Joy Denalane is a soul and R&B singer. She grew up as the daughter of a South African father and a German mother. She had her breakthrough in 1999 with the duet Mit Dir with the band Freundeskreis. With her debut album Mamani (2002), she combined soul, R&B, and South African influences with German lyrics, thus creating a new genre. Her album Let Yourself Be Loved (2020) was released on Motown Records, making her the first German artist on this label. Her music combines her cultural roots, identity, and social awareness.

As of November 2025