Snoh Aalegra

Snoh Aalegra is the global face of contemporary R&B, a singer/songwriter who personifies the genre’s cross-cultural appeal. She’s gone by many names: She was born Shahrzad Fooladi to Iranian immigrant parents in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1987, but her last name was changed to Nowrozi when she was 12 during her parents’ fraught divorce. By age nine, she was penning songs, and she signed with Sony at 13, but the label kept her under wraps for years; she eventually released two charting singles in Sweden at age 23 under the moniker Sheri. But despite the songs’ success, dance pop was not her first love: She’d grown up listening to Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson, and Stevie Wonder, and both her songwriting and singing—the statuesque singer is possessed of a husky alto that would make Mary J. Blige proud—harked back to a different era. None other than Prince took note, mentoring her for three years before his death in 2016. (In a characteristic stroke of high praise, he told her she had an “analog” voice.) She changed her name to Snoh Aalegra and moved to the U.S., signing with ARTium Recordings and appearing on labelmate Common’s 2014 album Nobody’s Smiling. In 2015 she released the RZA-produced “Emotional,” which drew flattering comparisons to Amy Winehouse. She also evinced left-field ambitions, guesting on Vince Staples’ “Jump off the Roof” that same year and supporting Daniel Caesar on tour in 2017. Her first album, 2017’s Feels, drew heavily on the retro vibe; the amusingly titled 2019 follow-up Ugh, those feels again, moved in a more contemporary direction, with songs like “I Want You Around” and “Find Someone Like You” showcasing her penchant for intimate, cinematic soul.