Jae Stephens was born in Dallas and moved to the Los Angeles area at 6, The FADER reported. She acted in commercials and on the Disney Channel as a kid, studied vocal performance at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and as a teenager ran a Beyoncé Tumblr with more than 200,000 followers.
Background
Before her own records took off, she wrote for other artists, with credits for Jennifer Lopez, Ne-Yo, Normani and TWICE’s Jihyo. In 2022 she won a competition run by RAEDIO, Issa Rae’s label, and signed with RAEDIO and Def Jam. In 2025 she opened for FLO on their North American tour, and in November she sold out her first London headline show, NME reported.
The sound
Her music mixes the melodies of 1990s and early-2000s R&B with pop and hip-hop production. Consequence compared her to Destiny’s Child, Rihanna and Cassie, and the Chicago Sun-Times heard SWV and Ciara. In its Sept. 25 review of her album, The Guardian likened it to PinkPantheress’s Fancy That.
The records
After several EPs, including SELLOUT in 2024 and SELLOUT II in 2025, she released her debut album, AUDACITY, on Sept. 25, 2026, through Def Jam and RAEDIO. It has 11 tracks and was produced by Dallas Caton. Singles include “Attaboy!” and “Sugar Trap.”
Why now
Her album arrived weeks after her Lollapalooza debut in August and a FADER GEN F feature on Sept. 2. Next she opens for Khalid on his UK and European arena tour, Oct. 9 to 24. She has no Los Angeles dates announced yet.
Official links
- Website
- TikTok
- YouTube
- X
- Spotify
- Apple Music
- SoundCloud
- Label (RAEDIO)
- Def Jam shop
Sources
- The FADER: Jae Stephens, GEN F
- Chicago Sun-Times: Jae Stephens at Lollapalooza
- The Guardian review of AUDACITY, via inkl
- NME: Jae Stephens cover story
- The Line of Best Fit: Jae Stephens readies AUDACITY, Khalid support
- Consequence: Emerging Artists to Watch in 2026
