Yael Naim
| Yael Naïm | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Yael Naïm |
| Born | 6 February 1978 Paris, France |
| Origin | Paris, France |
| Genres | Indie folk, new wave |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter |
| Instruments | Piano, Guitar, Ukulele |
| Years active | 2000 – present |
| Labels | Warner Music France Tôt ou tard |
| Website | www.yaelweb.com |
Yael Naïm (Hebrew: יעל נעים, born 6 February 1978 in Paris, France), is a Franco-Israeli singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in 2008 in the US after her hit single "New Soul" was used by Apple in an advertising campaign for its MacBook Air. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Contents |
Biography [edit]
Yael Naïm was born in Paris, France to Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Tunisia. At the age of four, she moved with her family to Ramat HaSharon, Israel, where she spent the rest of her childhood. She served in the Israel Defense Forces as a soloist in the Israeli Air Force Orchestra.[1]
She began her singing career with a part in the musical Les Dix Commandements[2] and her first solo album, In a Man's Womb (recorded in Los Angeles with Kamil Rustam), was released in 2001. She also sang the song "You Disappear" by Bruno Coulais for the film Harrison's Flowers. In her early work, she was credited simply as Yaël. She also performed a duet with Din Din Aviv titled "Mashmauyot".[3]
Naïm joined with percussionist David Donatien and, over a period of two years, they arranged and recorded thirteen of Naïm's songs in a studio in her apartment in Paris.[4] These were released as her second album, Yael Naïm, on 22 October 2007, on the Tôt ou tard label. The songs are in French, English and Hebrew and received critical acclaim.[2] The album entered the French album chart at No. 11 the week after its release. Her style has been described as having a touch of folk and a touch of jazz, with mysterious and evocative words sung with a delicate and intentionally husky voice.[5]
In January 2008, Apple featured her song "New Soul" in its debut commercial for the MacBook Air laptop. Steve Jobs himself picked the song "New Soul" for the launch of the MacBook Air.[6][7] Owing to high U.S. digital sales, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week of 16 February 2008, at No. 9, becoming Naïm's first U.S. top ten single, and making her the first Israeli solo artist to ever have a top ten hit in the United States. "New Soul" moved up to No. 7 the following week. The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the movies The House Bunny and Wild Target.[8]
Her third album was released in November 2010. The first single from this new record was "Go to the River".
Discography [edit]
Studio albums [edit]
- 2001 – In a Man's Womb
- 2007 – Yael Naïm
- 2010 – She Was a Boy
Singles [edit]
- 2001 – "You Disappear"
- 2001 – "Do I Do"
- 2001 – "Avril"
- 2007 – "Toxic"
- 2008 – "New Soul"
- 2008 – "Too Long"
- 2009 – "Far Far"
- 2010 – "Go to the River"
- 2010 – "The Only One"
- 2011 – "Come Home"
Awards and nominations [edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Victoires de la Musique | Album of the Year (World Music Category) | Won |
| NRJ Music Awards | Francophone Revelation of the Year | Nominated | |
| Prix Constantin | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Victoires de la Musique | Best Female Singer of the Year | Nominated |
| 2011 | Victoires de la Musique | Best Female Singer of the Year | Won |
TV [edit]
Naïm's voice was used in a Season 21 episode of The Simpsons, entitled "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed". Naïm voiced Dorit, the niece of an Israeli tour guide named Jakob (voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen).
Her single "Come Home" was in an episode of Season 7 of Grey's Anatomy and in episode 6 of the ABC Family series Switched at Birth.
References [edit]
- ^ Shechnik, Raz (29 July 2008). "Yael Naim makes the cut". Ynetnews. Retrieved 29 July 2008.
- ^ a b Yael Naïm – News http://artists.letssingit.com/yael-naim-jv79n/news/
- ^ YouTube – Din Din Aviv and Yael Naim – Mashmauyot
- ^ YAEL NAIM & David Donatien http://www.myspace.com/yaelnaim
- ^ Yael Naïm – Chanson http://www.telerama.fr/musique/20994-yael_naim.php
- ^ Mac Ad Raises Yael Naim's Profile : NPR Music
- ^ Hey, Let's Write a Song Called "Steve Jobs Is Dreamy" 100 And Single, Idolator. Accessed 12 February 2008
- ^ Apple Inc. eM Publications "First, the company popularized Canadian singer Feist's "1234" song in its ad campaign. Later, Apple used the song "New Soul" by French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naïm to promote the MacBook Air. The debut single shot to ..."
External links [edit]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yael Naim |
- Official website
- Official blog
- Yael Naïm's 'New Soul' Review on Daily Music Guide
- Official biography (French)
- Yael Naïm at Allmusic
- "Nice to meet you" – article about Yael Naïm on NRG.il (Hebrew)
- “Apple Macbook air” commercial video song by Yaël Naïm
- Yaël Naïm at NPR Music
- "Cinderella Song" – Interview with Yaël Naïm in Ha'aretz by Tidhar Wald
| Preceded by Canta by Agnès Jaoui 2007 |
Victoires de la Musique World music album of the year Yael Naïm by Yael Naïm 2008 |
Succeeded by most recent |
|
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Atlantic Records artists
- French emigrants to Israel
- Israeli female singers
- Israeli Jews
- French Jews
- Israeli pop singers
- Jewish singers
- People from Tel Aviv District
- Sephardi Jews
- Ukulele players
- French voice actors
- Actors from Paris
- French people of Tunisian-Jewish descent
- Israeli voice actors
- Musicians from Paris
