French pop sensation JAIN is the latest addition to the international acts who have experienced resurgence in popularity, thanks to her global hit “Makeba,” which has recently peaked at No. 8 on Spotify’s Viral 50 – Philippines a few weeks ago.
Originally released in 2015 as part of her debut album, Zanaka via Spookland Records and Sony Music France, the explosive track is spreading across the world like wildfire. Its overwhelming traction in short video app, TikTok even inspired a dance trend with Filipino celebs and influencers Regine Tolentino, Kitty & Kakai, and Fabe Twinz hopping on the viral wave.
With 4 million creations and 6 billion views on TikTok over the past 3 weeks, the track is now rocketing the charts across the board. “Makeba” has just reached #1 on the Global Shazam Chart, and it’s charting across 152 markets worldwide. The track has also entered the Top 200 Global Chart and is currently charting in 23 countries on Spotify, as well as in 36 markets on Apple Music. “Makeba” has already gathered 158M streams worldwide, with a triple-digit streaming growth this week.
With 80% of streams for “Makeba” originating outside of France, JAIN’s home country, her music transcends borders and is captivating audiences across Europe, the UK, Africa and Latin America, with its infectious colorful energy.
The track’s stratospheric journey began as a dance trend, best enjoyed and shared with others, inspired by the positive vibe of the track and the playful artistic universe of the artist – Zanaka meaning childhood in Malagasy, her mother’s native country. Combining odes to South African singer and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba with throbbing club-beats and fade-outs, the distinctive “ooohe” vocal hook became a powerful gimmick that spearheaded the trend.
Born in France and primarily raised in the United Arab Emirates and Congo, JAIN released her debut album Zanaka in 2015. The album sold over 1 million copies worldwide, and the singles “Come” and “Makeba” from the LP quickly climbed the charts. The latter earned JAIN her first Grammy nomination for “Best Music Video” in 2018. Watch the video here.
In 2018, her sophomore album Souldier (2018) reached #1 in France and achieved double platinum status, while the single “Alright” was certified diamond. That same year, Rolling Stone named JAIN an “Artist You Need To Know.” She has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and “Later… with Jools Holland,” opened the Ryder Cup in 2018, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019 and performed over 300 shows in 17 countries across Europe, America, and Asia including prestigious festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza.
Earlier this year, JAIN released her new album The Fool, which she co-produced with long-time collaborator Maxim Nucci/Yodelice. The album also features contributions from Metronomy founder Joseph Mount and renowned DJ and producer Gesaffelstein. The international pop and folk album chronicles the various stages one experiences during a fresh start: fear, excitement, innocence, doubts, letting go and epiphany. Listen to The Fool here.
While the new album draws inspiration from artistic influences such as Kate Bush and Stevie Nicks, JAIN’s music originally blended a myriad of genres such as Arabic percussion, African rhythms, electro, reggae, soul, and hip hop.
JAIN’s “Makeba” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Spookland Records and Sony Music Entertainment.
