Dounia

Dounia Tazi (Arabic: دنيا التازي; born March 31, 1997), known mononymously as Dounia, is a Moroccan-American singer, songwriter and model. She rose to prominence as a model. She began releasing music commercially in 2017. Her first commercial EP, Intro To, was independently released on October 20, 2017. This was followed by her second EP, The Avant-Garden, released on November 30, 2018, through Empire Distribution and her third EP, NOT GOOD FOR THE EGO, released on May 24, 2019. Her debut album, The Scandal, was released July 17, 2019, preceded by the single "Delightful".

Early life It is unclear as to whether she was born in Queens, New York or Morocco. She was sent to Morocco as a baby while her mother stayed in Queens for work. She returned to Queens at the age of 8 and taught herself English by reading books from the local library. Although Tazi grew up playing guitar, she was not exposed to much music in her youth due to her upbringing in a "strict Muslim household", which inspired her to seek out music that she enjoyed during her time in high school. This exploration of music led her to begin writing and recording music of her own, resulting in the release of a diss track about a boy she dated, which she posted to SoundCloud. Tazi began thrifting in high school and started a body-positive Instagram account to model her outfits. She subsequently used her modeling gigs to fund a career in music, taking advantage of her online connections to find a manager and begin producing music. During her time as a model, she had always planned to transition into music. Her debut, 8-track EP, Intro To, was released in partnership with Empire Distribution on October 20, 2017. Upon release of the EP, Time highlighted Tazi's "dreamy brand of rap-singing over vibey, rolling beats, it’s a confident alt R&B sound that explores the challenges of overcoming the grind through its honest, Queens-inflected poetry." An official music video for the track "So Cool", directed by Barbie Ferreira in her directorial debut, was released in March 2018. In July 2018, Dounia was a featured singer on two tracks, "WF001" and "Untitled", from Queens rap crew World's Fair's debut album New Lows.

"Avante-Garde", the lead single from Tazi's sophomore EP, was released in June 2018 with an official music video. A stand-alone single "Everything's a Joke", featuring production by Breakfast N Vegas, was released on September 28. In late October, Dounia performed as the opening act for French artist Christine and the Queens on several tour dates across North America, including sold-out shows in New York and Los Angeles. On November 15, 2018, Tazi was featured with electro-pop trio SHAED at Billboards "Industry Nights" talent showcase, where she performed the songs "How I See It", "Avant-Garde", and "East Coast Hiding", among others. A music video for the third single "Rich Girl Mood", directed by Tired Studio Production and guest-starring featured singer Kehlani, was released in advance of the EP on November 28. The Avant-Garden, Tazi's second commercial EP, was released on November 30, 2018, through Empire Distribution.

In March 2019, Tazi released two singles, "ROYAL" and "LOWKEY GRL". "LOWKEY GRL" features Moroccan Doll, a moniker meant to represent Tazi's alter ego, who raps verses in Darija and represents a "little, unconventional Moroccan Girl". Also in March, she was featured alongside Shakka on "Run Tings", the lead single from English DJ ROMderful's debut album, Press L to Continue. Tazi's third EP, NOT GOOD FOR THE EGO, was released May 21, 2019, and contains 4 tracks, including the lead single "TOXIC", which Prelude Press noted for its fusion of Pop, Soul, and R&B, with "sharp, sassy, and unapologetic lyrical content".

Personal life Dounia is openly bisexual.

Discography Studio albums + List of Studio albums Title Details The Scandal Released: July 17, 2019 Label: Empire Distribution Format: Digital download Dounia Released: November 1, 2023 Label: Empire Distribution Format: Digital download

EPs + List of EPs Title Details Intro To Released: October 20, 2017 Label: Empire Distribution Format: Digital download The Avant-Garden Released: November 28, 2018 Label: Empire Distribution Format: Digital download NOT GOOD FOR THE EGO Released: May 21, 2019 Label: Empire Distribution Format: Digital download

SinglesAs lead artist Title Year Album "East Coast Hiding" 2017 Intro To "Shyne" "Avant-Garde" 2018 The Avant-Garden "How I See It" "Everything's a Joke" "Rich Girl Mood" (feat. Kehlani) The Avant-Garden "ROYAL" 2019 The Scandal "LOWKEY GRL" (feat. Moroccan Doll) "TOXIC" NOT GOOD FOR THE EGO & The Scandal "Delightful" The ScandalAs featured artist' Title Year Album "Entropy"Supa Bwe featuring Dounia 2018 Just Say Thank You "Run Tings"ROMderful featuring Shakka & Dounia2019 Press L to Continue "Take A Number"Marian Hill featuring Dounia

Other appearances Title Year Other artist(s) Album "WF001" 2018 World's Fair, Remy Banks, Jeff Donna & Cody B. Wear New Lows "Untitled" World's Fair & Cody B. Ware