VanJess

Contemporary R&B duo VanJess, consisting of Nigerian-born, California-raised sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike, infused their soulful approach with a distinctive '90s inflection. After teaming with an array of artists that included live-looping dance specialist Masego and rapper GoldLink, the pair delivered their debut full-length, Silk Canvas, in 2018. A featured appearance on Kaytranada's 2019 hit "Taste" preceded their own 2021 EP, Homegrown.

The siblings drew from '90s touchstones such as SWV, Jodeci, and Brandy while also absorbing elements from Da Brat, En Vogue, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, and early TLC. Although music had long been a private passion, they first shared it publicly during high school. Beginning in 2008, Ivana and Jessica posted clips of themselves covering material by Beyoncé and Rihanna; their take on Drake's "Headlines" subsequently spread widely and built a following. A five-song EP titled 00 Till Escape surfaced in 2015, after which VanJess issued a regular flow of standalone tracks and joint efforts. Their initial release, "I Don't Need Him," was followed in 2016 by the downtempo cut "Adore"—later reworked with Milwaukee rapper IshDARR—"Favor," and "Don't Be a Stranger." That same year, partnerships with Korean-Australian singer Leehahn on "Fall Back" and Jamaican-American artist Masego on "Touch the Floor" raised their visibility. In 2017, the duo linked with rapper GoldLink for the '90s house-inspired track "Through Enough," which appeared on Silk Canvas alongside contributions from Masego, Berhana, Leikeli47, and Little Simz. Their guest turn on Kaytranada's "Taste" placed them inside the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart the following year. VanJess resumed releasing their own material in 2021 via the Homegrown EP and its sultry single "Come Over," while also appearing on KAYWHT's "11:30" and enlisting Lucky Daye for "Slow Down."