Aya Nakamura

Aya Nakamura is a French singer of Malian descent, born in 1995, who rose to become one of the most streamed francophone artists of her generation. She began releasing music in the mid-2010s, first attracting attention through a collaboration with rapper Fababy before signing with the Rec. 118 label, part of Warner Music France. Her debut album, Journal intime, released in 2017, established her signature blend of pop, R&B, and rap with lyrics delivered in a distinctive mix of French and Nouchi-inflected slang.

Her breakthrough came with the single «Djadja» in 2018, a global viral hit that propelled her second album, NAKAMURA, to major commercial success and introduced her to audiences far beyond France. The song's playful, defiant tone and Afro-influenced production became emblematic of her style, which fuses West African rhythms with contemporary R&B and pop hooks.

Nakamura has continued to release chart-topping singles such as «Copines» and «Pookie», cementing her reputation as a pioneer of a distinctly French take on Afrobeats-inflected pop. She is widely regarded as one of the most commercially successful French-language artists internationally, known for her bold vocal delivery, catchy melodies, and a slang-rich vocabulary that has influenced popular culture and language in France.