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Nao
Nao Piknik i Parken 2018 (210006).jpg
Nao in 2018
Background information
Birth name Neo Jessica Joshua
Born (1987-12-22) 22 December 1987 (age 36)
Nottingham, England
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
  • synthesizer
Years active 2014–present
Labels
  • Little Tokyo Recordings
  • RCA
Associated acts
  • Jai Paul
  • A.K. Paul
  • Kwes.
  • Grades
  • Mura Masa

Neo Jessica Joshua (born 20 December 1987), better known as Nao (/ˈn/), is an English singer-songwriter and record producer from East London. Her sound has been described as soul combined with electronic music, funk and R&B. Nao coined the term "wonky funk" to describe her style. 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

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.

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. For six years up to 2014 she sang in an all-girl a cappella group called The Boxettes.

Career

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. This was followed by a second EP, 15 February (II MMXV), in May 2015, receiving the "Best New Music" tag from Pitchfork. Nao made her hit “Another Lifetime” for her mother. In September 2015 Nao was named as a nominee for best newcomer at the 2015 MOBO Awards. Nao was a featured vocalist and writer on Disclosure's UK number 1 album, Caracal, on the track "Superego". 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. 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.

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.

Personal life

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

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
UK
UK
R&B
BEL
(FL)

NLD
SWI
US
Dance

US
Heat.

US
R&B
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
  • Label: RCA, Little Tokyo
  • Formats: Digital download, LP, CD
56 2 20
And Then Life Was Beautiful
  • Released: 24 September 2021
  • 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

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

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
BEL
(FL)
Tip

US
Adult
R&B
"So Good" 2014 So Good
"Zillionaire" 15 February
"Bad Blood" 2015 57 For All We Know
"Fool to Love" 2016
"Girlfriend"
"In the Morning" 2017
"Nostalgia" Non-album single
"Another Lifetime" 2018 Saturn
"Complicated"
(with Mura Masa)
23 Non-album single
"Make It Out Alive"
(featuring SiR)
25 Saturn
"If You Ever"
(featuring 6lack)
"Orbit" 2019
"Woman"
(featuring Lianne La Havas)
2020 And Then Life Was Beautiful
"Antidote"
(featuring Adekunle Gold)
2021
"Messy Love"
"And Then Life Was Beautiful"
"Balance"
(featuring Skillibeng)
2023 0TBA
"—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Promotional singles

Title Year Album
"Drive and Disconnect" 2018 Saturn
"Curiosity"

As featured artist

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

Guest appearances

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

Songwriting credits

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

Awards and nominations

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