Snoh Aalegra
Snoh Aalegra in 2016
Snoh Aalegra in 2016
Background information
Birth nameShahrzad Fooladi[1]
Born (1987-09-13) 13 September 1987 (age 36)
Uppsala, Sweden
OriginStockholm, Sweden
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2001–present
Labels
Websitesnohaalegra.com

Snoh Sheri Nowrozi[2][3] (born Shahrzad Fooladi,[1] 13 September 1987), better known by her stage name, Snoh Aalegra (/ˈsnoʊˈæliɡrɑː/), is a Swedish singer. Her debut album Feels was released in 2017, followed by Ugh, Those Feels Again in 2019.

Life and career

1987–2008: Early life and career beginnings

Aalegra was born on 13 September 1987, in Uppsala, Sweden to Persian parents hailing from the south of Iran.[1][4] She grew up in Enköping, Sweden,[5] moving there with her mother following her parents' divorce.[6][7] They later moved to Stockholm.[8] She began writing music at the age of 9.[9]

In 2001, at the age of 13, Aalegra signed an artist development deal with Sony Music Sweden.[7] She would ultimately leave Sony Sweden with no music being released.[10][11][12]

2009–2013: Career beginnings as Sheri, First Sign

Aalegra at Stockholm Pride in 2009

In 2009, Aalegra began her musical career using the mononym Sheri.[5] She released her debut single "Hit and Run" on 16 February 2009, with production by Andreas Carlsson. The single peaked at number 12 on the Swedish Single Charts.[13] She released her second single "U Got Me Good" on 4 December 2009, reaching number 2 on the Swedish Single Charts.[14]

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" by Sade, and the singles "Hit And Run" and "U Got Me Good".[15]

She signed with No I.D.'s ARTium Recordings in 2013.[11]

2014–2018: Debut as Snoh Aalegra, Feels

In July 2014, she debuted her new name, Snoh Aalegra, and appeared on Common's tenth studio album, Nobody's Smiling, featuring on the song "Hustle Harder".[16][17] 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.[11] The EP includes "Stockholm, Pt. II (Outro)" featuring Cocaine 80s.[18]

In 2014, she became a protégé of Prince after he discovered her music and reached out to her.[19] He mentored her until his death in 2016.[7][20]

In February 2015, Aalegra said she had changed her legal name to Snoh Nowrozi.[21] 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.[22][23] On 11 February 2015, Aalegra released her first single as Snoh Aalegra, "Emotional", produced by RZA.[22] She also appeared on Vince Staples' debut album, Summertime '06 in June 2015, providing vocals for the song, "Jump Off the Roof".[24]

Aalegra released the EP Don't Explain on 8 April 2016, through ARTium Recordings, with features and production from James Fauntleroy, No I.D., Boi-1da, Christian Rich and DJ Dahi.[8][9] The EP features a cover of the 1944 song, "Don't Explain" by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr.[25] John Mayer plays guitar on "Under the Influence",[10] and the final track, "Chaos", was written by Sia.[21] In 2017, she went on her first North American tour, in support of Daniel Caesar.[12]

On 20 October 2017, Aalegra released her debut album, Feels, with features from Vince Staples, Vic Mensa, Logic, and Timbuktu.[12] The album is a "nostalgic blend of soul and R&B" which she calls "cinematic soul". Her single "Time" was sampled by Drake on "Do Not Disturb", the closing track on his 2017 mixtape More Life.[12][20] On 12 September 2018, her single "Nothing Burns Like the Cold" produced by Christian Rich and featuring Vince Staples, was used by Apple for their iPhone XS announcement video and commercials.[26][27] In the fall of 2018, Aalegra headlined her first North American tour with support from Mereba and Leven Kali.[28]

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

In August 2019, Aalegra released her second album, Ugh, Those Feels Again, on ARTium Recordings.[29] The album is considered to be a sequel to Feels, similar in mood and thematically.[17][30] The album peaked at number 3 on the Billboard R&B Album Sales chart, number 6 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart,[31] and number 73 on the Billboard 200 chart.[32] The single "I Want You Around" reached number 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart.[33] She recorded the song "Wolves Are Out Tonight", produced by Swizz Beatz, for the soundtrack to the 2019 EPIX television series Godfather of Harlem.[34] She released the video to her single "Whoa", starring herself and actor Michael B. Jordan, on 13 December 2019.[1] In the fall of 2019, she headlined a European and North American tour, with support from Baby Rose and Giveon,[35] and reached number 1 on the Bandsintown + Billboard Global Rising Artists Index.[36]

In February 2020, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts released Aalegra's performance where she sang "Love Like That", "I Want You Around", "Whoa", "Fool For You", and "Find Someone Like You".[37]

On 9 March 2020, it was announced that Aalegra had signed a recording contract with Roc Nation/Universal Music Group 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.[38]

Aalegra was featured on "Last Time", on Giveon's second EP, When It's All Said and Done.

