Snoh Sheri Nowrozi (born Shahrzad Fooladi, 13 September 1987), better known by her stage name, Snoh Aalegra (), is a Swedish singer based in Los Angeles. Her debut album ''Feels'' was released in 2017, followed by ''

Ugh, Those Feels Again ''Ugh, Those Feels Again'' (stylized as ''- Ugh, those feels again'') is the second studio album by Swedish singer Snoh Aalegra. It was released on 16 August 2019 through ARTium. Music ''Ugh, Those Feels Again'' is considered to be a sequel to ...

'' in 2019.

Life and career

1987–2008: Early life and career beginnings

Aalegra was born on 13 September 1987, in

Uppsala Uppsala (, or all ending in , ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the county seat of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inha ...

, Sweden to

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

parents hailing from the south of Iran. She grew up in

Enköping Enköping is a locality and the seat of Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 30,000 inhabitants in 2018. Geography Enköping is situated near Lake Mälaren, about 78 km west of Stockholm. A comparably large number of S ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, moving there with her mother following her parents' divorce. They later moved to

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

. She began writing music at the age of 9. In 2001, at the age of 13, Aalegra signed an

artist development deal An artist development deal (also known as a demo deal) is a recording artist contract with a record label or music publisher that promises to develop the skills and public profile Notability is the property of being worthy of notice, having fa ...

with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

Sweden. She would ultimately leave Sony Sweden with no music being released.

2009–2013: Career beginnings as Sheri, ''First Sign''

In 2009, Aalegra began her musical career using the mononym Sheri. She released her debut single "Hit and Run" on 16 February 2009, with production by

Andreas Carlsson Andreas Carlsson (; born 3 April 1973) is a Swedish music producer and pop songwriter. Biography Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2000. In January 2001, former Cheiron-members Andreas Carlsson, Kri ...

. The single peaked at number 12 on the Swedish Single Charts. She released her second single "U Got Me Good" on 4 December 2009, reaching number 2 on the Swedish Single Charts. On 6 April 2010, under the name Sheri, she released the studio album ''First Sign'', on Universal Music Sweden. It features a cover of the 1984 song "

Smooth Operator "Smooth Operator" is a song by English band Sade from their debut studio album, ''Diamond Life'' (1984). It was released as the album's third single in the United Kingdom as a 7-inch single with "Spirit" as its B-side, and as a 12-inch maxi ...

" by

Sade Sade may refer to: People * Marquis de Sade (1740–1814), French aristocrat, writer, and libertine * Sade (singer) (born 1959, Helen Folasade Adu), British Nigerian musician and lead singer of the eponymous band * Sade Baderinwa (born 1969), WAB ...

, and the singles "Hit And Run" and "U Got Me Good". She signed with

No I.D. Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), professionally known as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American hip hop and R&B producer from Chicago, Illinois. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and former rapper, having relea ...

ARTium Recordings Ernest Dion Wilson (born June 23, 1971), professionally known as No I.D. (formerly Immenslope), is an American hip hop and R&B producer from Chicago, Illinois. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and former rapper, having releas ...

in 2013.

2014–2018: Debut as Snoh Aalegra, ''Feels''

In July 2014, she debuted her new name, Snoh Aalegra, and appeared on

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

's tenth studio album, ''

Nobody's Smiling ''Nobody's Smiling'' is the tenth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Common. It was released on July 22, 2014, by Def Jam Recordings and No I.D.'s label ARTium Records. Following the release of his 2011's album ''The Dreamer/The ...

'', featuring on the song "Hustle Harder". She released her debut single, "Bad Things" featuring Common, in October 2014, and her debut EP, ''There Will Be Sunshine'', on 17 November 2014, through ARTium/ Epic. The EP includes "Stockholm, Pt. II (Outro)" featuring

Cocaine 80s Cocaine 80's was an American hip hop collective founded in 2011, by record producer No I.D. With James Fauntleroy serving as lead singer on each song, the group has collectively released four full-length projects: ''The Pursuit EP'' (2011), ''G ...

