New R&B... Lo-Fi Style by Jennifer Norwood
Twenty-two-year-old singer NALI would prefer her music to do the talking.
The Brooklyn, New Yorker puts her heart, soul, and life experience into lyrics recorded to lo-fi R&B and hip-hop beats. During the pandemic, songwriting replaced life events NALI missed out on, like proms and graduations. That music has since gotten a response, as these self-recorded songs gained traction on social media and, later, on traditional streaming platforms. Tracks including the lead single “4 U,” “Damn,” and NALI’s collaboration with Zahir, “Swan Song” have become standouts.
Nali wants to further diversify with the autumn season's “Petty,” a fun and uptempo New Jersey Club-styled song modeled after its title.
NALI admits, “This is very personal to me. I can’t write what I don’t feel." “Petty” (just released October 16, 2024) expands her catalog with something upbeat and club-inspired, revealing a new side to her personality.
“Turning 18 was a big shift for me. That was a moment where I felt very on my own.” The first song NALI wrote and recorded herself was “POV.” The song lived up to its title—a frame of observation set to a hazy beat. The singer uploaded it to Soundcloud and used Distrokid. At a time when she was not on TikTok or Instagram, the then-19-year-old singer was surprised to learn from friends that the track was randomly gaining momentum through social media.
Since building that foundation, she released a handful of songs and performed a few concerts, including two at Manhattan’s famed SOB’s club. 2022’s “Don’t Dial” confronted police brutality, albeit behind a sweet melody.
At the top of 2024, NALI released her biggest song, “4 U.” Empathetic, patient, and even cavalier—the song is a contemporary ballad over a soulful beat. IBreatheMusicAllDay, a popular Instagram account, praised the song. Since then, popular playlists like Spotify’s Fresh Finds R&B and Lowkey have featured NALI’s music and expanded her reach.
In the summer of 2024, NALI partnered with Grammy-nominated producer/songwriter Jack Dine (Alex Isley, Stormzy, Masego) and Norway’s Lido for “Mitsubishi.” The dreamy track shows expansion.
NALI may be low-key, but she is intentional. “I’d like to have a song that people will still talk about in 20, 30, or 40 years.”
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https://www.youtube.com/@theoriginalnali