Nao

Neo Jessica Joshua (born 20 December 1987), better known as Nao ( She released her debut album, For All We Know, in 2016, her second album, Saturn, in 2018, and her third, And Then Life Was Beautiful, in 2021. Her most recent album, Jupiter, was released in 2025.

Background and early life Nao is the youngest of five children in her mother's house, but is the only child of her mother and father, who raised her “as friends” between London and Nottingham, where he lives. Her single “Another Lifetime” was dedicated to her mother. She is of Jamaican, Vincentian and Grenadinian descent.

She studied vocal jazz at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and went on to be a backing singer for artists such as Kwabs and Jarvis Cocker. In 2008, she joined to sing in an all-girl a cappella group called The Boxettes. The group, alongside Nao, made an appearance with other acapella groups in a flash mob performance for the 2010 T-Mobile advert "Welcome Home", which was shot in London's Heathrow Terminal 5. In 2014, she eventually left the group to pursue a career as a recording artist.

Career In October 2014, she released her first EP, So Good, it reached number 4 on the iTunes electronic chart and the title track made the BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra national playlists in the United Kingdom. receiving the "Best New Music" tag from Pitchfork. Nao made her hit “Another Lifetime” for her mother. Nao was a featured vocalist and writer on Disclosure's UK number 1 album, Caracal, on the track "Superego". She was featured in the long list for the BBC Sound of... 2016 prize in November 2015, ultimately being named in third place in January 2016. Nao also featured as a co-writer on the track "Velvet / Jenny Francis (Interlude)" on Stormzy's debut album Gang Signs & Prayer.

Her debut album, For All We Know, was released on 29 July 2016, leading to a Brit Award Nomination for Best British Female Solo Artist.

Personal life On 15 January 2020, Nao announced via Instagram that she was expecting her first child. She gave birth to a girl on 11 June 2020. In 2021, Nao announced that she would not be touring for her third album because of her diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Discography Studio albums Title Details Peak chart positions UK UKR&B BEL(FL) NLD SWI USDance USHeat. USR&B For All We Know Released: 29 July 2016 Label: RCA, Little Tokyo Formats: Digital download, LP, CD 17 5 53 76 68 3 9 8 Saturn Released: 26 October 2018 Label: RCA, Little Tokyo Formats: Digital download, LP, CD 56 2 — — — — 20 — And Then Life Was Beautiful Released: 24 September 2021 Label: RCA, Little Tokyo Formats: Digital download, LP, CD 63 1 — — — — — — Jupiter Released: 21 February 2025 Label: RCA, Little Tokyo Formats: Digital download, LP, CD — — — — — — — — "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Extended plays Title Details So Good Released: 27 October 2014 Label: Little Tokyo Format: Digital download 15 February Released: 1 May 2015 Label: Little Tokyo Format: Digital download For All We Know – The Remixes Released: 12 February 2017 Label: Little Tokyo Format: Digital download

Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album BEL(FL)Tip "So Good" 2014 — — So Good "Zillionaire" — — 15 February "Bad Blood" 2015 57 — For All We Know "Fool to Love" 2016 — — "Girlfriend" — — "In the Morning" 2017 — — "Nostalgia" — — "Another Lifetime" 2018 — — Saturn "Complicated" 23 — "Make It Out Alive" — 25 Saturn "If You Ever" — — "Orbit" 2019 — — "Woman" 2020 — — And Then Life Was Beautiful "Antidote" 2021 — — "Messy Love" — — "And Then Life Was Beautiful" — — "Wait" — — "Balance" 2023 — — "Wildflowers" 2024 — — Jupiter "Elevate" — — "All of Me" — — "Happy People" 2025 — — "Light Years" — — "—" denotes items which were not released in that country or failed to chart.

Promotional singles Title Year Album "Drive and Disconnect" 2018Saturn "Curiosity"

As featured artist Title Year Album "Firefly" 2015 Mura Masa"Heart Storm" 2021 Deacon

Guest appearances Title Year Artist(s) Album Notes "Make You Mine" 2015 Kwabs Love + War Background vocalist with Cass Lowe "Superego" Disclosure Caracal Featured vocalist "Brake Lights" 2018 Cosha R.I.P. Bonzai "Boogie All Night" Nile Rodgers & Chic It's About Time

Songwriting credits Title Year Artist(s) Album Credits "Be Alright" 2016 Ariana Grande Dangerous Woman Co-writer "Velvet / Jenny Francis (Interlude)" 2017 Stormzy Gang Signs & Prayer "Nothing Else!" Mura Masa Mura Masa "Till the World Falls" 2018 Nile Rodgers & Chic It's About Time "Where Are You Now" 2021 Danny L Harle Harlecore"Boomerang" 2023 Jamila Woods Water Made Us

Awards and nominations