. In 2014, she became a protégé of

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

after he discovered her music and reached out to her. He mentored her until his death in 2016. In February 2015, Aalegra said she had changed her legal name to Snoh Nowrozi. She added "Aalegra" to her stage name because it means "joyful" in Italian (changing the spelling of "allegra" to make it her own), and because there was already an artist named Snoh. On 11 February 2015, Aalegra released her first single as Snoh Aalegra, "Emotional", produced by RZA. She also appeared on

Vince Staples Vincent Jamal Staples (born July 2, 1993) is an American rapper and singer. Staples was once a close associate of Odd Future, Mike G and Earl Sweatshirt in particular. He is currently signed to Motown and Blacksmith Records. Staples rose to pr ...

' debut album, ''

Summertime '06 ''Summertime '06'' is the debut studio double album by American rapper Vince Staples. It was released on June 30, 2015, through ARTium Recordings, Blacksmith Records, and Def Jam Recordings. The album was primarily produced by No I.D., alongside ...

'' in June 2015, providing vocals for the song, "Jump Off the Roof". Aalegra released the EP ''Don't Explain'' on 8 April 2016, through ARTium Recordings, with features and production from

James Fauntleroy James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for writing credits on tracks by high-profile artists such as Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick ...

Boi-1da Matthew Jehu Samuels (born October 12, 1986), known professionally as Boi-1da ( , a play on "boy wonder"), is a Jamaican-Canadian Record production, record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario. The Toronto raised producer has work ...

Christian Rich Christian Rich is an American-born Nigerian production and DJ duo consisting of twins Kehinde Hassan and Taiwo Hassan. Early life and career The identical twin brothers were born in Chicago and raised in Nigeria for exposure to their father's ...

and

DJ Dahi Dacoury Dahi Natche (born March 10, 1983), professionally known as DJ Dahi, is an American DJ, songwriter, record producer and singer from Inglewood, California. Dahi is perhaps best known for producing " Money Trees" by American rapper Kendri ...

. The EP features a cover of the 1944 song, " Don't Explain" by

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

and

Arthur Herzog Jr. Arthur Herzog Jr. (December 13, 1900 in New York City – September 1, 1983 in Detroit, Michigan) was a songwriter and composer. Career Herzog was most known for work with Billie Holiday. He co-wrote several jazz Jazz is a music genre tha ...

John Mayer John Clayton Mayer ( ; born October 16, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, Mayer attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left and moved to Atlanta in 1997 with ...

plays guitar on "Under the Influence", and the final track, "Chaos", was written by

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

. In 2017, she went on her first North American tour, in support of

Daniel Caesar Ashton Dumar Norwill Simmonds (born April 5, 1995), known professionally as Daniel Caesar, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After independently building a following through the release of two critically acclaimed EPs, ''Praise Break'' (201 ...

. On 20 October 2017, Aalegra released her debut album, ''Feels'', with features from

Vic Mensa Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...

, and

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

. The album is a "nostalgic blend of soul and R&B" which she calls "cinematic soul". Her single "Time" was sampled by

Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...

on "Do Not Disturb", the closing track on his 2017 mixtape ''

More Life ''More Life'' is a commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. Described and marketed as a playlist, some publications have referred to it as a mixtape. It was released on March 18, 2017, through Republic Records and distributed by Cas ...

''. On 12 September 2018, her single "Nothing Burns Like the Cold" produced by

and featuring Vince Staples, was used by

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

for their iPhone XS announcement video and commercials. In the fall of 2018, Aalegra headlined her first North American tour with support from

Mereba Marian Azeb Mereba (born September 19, 1990), known mononymously as Mereba, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Early life Mereba was born in Montgomery, Alabama on September 19, 1990, and raised in Pennsylvania. S ...

and Leven Kali.

2019–present: ''Ugh, Those Feels Again'' and ''Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies''

In August 2019, Aalegra released her second album, ''

'', on ARTium Recordings. The album is considered to be a sequel to ''Feels'', similar in mood and thematically. The album peaked at number 3 on the ''Billboard'' R&B Album Sales chart, number 6 on the ''Billboard''

Top R&B Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated J ...

chart, and number 73 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. The single "

I Want You Around "I Want You Around" (stylized as "-I want you around") is a song by Swedish-Iranian singer and songwriter Snoh Aalegra, released as the second single from her second studio album ''Ugh, Those Feels Again'' (2019). The song was written by Aalegra ...