On 9 July 2021, Aalegra released her third album, Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies, on ARTium Records and Roc Nation. 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.[citation needed] Aalegra began her Ugh, These Temporary Highs Tour in Manchester on 13 February 2022.[citation needed] Aalegra received the nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album for Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies and Best R&B Performance for "Lost You".[39]

In 2023 she was nominated at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in the category Best Traditional R&B Performance for her cover of Do 4 Love.[40] She released on July 21, 2023 the single Be My Summer,[41] on August 2, 2023 the single Sweet Tea[42] and on August 18, 2023 the single Wait a Little Longer.

Artistry

Aalegra cites Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, James Brown, Brandy, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, Robyn, and Mariah Carey as musical influences.[43][21][29][44][45][46] She also credits film score orchestras and arrangements with influencing her sound.[46] She has said she first fell in love with music when she was seven years old, and heard Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack.[7][45]

Personal life

After briefly living in London, Aalegra has lived in Los Angeles since 2012.[21] She speaks Farsi, Swedish, English, and a little Spanish.[4]

Discography

As Snoh Aalegra

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
SWE
[47] 		CAN
[48] 		UK
[49] 		US
[32] 		US
R&B
/HH
[50] 		US
R&B
[51]
Feels — — — — — —
Ugh, Those Feels Again
  • Released: 16 August 2019[53]
  • Labels: ARTium
  • Formats: LP, digital download, streaming
 — 100 — 73 39 6
Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
  • Released: 9 July 2021
  • Labels: ARTium, Roc Nation
  • Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
 45 57 77 24 16 3
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

EPs

Title Details
There Will Be Sunshine
Don't Explain
  • Released: 8 April 2016[55]
  • Labels: ARTium
  • Formats: CD, digital download

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
NZ Hot
[56] 		US Bub.
[57] 		US
R&B
[58] 		US
R&B/HH
Airplay
[59] 		US Adult R&B
[33]
"Bad Things"
(featuring Common) 		2014 — — — — — There Will Be Sunshine
"Emotional" 2015 — — — — — Non-album single
"In Your River" 2016 — — — — — Don't Explain
"Under the Influence" — — — — —
"Feels" 2017 — — — — — Feels
"Nothing Burns Like the Cold"
(featuring Vince Staples) 		— — — — —
"Time" — — — — —
"Fool for You" — — — — —
"Sometimes"
(featuring Logic) 		— — — — —
"Home (Remix)"
(featuring Logic) 		— — — — — Non-album single
"Out of Your Way"
(featuring Luke James) 		2018 — — — — —
"I Want You Around"
(solo or featuring 6lack) 		2019 — 23 21 13 1 Ugh, Those Feels Again
"You" — — — — —
"Find Someone Like You" — — — — —
"Situationship"[60] — — — — —
"Whoa"
(solo or featuring Pharrell Williams) 		— — 20 16 2
"Wolves Are Out Tonight" — — — — — Godfather of Harlem OST
"Dying 4 Your Love" 2020 — — 24 — — Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies
"Lost You" 2021 36 — 14 22 6
"Neon Peach"
(featuring Tyler, the Creator) 		37 — — — —
"In Your Eyes" — — 9 2 —
"Do 4 Love" 2022 — — — — — Non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Guest appearances

Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Hustle Harder" 2014 Common, Dreezy Nobody's Smiling
"Jump off the Roof" 2015 Vince Staples Summertime '06
"Cruel Intentions (Remix)" 2016 JMSN Non-album single
"Way To Go" 2017 Joyner Lucas 508-507-2209
"Comin Back" 2018 Kawala Bravo Comin Back
"Time" 2019 Boogie Everythings for Sale
"Between Us" 2020 Dvsn A Muse In Her Feelings
"You Save Me" Alicia Keys Alicia
"Last Time"[61] Giveon When It's All Said and Done
"Law Of Attraction" 2021 Dave We're All Alone In This Together

As Sheri

Studio albums

Title Album details
First Sign

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
SWE
[62]
"Hit and Run" 2009 12 First Sign
"First Sign" —
"U Got Me Good" 2
"Smooth Operator" —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Tours

Headlining

Supporting

Awards

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
2015 Scandinavian Soul Music Awards Best Soul/Pop Artist Herself Nominated [21]
2019 Musikexportpriset n/a Nominated [67]
Skap Soul Won [68]
2020 Grammis Album of the Year Ugh, Those Feels Again Nominated [69]
Artist of the Year Herself Nominated [70]
P3 Guld Hip Hop/R&B of the Year Nominated [71]
Soul Train Music Awards Best New Artist Won [72]
2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards R&B Artist of the Year Nominated [73]
Best New R&B Artist Won [73]
2022 Denniz Pop Awards Grand Prize Won [74]
Grammy Award Best R&B Performance "Lost You" Nominated [75]
Best R&B Album Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies Nominated [75]
Grammis Soul/R&B of the Year Won [76]
Songwriter of the Year Nominated [77]
Album of the Year Nominated [77]
Artist of the Year Herself Nominated [77]
P3 Guld Nominated [78]
Hiphop/R&B of the Year Nominated [78]
2023 Grammy Awards Best Traditional R&B Performance "Do 4 Love" Nominated [79]

References

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