Inayah

Inayah is a contemporary R&B singer and songwriter with a knack for upfront lyrics that delve deep beneath the surface of relationships. She achieved social media fame with her narrative twist on Ella Mai's "Boo'd Up" and made her commercial recorded debut in 2018. S.O.L.A.R. (2019), her first album, featuring the platinum hit "Best Thing," a cathartic breakup ballad. The EPs Side A (2021) and Insecure (2022) preceded Wait, There's More (2024), a more pop-flavored (if no less frank) second full-length from the East Houston native.

Born Inayah Lamis in Houston, Inayah developed her storytelling writing style from absorbing the gospel, blues, and R&B records her mother played, and eventually got into hip-hop. From Johnnie Taylor to 504 Boyz, most of Inayah's formative inspirations were distinctly Southern. She had been working as a writer at a jingle company for several years when her version of "Boo'd Up" went viral on Instagram, reposted by the likes of Tiffany Haddish, Maxwell, and Jamie Foxx. Another fan was rapper Trick Daddy, who put Inayah in touch with soul legend Betty Wright, another one of her mother's favorites. Wright herself had become a fan and mentored Inayah in the music industry.

After Inayah struck a distribution deal with Empire, she independently released her first singles in 2018 and 2019, and during the latter year also issued S.O.L.A.R. ("storytelling over lyrics and rhymes"), featuring production from Micah Powell, Cassius Jay, and tha Aristocrats. The album's "Suga Daddy" and "Best Thing" raised her profile considerably. Next came Side A, a six-track EP with "Fallin," "What Are We," and "Missin It" increasing the singer's commercial momentum even more. Inayah returned after the birth of her second child with Insecure, an eight-track project with openhearted material such as "Always Something" and "Most Girlz." "Best Thing" proved to have considerable staying power, with a platinum certification awarded the next year. Without dulling her songwriting blade, Inayah diversified her sound with the 2024 effort Wait, There's More, which incorporated club-oriented productions and a greater emphasis on pop hooks. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi