Nej, three letters for a musical phenomenon under the radar of traditional media

His hits are downloaded by the millions but his name will probably mean nothing to the general public: Nej, three letters but a musical tsunami determined to shine, after a journey “against all odds”.

To talk about this artist, we must first look at the figures: 3.3 million monthly listeners on the Spotify platform (i.e. one of the most listened to French-speaking artists after Aya Nakamura and Angèle) and nearly two million subscribers on TikTok.

If we still needed one: 100 million is the number of downloads of his track Paro (92 million views on YouTube), which has crossed borders to the point of becoming one of the most listened to tracks in 2022 . "I do not realize. It seems so incredible to me,” confides to AFP, whose second album ATHENA comes out on Friday. Nej? “She is an independent artist who built herself on the internet, away from traditional media,” explains Narjes Bahhar, rap editorial manager at Deezer.

“There are undoubtedly media who closed the door to me,” points out the singer when asked about her absence from the media despite record sales. “Others don’t know me yet. In any case, I don’t close the door to anyone,” she puts things into perspective. Born in Toulouse in a modest environment, Najoua Laamri, her real name, developed a passion for music very early on. She was discovered by a neighbor who helped her get started.

Several years of hardship followed. It is through social networks, where she publishes numerous covers, that she becomes known. In 2019, Enchantée was released, her first album which established her in the musical landscape. Three EPs follow. On the urban scene (mainly dominated by men), she made a name for herself and collaborated with: Naps, Lartiste, Zaho...

His music ? Dancing sounds on simple but effective texts, imbued with melancholy. Like Why not (seven million views on YouTube) or Ma colombe (14 million views on YouTube).

For Narjes Bahhar, Nej is “above all a pop artist with R’n’b and oriental sounds”. At her place, there is no “trash” or “clashes”. His texts are consensual, enough to please (also) the parents of his audience, composed mainly of young girls. In 2022, she filled the Olympia two days in a row. Tickets sold out within 24 hours. “It’s been a very long road of hard work and perseverance. You had to believe in it because nothing was within reach,” she confides.

“I had to fight to get this place. I won some battles... I lost others,” she assures. Today, the young woman says she is “taking confidence” and being “more serene”. His new album is crossed by all these questions. In terms of form, there is no break, its audience will find the same sounds and collaborations with Bigflo and Oli or the rapper Maes. “I often go by feeling. There’s no ego, it’s a question of the universe,” she says, confiding that she was delighted to find the Toulouse duo. “I lost a competition to them a few years ago,” she remembers. This piece is our reunion.

“With ATHENA, I feel like I’m turning a corner,” she concludes. It freaks me out because media exposure, success, is not necessarily easy to manage.”