Johari Noelle: Rooted in Soul, Raised by Feeling

Johari Noelle makes music you don’t just hear. You feel it.

She’s not loud. She’s not flashy. She’s not here to prove anything. But once her voice hits, it’s over. Her sound has that slow-burn magic. Velvet-smooth vocals, live-in-your-body melodies, and lyrics that land like a late-night truth. The kind of music that makes you want to sit still for a second. Or dance with the lights off. Or text someone you swore you were over.

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Johari was shaped by a city that gave the world both grit and grace. Her influences run deep. From church harmonies to soul classics to the fearless elegance of artists like Minnie Riperton, who knew how to be soft without ever being small. And while she’s carved out her own lane in R&B, you can feel that lineage every time she opens her mouth.

Her debut EP, Things You Can’t Say Out Loud, dropped in 2019 and quietly did what viral moments can’t. It stuck. The project premiered on Billboard and drew praise from NPR, BET, and Essence for its vulnerability and vision. Chicago Reader called her voice “ethereal and alluring,” and fans compared her to Solange, SZA, and H.E.R., but always with a caveat. “There’s just something different about Johari.”

She could have chased that momentum. Instead, she did something most artists don’t. She paused. Not because she was lost, but because she wanted to grow.

Over the past few years, Johari stepped into a self-imposed development season. She enrolled in acting classes, committed to vocal training, and spent months in studio sessions. Not chasing a hit. Just rediscovering her sound. She wrote hundreds of songs with no pressure to post or go viral. Just to feel again. “I didn’t want to be good at music,” she says. “I wanted to be honest in it. I wanted to feel proud. Like I could live in every word.”

That honesty has drawn collaborators like Robin Thicke, Theophilus London, Solange, Ayoni, and Marsha Ambrosius. Her presence has extended beyond music too. She was featured in Nike’s Free Run campaign and performed at the Lululemon experiential store opening in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Her work continues to attract brands and creatives who recognize the quiet power of soul, subtlety, and style.

Her most recent release, Oh Hunni, Oh Darlin, is a warm, groove-heavy slow jam inspired by her deep Chicago roots and the sensual spirit of Minnie Riperton. It’s a sonic invitation to reconnect with joy, romance, rhythm, and the parts of ourselves we sometimes silence to survive. It’s not a comeback. It’s a continuation.

That’s the thread in all of Johari’s work. She’s not trying to be untouchable. She’s not trying to be perfect. She’s not trying to convince you she’s different.

She’s just telling the truth. And in doing so, she’s making music that reminds you you’re not alone.