Jalen Ngonda

Jalen N'Gonda (stylized as Jalen Ngonda; born 1994) is an American musician based in England. He came to prominence with the release of his debut studio album Come Around and Love Me (2023), and is known for his Motown-inspired soul music. N'Gonda is primarily a singer, but also plays various instruments during live performances. Jalen N'Gonda was born in Wheaton, Maryland in 1994. At age 11, N'Gonda discovered his love of Motown after listening to "My Girl" by The Temptations from his father's record collection. Eventually, his parents saved up to purchase N'Gonda a Fender Squier. By age 16, N'Gonda was proficient in drums, guitar, piano and singing. At age 19, N'Gonda watched a documentary about a New York performing arts school and began to plan for his future, before learning about the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. N'Gonda enquired about enrolling, with the school's response indicating they had listened to his music on SoundCloud and personally encouraged him to apply. With funds raised from N'Gonda's family and local church, he secured a place at LIPA and booked a one-way flight to Liverpool to pursue a career in music. N'Gonda completed a foundation year at LIPA, before dropping out mid-way through his first year, in an effort to continue producing and self-releasing his music. He performed songs at local shows in Liverpool. Within a couple of years, N'Gonda had received multiple offers from record labels, performed at London's Royal Festival Hall and supported Lauryn Hill and Martha Reeves on tour. In 2022, N'Gonda signed with Daptone Records to record his debut studio album Come Around and Love Me (2023). The album peaked at number 68 on the UK Albums Chart, number 4 on the UK Album Downloads Chart, and reached number one on the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart. The album released to critical acclaim, and received praise from Snoop Dogg, Kehlani, and Olivia Dean. Elton John included the album's title track on his list of favorite 2023 songs, and further labelled N'Gonda as an artist to watch. In August 2024, N'Gonda performed on the West Holts stage at Glastonbury Festival, and returned in June 2025 on The Park stage with The Guardian calling the performance "stunning". In February 2024, N'Gonda released the single "Illusions", which peaked at number 78 on the UK Singles Sales Chart. In October 2024, N'Gonda released "Anyone in Love", which peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Sales Chart, and number 14 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart. In 2025, Rolling Stone included N'Gonda in their annual Future of Music list, describing him as the "leading soul revivalist of this decade". In April 2025, N'Gonda won Soul Act of the Year at the Jazz FM Awards. In March 2026, N'Gonda announced his second studio album, Doctrine of Love, would be released on 5 June. Talking About Mary (2018) Come Around and Love Me did not enter the UK Albums Chart, but peaked at number 18 on the UK Albums Sales Chart. "Jalen Ngonda: 2023". wfuv.org. Retrieved 10 July 2025. "Jalen Ngonda pays homage to his hometown on new single 'Just As Long As We're Together'". DIY. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025. "Soul singer Jalen Ngonda: 'I don't want to write something I can't feel'". The Independent. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2025. Paton, Ryan (9 March 2025). "'I travelled 3,500 miles to Liverpool to make my dreams come true'". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 11 July 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002nl8f "Jalen Ngonda on his debut album 'Come Around and Love Me'". DIY. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Morris, Damien (9 September 2023). "One to watch: Jalen Ngonda". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 July 2025. "Come Around and Love Me". Official Charts. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2025. "Biography". Jalen Ngonda. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Duran, Anagricel (18 December 2023). "These are Elton John's 15 favourite songs of 2023". NME. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Reilly, Nick (25 March 2025). "Elton John reveals the new artists he's currently excited about". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (28 June 2025). "Glastonbury 2025: Friday with the 1975, Lorde, Busta Rhymes and more – as it happened". the Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 July 2025. "ILLUSIONS". Official Charts. 28 March 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Murray, Robin (22 February 2024). "Jalen Ngonda Shares Lush, Soulful New Single 'Illusions'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Carter, Daisy (1 October 2024). "Jalen Ngonda shares soulful new cut 'Anyone In Love'". DIY. Retrieved 11 July 2025. "Anyone in Love". Official Charts. 12 December 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Reilly, Nick; Richards, Will; Richards, Nick Reilly & Will (20 March 2025). "Rolling Stone UK's Future of Music 2025: see the full list". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 11 July 2025. "2025 Soul Act of the Year". Jazz FM Awards. Retrieved 11 July 2025. Johnson, Laura. "Jalen Ngonda Announces Second Album 'Doctrine of Love', Confirms Autumn UK & European Tour". Stereoboard. Retrieved 4 March 2026. Peak chart positions in the United Kingdom: For all except where noted: "Jalen Ngonda full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. For "Come Around and Love Me": "Come Around and Love Me Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 July 2025.