" reached number 1 on the ''Billboard''

Adult R&B Songs The Adult R&B Songs chart (formerly called Adult R&B Airplay) is an airplay chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The chart tracks and measures the airplay of songs played on urban adult contemporary radio stations, whose playl ...

chart. She recorded the song "Wolves Are Out Tonight", produced by

Swizz Beatz Kasseem Daoud Dean (born September 13, 1978), known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ) and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, Dean embarked on his musical career as a DJ. At the ag ...

, for the soundtrack to the 2019

EPIX Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's pr ...

television series ''

Godfather of Harlem ''Godfather of Harlem'' is an American crime drama television series which premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. The series is written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and stars Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johns ...

''. She released the video to her single "Whoa", starring herself and actor

Michael B. Jordan Michael Bakari Jordan (; born February 9, 1987) is an American actor. He is known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama ''Fruitvale Station'' (2013), boxer Adonis Creed in ''Creed'' (2015), and Erik Killmonger in ''Bl ...

, on 13 December 2019. In the fall of 2019, she headlined a European and North American tour, with support from Baby Rose and

Giveon Giveon Dezmann Evans (born February 21, 1995), better known by his mononym Giveon (stylized as GIVĒON), is an American singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence with his collaboration with Drake on their 2020 single, " Chicago Freestyle". That s ...

, and reached number 1 on the Bandsintown + Billboard Global Rising Artists Index. In February 2020,

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

Tiny Desk Concerts Tiny Desk Concerts is a video series of live concerts hosted by NPR Music at the desk of ''All Songs Considered'' host Bob Boilen in Washington, D.C. The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 after Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thom ...

released Aalegra's performance where she sang "Love Like That", "I Want You Around", "Whoa", "Fool For You", and "Find Someone Like You". On 9 March 2020, it was announced that Aalegra had signed a recording contract with

Roc Nation Roc Nation is an entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z in 2008. The company is headquartered in Manhattan and has additional offices in Los Angeles and London. Roc Nation comprises a comprehensive talent agency, sports agency, record label, mana ...

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

with a partnership with her current label ARTium Records, and released "Dying 4 Your Love", her first single, through both labels on 10 July. She announced that she was working on her next album in an interview. Aalegra was featured on "Last Time", on

's second EP, ''

When It's All Said and Done ''When It's All Said and Done'' is the second EP by American singer-songwriter Giveon. It was released on October 2, 2020, by Epic Records. Critical reception In a review for AllMusic, Andy Kellman explained that the album is centered on Giveon's ...

''. On 9 July 2021, Aalegra released her third album, ''Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies'', on ARTium Records and

. The album was preceded by singles "Dying 4 Your Love", released on 10 June 2020, and "Lost You", released 21 June 2021, which was produced by Maneesh and No I.D. Aalegra began her 'Ugh, These Temporary Highs Tour' in Manchester, UK on 13 February 2022, her show at London's O2 Brixton Academy received rave reviews, with artist and personal inspiration to Aalegra – Janet Jackson in attendance. Her US tour is set to begin in late March.

Artistry

Aalegra cites

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

Robyn Robin Miriam Carlsson (born 12 June 1979), known as Robyn (), is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. She arrived on the music scene with her 1995 debut album, ''Robyn Is Here'', which produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Bil ...

, and

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

as musical influences. She also credits film score orchestras and arrangements with influencing her sound. She has said she first fell in love with music when she was 7 and heard Whitney Houston's '' The Bodyguard'' soundtrack.

Personal life

After briefly living in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Aalegra has lived in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

since 2012. She speaks

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

and a little

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Awards

Discography

As Snoh Aalegra

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Guest appearances

As Sheri

Studio albums Singles

Tours

Headlining * Feels Tour (2018) * Ugh, A Mini Tour Again (2019) * Ugh, These Temporary Highs Tour (2022) Supporting *

– Freudian, a World Tour (2017) * TIDAL X Brooklyn (2018) *

The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...

– After Hours til Dawn Tour (2022)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aalegra, Snoh 21st-century Swedish singers 21st-century Swedish women singers Swedish rhythm and blues musicians Women hip hop musicians Women hip hop singers Hip hop singers Singers of Iranian descent Singers from Stockholm Swedish people of Iranian descent People from Uppsala People from Enköping Epic Records artists 1987 births Living people English-language singers from Sweden