Biography

French pop singer Jain has earned acclaim for her vibrant multicultural style influenced by the many places she has called home. Growing up in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and the Congo, she soaked up the distinctive musics and cultures of these locales. By her teens she was combining Arabic and African rhythms with electronics and dance music production that also spoke to her Parisian sophistication. It was a distinctive sound, rife with urban style and political awareness, that helped build her fan base online and win her plaudits for her debut album, Zanaka, which went gold in 2016 and earned a nomination at France's Victoires de la Musique awards. Born Jeanne Galice in Toulouse, France in 1992, Jain has roots in Madagascar (her mother is half Malagasy) and moved to Dubai at age nine and then the Congo during high school, where she began experimenting with music, notably with producer Mr. Flash. After graduation, she returned to Paris for art school. Along the way, she latched onto the music from these areas of her youth -- such as French techno, Arabic percussion, and the rhythms of Africa -- and combined them into her own style. She released her debut EP, Hope, in 2015. Produced by French singer/songwriter Yodelice, Hope included the singles "Come" and "Makeba," about South African singer and civil rights icon Miriam Makeba. These songs caught the ear of Jaden Smith, which led to radio play on his Beats 1 radio show and increased her international exposure. Her full-length debut LP, Zanaka, was released at the end of 2015 and was certified gold in France in February 2016. She also earned a nomination for Album Révélation at France's Victoires de la Musique awards. Several non-album singles followed, including 2017's "Dynabeat" and 2018's "Alright." August 2018 saw the release of Jain's sophomore LP, Souldier. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi