Nao (singer)

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Nao
Nao in 2018
Nao in 2018
Background information
Birth nameNeo Jessica Joshua
Born (1987-12-22) 22 December 1987 (age 36)[1]
Nottingham, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • synthesizer
Years active2014–present
Labels
  • Little Tokyo Recordings
  • RCA
Websitewww.thisnao.com

Neo Jessica Joshua (born 20 December 1987), better known as Nao (/ˈneɪoʊ/[2]), is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from East London.[6][7] Her sound has been described as soul combined with electronic music, funk and R&B.[6] Nao coined the term "wonky funk" to describe her style.[8][9] She released her debut album, For All We Know, in 2016, her second album, Saturn, in 2018, followed by her most recent album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, released in 2021.

Background and early life[edit]

Nao is the youngest of five children in her mother's house, but is the only child of her mother and father, who raised her “as friends” between London and Nottingham, where he lives. Her single “Another Lifetime” was dedicated to her mother. She is of Jamaican, Vincentian, and Grenadinian descent.[10]

She studied vocal jazz at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and went on to be a backing singer for artists such as Kwabs and Jarvis Cocker.[6][11] For six years up to 2014 she sang in an all-girl a cappella group called The Boxettes.[12][13]

Career[edit]

In October 2014 she released her first EP, So Good, it reached number 4 on the iTunes electronic chart and the title track made the BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra national playlists in the United Kingdom.[6][7][14] This was followed by a second EP, 15 February (II MMXV), in May 2015,[14] receiving the "Best New Music" tag from Pitchfork. Nao made her hit “Another Lifetime” for her mother.[11] In September 2015 Nao was named as a nominee for best newcomer at the 2015 MOBO Awards.[15] Nao was a featured vocalist and writer on Disclosure's UK number 1 album, Caracal, on the track "Superego".[16] She was featured in the long list for the BBC Sound of... 2016 prize in November 2015, ultimately being named in third place in January 2016.[17] Nao also featured as a co-writer on the track "Velvet / Jenny Francis (Interlude)" on Stormzy's debut album Gang Signs & Prayer.

Her debut album, For All We Know, was released on 29 July 2016, leading to a Brit Award Nomination for Best British Female Solo Artist.[9]

In 2017, she released a buzz single, entitled "Nostalgia", as she tells fans that she was back in the studio recording material for her second album. During that time, she also appeared as a co-writer in Mura Masa's self-titled debut album on the song "Nothing Else!", featuring Jamie Lidell.

In mid-2018, she revealed that her next single was to be called "Another Lifetime" and co-written and produced by debut album affiliates Grades and Stint. It was eventually released in June 2018. She also performed live with Chic and Mura Masa on the song "Boogie All Night", which is included on Chic's 2018 comeback album It's About Time; she is a featured artist on the song alongside Mura Masa. She released her second album Saturn on 26 October 2018. Saturn respectively received nominations for Album of the Year at the Mercury Prize in 2019 and Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards in 2020.

On 29 July 2021, Nao revealed details of her third album, And Then Life Was Beautiful, which was released on September 24, 2021.[18]

Personal life[edit]

On 15 January 2020, Nao announced via Instagram that she was expecting her first child.[19] She gave birth to a girl on 11 June 2020.[20] In 2021, Nao announced that she would not be touring for her third album because of her diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.[21]

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
[22] 		UK
R&B
[23] 		BEL
(FL)
[24] 		NLD
[25] 		SWI
[26] 		US
Dance
[27] 		US
Heat.
[28] 		US
R&B
[29]
For All We Know
  • Released: 29 July 2016
  • Label: RCA, Little Tokyo
  • Formats: Digital download, LP, CD
 17 5 53 76 68 3 9 8
Saturn
  • Released: 26 October 2018[30]
  • Label: RCA, Little Tokyo
  • Formats: Digital download, LP, CD
 56 2 — — — — 20 —
And Then Life Was Beautiful
  • Released: 24 September 2021[31]
  • Label: RCA, Little Tokyo
  • Formats: Digital download, LP, CD
 63 1 — — — — — —
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Extended plays[edit]

Title Details
So Good
  • Released: 27 October 2014[citation needed]
  • Label: Little Tokyo
  • Format: Digital download
15 February
  • Released: 1 May 2015[citation needed]
  • Label: Little Tokyo
  • Format: Digital download
For All We Know – The Remixes
  • Released: 12 February 2017[citation needed]
  • Label: Little Tokyo
  • Format: Digital download

Singles[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
BEL
(FL)
Tip
[24] 		US
Adult
R&B
[32]
"So Good" 2014 — — So Good
"Zillionaire" — — 15 February
"Bad Blood"[33] 2015 57 — For All We Know
"Fool to Love" 2016 — —
"Girlfriend" — —
"In the Morning" 2017 — —
"Nostalgia"[34] — — Non-album single
"Another Lifetime"[35] 2018 — — Saturn
"Complicated"[36]
(with Mura Masa) 		23 — Non-album single
"Make It Out Alive"[37]
(featuring SiR) 		— 25 Saturn
"If You Ever"[38]
(featuring 6lack) 		— —
"Orbit" 2019 — —
"Woman"
(featuring Lianne La Havas)[39] 		2020 — — And Then Life Was Beautiful
"Antidote"
(featuring Adekunle Gold)[40] 		2021 — —
"Messy Love"[41] — —
"And Then Life Was Beautiful" — —
"Balance"[42]
(featuring Skillibeng) 		2023 — — TBA
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Promotional singles[edit]

Title Year Album
"Drive and Disconnect"[43] 2018 Saturn
"Curiosity"[44]

As featured artist[edit]

Title Year Album
"Firefly"[45]
(Mura Masa featuring Nao) 		2015 Mura Masa
"Heart Storm"
(Serpentwithfeet featuring Nao) 		2021 Deacon

Guest appearances[edit]

Title Year Artist(s) Album Notes
"Make You Mine"[citation needed] 2015 Kwabs Love + War Background vocalist with Cass Lowe
"Superego"[46] Disclosure Caracal Featured vocalist
"Brake Lights"[47] 2018 Cosha R.I.P. Bonzai
"Boogie All Night"[48] Nile Rodgers & Chic It's About Time

Songwriting credits[edit]

Title Year Artist(s) Album Credits
"Be Alright"[49] 2016 Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman Co-writer
"Velvet / Jenny Francis (Interlude)"[citation needed] 2017 Stormzy Gang Signs & Prayer
"Nothing Else!"[citation needed]
(featuring Jamie Lidell) 		Mura Masa Mura Masa
"Till the World Falls"[citation needed]
(featuring Mura Masa, Cosha & Vic Mensa) 		2018 Nile Rodgers & Chic It's About Time
"Where Are You Now"[50] 2021 Danny L Harle Harlecore
"Boomerang" 2023 Jamila Woods Water Made Us

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Organisation Award Nominee/work Result Ref.
2016 BBC Sound of 2016 Herself Third [51]
UK Music Video Awards Best Urban Video - UK "Bad Blood" Won [52]
Best Cinematography Nominated
2017 Brit Awards Best British Female Solo Artist Herself [53]
2018 UK Music Video Awards Best Pop Video - UK "Another Lifetime" [54]
2019 Pop Awards Album Of The Year Award Saturn [55]
Mercury Prize Album of the Year
2020 Grammy Awards Best Urban Contemporary Album

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Little Tokyo Recordings Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "A Moment With Nao, Soul Singer on the Verge". NPR. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  3. ^ Beta, Andy (28 July 2016). "Meet Nao, Avant-R&B Star Moving From Back-Up Singer Shadows". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  4. ^ Myers, Owen. "Meet NAO, The Avant-Soul Artist Who's All About Good Vibes". The Fader. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  5. ^ Ganatra, Shilpa (29 July 2016). "Avant-soul sensation Nao moves the full 20ft closer to stardom". The Irish Times. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d "BBC Music Sound of...2016 – NAO". BBC. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b "NAO on iTunes". Apple iTunes. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  8. ^ Mokoena, Tshepo (21 January 2016). "The sound of Nao: from teenage choir teacher to creator of 'wonky funk'". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  9. ^ a b "British Singer NAO brings 'Wonky Funk' to life". University of Missouri–Kansas City. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  10. ^ "Instagram".
  11. ^ a b "Glastonbury 2015". BBC Music. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  12. ^ "The Boxettes, Kings Place". The Arts Desk. 13 January 2012.
  13. ^ "This All-Female Beatbox Group's Awesome Rudimental Cover Is Anything But Basic". HuffPost. 15 August 2014.
  14. ^ a b "New band of the week: Nao". The Guardian. 28 August 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  15. ^ "Grime and hip-hop artists JME and Krept And Konan dominate Mobo nominations". BBC Newsbeat. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  16. ^ "Caracal by Disclosure". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  17. ^ "BBC Music Sound of 2016 longlist – listen to the nominees". The Guardian. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  18. ^ Monroe, Jazz (29 July 2021). "Nao Announces New Album And Then Life Was Beautiful, Shares Song". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Singer NAO Is Pregnant! Here's Four Reasons She'll Be The Coolest Mom Ever". Essence. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  20. ^ @thisNAO (11 June 2020). "Welcome to Planet Earth baby girl 💛 I..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ^ "Nao interview: 'I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – I won't tour this album'". The Independent. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  22. ^ "NAO | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  23. ^ Peak chart positions for albums on the UK R&B Albums Chart:
  24. ^ a b "Discografie Nao" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Discografie Nao" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  26. ^ "Discographie Nao". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  27. ^ "Nao Chart History: Top Dance/Electronic Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  28. ^ "Nao Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  29. ^ "Nao Chart History: Top R&B Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  30. ^ "Saturn by Nao". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  31. ^ Kenneally, Cerys (29 July 2021). "Nao announces third album with title-track "And Then Life Was Beautiful"". Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  32. ^ "Nao Chart History (Adult R&B Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  33. ^ "Bad Blood – Single by NAO". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  34. ^ "Nostalgia - Single by Nao". iTunes (UK). 15 September 2017.
  35. ^ "Another Lifetime - Single by Nao". iTunes (UK). 15 June 2018.
  36. ^ "Complicated - Single by Mura Masa & NAO". iTunes (UK). 2 August 2018.
  37. ^ "Make It Out Alive (feat. SiR) - Single by Nao". iTunes (UK). 31 August 2018.
  38. ^ "If You Ever (feat. 6LACK) - Single by Nao". iTunes (UK). 25 October 2018.
  39. ^ "Woman (feat. Lianne La Havas)- Single by Nao". Apple Music. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Antidote (feat. Adekunle Gold)- Single by Nao". Apple Music. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  41. ^ "Messy Love - Single by Nao". Apple Music. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  42. ^ "Balance (feat. Skillibeng)- Single by Nao". Apple Music. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  43. ^ "NAO releases "Drive and Disconnect" off her upcoming album". Revolt. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  44. ^ "Nao shares "Curiosity"". The Fader. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  45. ^ "Someday Somewhere by Mura Masa". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  46. ^ "Caracal by Disclosure". iTunes (US). 25 September 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  47. ^ "R.I.P Bonzai by Cosha". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  48. ^ "It's About Time by Nile Rodgers & Chic". iTunes (UK). Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  49. ^ "ACE Repertory". Ascap.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  50. ^ "Try the TIDAL Web Player".
  51. ^ Savage, Mark (8 January 2016). "Jack Garratt tops BBC Sound of 2016 list". BBC News. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  52. ^ "UK Music Video Awards 2016: all the winners!". Promonews. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  53. ^ "Brit awards 2017 winners – the full list". The Guardian. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  54. ^ "UK MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS 2018 WINNERS CROWNED". M Magazine. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  55. ^ "Pop Awards 2019, the 2nd annual Pop Awards". Pop Awards. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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