Jayo

JayO, a vocalist from the U.K., merges R&B with Afrobeat influences through tracks such as the 2022 release “XO,” his initial single, and the 2023 success “22.” His origins trace to Tottenham in North London, where early exposure to music came via church services, visits to Nigeria—his parents' homeland—and tracks from his sister's iPod featuring artists including Kanye West, J. Cole, and Kendrick Lamar. During his teenage years, he committed seriously to creating music alongside RZ, a songwriter and producer who had been his closest friend since school, utilizing a makeshift studio in a shed behind RZ's family home. Though he started studies toward a marketing qualification at college and tried various genres via SoundCloud uploads, JayO eventually developed his distinctive approach featuring fluid, atmospheric R&B singing paired with pulsating productions rooted in Afrobeats and words expressing the longings of youth. With the explosive popularity of “XO” followed by even greater momentum for “22,” he joined the roster of 0207 Def Jam in London, put out “Back” and “Often” as further singles, and drew attention through his performance at the All Points East event in London, which formed part of a program organized by Stormzy, the British rapper.