U.K. vocalist JayO bridges the gap between R&B and Afrobeat on singles like his 2022 debut "XO” and 2023's breakout "22.”
Born in the North London town of Tottenham, JayO gravitated toward music at a young age, taking in the sounds of his church, music heard on trips to his parents' native Nigeria, and songs on his sister's iPod by American acts like Kanye West, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar.
He pursued music in earnest as a teenager, cutting songs with his lifelong best friend and schoolmate, songwriter/producer RZ, in a makeshift studio built in a shed behind RZ's family home. After briefly pursuing a college degree in marketing and experimenting with a number of styles on SoundCloud, JayO finally homed in on a sound all his own: smooth, evocative R&B vocals over rhythmic, Afrobeats-inspired production and lyrics full of youthful yearning.
After "XO” became a runaway hit and "22” surged exponentially higher, JayO signed to London's 0207 Def Jam, released the singles "Back” and "Often,” and made a splash with a set at All Points East in London, part of a day of live music curated by British rapper Stormzy.
-Amazon Music~ Mike Duquette
From: Tottenham, North London
Genre(s):
R&B,
Afrobeats
Instrument(s):
Vocals
Active From: 2022-present
Influences:
Kanye West,
J. Cole,
Kendrick Lamar