Jalen Ngonda was born in Wheaton, Maryland, studied in Liverpool, and made London home. His debut album Come Around and Love Me (2023) arrived on Daptone Records and was described by Elton John as proof its maker ‘is going to be a huge star.’ For his sophomore album he moves with wider reach: warm horn charts, gospel-tinged backing harmonies, and swing hits rooted in classic 60s and 70s studio craft. The songwriting is direct and elegant in the Brill Building tradition — short-form Motown moods with crisp chord movement. Ngonda’s falsetto sits high and clear in the mix, close to vintage pop structure rather than modern R&B stretch-outs. A record that sounds like it was always there, waiting to be found.
Browse the full Souldigs crate