Jalen Ngonda
Jalen Ngonda | |
|---|---|
_(27007847730).jpg) N'Gonda performing in Brighton in 2016 | |
| Born | Jalen N'Gonda 1994 (age 30–31) |
| Education | Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, keyboard, drums |
| Labels | |
Jalen N'Gonda (stylized as Jalen Ngonda; born 1994) is an American musician based in England. He came to prominence with the release of his debut studio album Come Around and Love Me (2023), and is known for his Motown-inspired soul music. N'Gonda is primarily a singer, but also plays various instruments during live performances.[1]
Early life
[edit]Jalen N'Gonda was born in Wheaton, Maryland in 1994.[2] At age 11, N'Gonda discovered his love of Motown after listening to "My Girl" by The Temptations from his father's record collection. Eventually, his parents saved up to purchase N'Gonda a Fender Squier.[3] By age 16, N'Gonda was proficient in drums, guitar, piano and singing.[3]
At age 19, N'Gonda watched a documentary about a New York performing arts school and began to plan for his future, before learning about the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. N'Gonda enquired about enrolling, with the school's response indicating they had listened to his music on SoundCloud and personally encouraged him to apply. With funds raised from N'Gonda's family and local church, he secured a place at LIPA and booked a one-way flight to Liverpool to pursue a career in music.[4]
Career
[edit]Shortly after graduating from LIPA, N'Gonda continued to produce and self-release his music, performing songs at local shows in Liverpool. Within a couple of years, N'Gonda had received multiple offers from record labels, performed at London's Royal Festival Hall and supported Lauryn Hill and Martha Reeves on tour.[5]
In 2022, N'Gonda signed with Daptone Records to record his debut studio album Come Around and Love Me (2023).[6] The album peaked at #68 on the UK Albums Chart, #4 on the UK Album Downloads Chart, and reached #1 on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart.[7] The album released to critical acclaim, and received praise from Snoop Dogg, Kehlani, and Olivia Dean.[4][8] Elton John included the album's title track on his list of favorite 2023 songs, and further labelled N'Gonda as an artist to watch.[9][10]
In August 2024, N'Gonda performed on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury Festival, and returned in June 2025 on The Park stage with The Guardian calling the performance "stunning".[11]
In February 2024, N'Gonda released the single "Illusions", which peaked at #78 on the UK Singles Sales Chart.[12][13] In October 2024, N'Gonda released "Anyone in Love", which peaked at #21 on the UK Singles Sales Chart, and #14 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart.[14][15]
In 2025, Rolling Stone included N'Gonda in their annual Future of Music list, describing him as the "leading soul revivalist of this decade".[16] In April 2025, N'Gonda won Soul Act of the Year at the Jazz FM Awards.[17]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK [18] |
SCO [18] | ||
| Come Around and Love Me |
|
68 | 33 |
EPs
[edit]- Talking About Mary (2018)
Singles
[edit]| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [18] |
AUS [19] |
IRE [20] |
NZ [21] | ||||
| "Holler (When You Call My Name)" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Why I Try" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Need You" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "I Guess That Makes Me a Loser" | 2018 | — | — | — | — | Talking About Mary | |
| "We Fell Out of Love" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Just Like You Used To" | 2022 | 85 | — | — | — | Come Around and Love Me | |
| "What a Difference She Made" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "If You Don't Want My Love" | 2023 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Come Around and Love Me" | 9 | — | — | — | |||
| "That's All I Wanted From You" | 41 | — | — | — | |||
| "So Glad I Found You" | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Illusions" | 2024 | 78 | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| "Here to Stay" | 54 | — | — | — | |||
| "Anyone in Love" | 14 | — | — | — | |||
| "Just As Long As We're Together" | 2025 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes recording that did not chart in that territory. | |||||||
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Awards | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jazz FM Awards | Soul Act of the Year | Jalen Ngonda | Won | [17] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Jalen Ngonda: 2023". wfuv.org. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ "Jalen Ngonda pays homage to his hometown on new single 'Just As Long As We're Together'". DIY. March 13, 2025. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b "Soul singer Jalen Ngonda: 'I don't want to write something I can't feel'". The Independent. October 6, 2024. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
- ^ a b Paton, Ryan (March 9, 2025). "'I travelled 3,500 miles to Liverpool to make my dreams come true'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "Jalen Ngonda on his debut album 'Come Around and Love Me'". DIY. September 16, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Morris, Damien (September 9, 2023). "One to watch: Jalen Ngonda". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "COME AROUND AND LOVE ME". Official Charts. September 17, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "Biography". Jalen Ngonda. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Duran, Anagricel (December 18, 2023). "These are Elton John's 15 favourite songs of 2023". NME. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Reilly, Nick (March 25, 2025). "Elton John reveals the new artists he's currently excited about". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (June 28, 2025). "Glastonbury 2025: Friday with the 1975, Lorde, Busta Rhymes and more – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "ILLUSIONS". Official Charts. March 28, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Murray, Robin (February 22, 2024). "Jalen Ngonda Shares Lush, Soulful New Single 'Illusions'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Carter, Daisy (October 1, 2024). "Jalen Ngonda shares soulful new cut 'Anyone In Love'". DIY. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "ANYONE IN LOVE". Official Charts. December 12, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ Reilly, Nick; Richards, Will; Richards, Nick Reilly & Will (March 20, 2025). "Rolling Stone UK's Future of Music 2025: see the full list". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "2025 Soul Act of the Year". Jazz FM Awards. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c Peak chart positions in the United Kingdom:
- For all except where noted: "Jalen Ngonda full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company.
- For "Come Around and Love Me": "Come Around and Love Me Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 7, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ "Top 100 Singles, Week Ending 4 July 2025". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ "Official Top 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. June 20, 2025. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
- 1994 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American male singers
- 21st-century American male singers
- 21st-century American musicians
- American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters
- Daptone Records artists
- American soul singers
- Singer-songwriters from Maryland
- Alumni of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts