, 2012, McClain was the opening act alongside her sisters in Houston, TX for the pop male quartet Big Time Rush on their Better with U Tour. On March 11, 2012, the McClain Sisters performed their new song called "Rise", featured in the Disneynature film Chimpanzee, at the Mall of America. The song was released on March 23, 2012. The music video premiered on March 25, 2012 during an episode of Austin & Ally. It was also a featured song for Disney's Friends for Change.
McClain also sang theme music for the first three seasons for the Disney Channel animated children's TV series Doc McStuffins, which premiered on March 23, 2012, and guest-starred later that year as Tisha McStuffins, the title character's cousin. On April 9, 2012, McClain performed at the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll with her sisters. In September, McClain earned a nomination for another J-14 Teen Icon Award as an Iconic Triple Threat. In December, it was announced that she was nominated for another NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth for A.N.T. Farm. Billboard also named her the sixth best-selling artist for digital kids' songs in 2012.
McClain was one of the award presenters at the 2013 Radio Disney Music Awards in April. In July, she reprised her role as Charlotte McKenzie in the 2013 sequel Grown Ups 2. On December 27, 2013, it was announced on her Twitter page that A.N.T. Farm would be ending after its third season. The series finale aired on March 21, 2014. On the same day, it was revealed that the McClain Sisters had left Hollywood Records. The McClain Sisters changed their name to simply McClain, their last names.
In the March/April 2014 issue of BYOU magazine, McClain stated it was "bittersweet" that A.N.T Farm was ending, and announced plans to focus on doing music with her sisters. For her performance in the series, in 2014, McClain won both the NAMIC Vision Award for Best Performance – Actress of Comedy, and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth.
In April 2014, it was announced that McClain would compete as one of the celebrity contestants on ABC's Sing Your Face Off (2014). She competed from May to June of that year, performing as several iconic singers: Rihanna, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, James Brown, and Whitney Houston; she won the show's first and only season. In August, McClain starred in the Disney Channel television film How to Build a Better Boy (2014) alongside Kelli Berglund, and released the single "Something Real" which was featured in the film. For her performance, McClain received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Youth. In August 2014, McClain hosted the 19th Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, and also performed with her sisters. In November 2014, McClain guest-starred on R.L. Stine's The Haunted Hour in the episode "Argh V".
