Joel Ungeli, known professionally as Jungeli, is a Congolese-French singer. Born and raised in Sevran, he began his recording career in mid-2023 and later introduced his debut single, "À moi" on 12 July of that year, which went relatively unnoticed.[1][2]
Jungeli | |
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Birth name | Joel Ungeli |
Born | Sevran, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, Paris |
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Instrument(s) | Guitar, drums |
Years active | 2023–present |
Labels |
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Ungeli received widespread mainstream recognition following the release of his sophomore single, "Petit Génie" (featuring Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa), which debuted on 6 October 2023 and achieved commercial success in France, topping SNEP's Top Singles chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks, while simultaneously setting unprecedented records in airplay, streaming, and digital downloads.[3][4] Certified gold, platinum, and diamond by SNEP,[5][6][7][8] "Petit Génie" won the Best African or African-inspired Music award at Les Flammes[9][10] and garnered him a nomination for Best New International Artist at the BET Awards.[11][12][13]
He guest performed on Emma'a's single "Katana" from her self-titled album, which premiered in November 2023.[14][15] In the ensuing month, Ungeli featured on Big Ben's track "C'est qui?"[16] and debuted the single "Rashel" in collaboration with Moroccan-Belgian singer Dystinct.[17][18] On 19 January 2024, Ungeli made another appearance on Emma'a's single "Biso Mibale",[19] preceding the release of his singles "Bijou" and "Yebisa Bango" on 23 January 2024.[20][21] His subsequent smash hit, "T'étais où?" (featuring Vegedream, Alonzo, and Zaho), released on 2 February 2024, yielded his furthest commercial success and was certified gold by SNEP.[22][23][24]
Early life and career
editChildhood, "À moi", and breakthrough with "Petit Génie"
editWhile Ungeli's exact birth date remains unknown,[25] Le Parisien mentions that he was born in Sevran, a commune in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, located in the northeastern periphery of Paris, Île-de-France, to a Congolese parent who emigrated to France during the oppressive regime of the long-reigning dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.[26] Growing up, he listened to music from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; he cites Fally Ipupa as an influence.[27]
In the early summer of 2023, Jungeli introduced his debut single, "À moi", through social media platforms, though it initially garnered limited attention.[25] The song was officially released on multiple music platforms on 12 July, and its accompanying music video on YouTube accumulated over 620,000 views.[28]
Jungeli commenced work on his second single "Petit Génie" shortly after "À moi" debut. Excerpts of the single were prematurely leaked and extensively shared on TikTok, leading to a surge in popularity even before its official release on 6 October 2023.[29][30][31] In an interview with the Ivorian Life TV on the WAM show, hosted by Willy Dumbo, he revealed that "Petit Génie" was meant to "make people happy", and did not anticipate its overwhelming success.[32] The song was composed by DJ Wiils, with the music video directed by Bastos and produced by Mania Film, featuring guest appearances from Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa.[30][33] Jungeli's refrain "Mwana natikaka moke sima ekoli oya oye" pays tribute to the famed Congolese atalaku Brigade Sabarti, who popularized this phrase in their 2009 smash hit "Techno Malewa Automatique" by Werrason and Wenge Musica Maison Mère.[34] Alonzo's rap verse makes a nod to the legendary Pépé Kallé.[34] "Petit Génie" quickly attained commercial success in France; it reigned supreme on France's SNEP Top Singles chart for 18 non-consecutive weeks and achieved unprecedented milestones in airplay, streaming, and digital downloads.[35][4] It exceeded the previous record set by Ed Sheeran's "Shape of You", which was No. 1 for 15 non-consecutive weeks.[28] "Petit Génie" received gold, platinum, and diamond certifications from SNEP.[5][6][7][8] The track also won the Best African or African-inspired Music award at Les Flammes[9][10] and earned Jungeli a nomination for Best New International Artist at the BET Awards.[11][12][13]
Standalone releases and collaborations
editOn 24 November 2023, Jungeli was featured as a guest artist on Emma'a's single "Katana", from her self-titled album.[14][15] The following month, he made an appearance on Big Ben's track "C'est qui?"[16] and released the single "Rashel" in collaboration with Moroccan-Belgian singer Dystinct.[17][18] On 19 January 2024, Jungeli made another appearance on Emma'a's single "Biso Mibale",[19] preceding the release of his singles "Bijou" and "Yebisa Bango" on 23 January 2024. "Yebisa Bango", produced by Gabriel and Zafy, explored the theme of love, a motif that is also central to "Bijou", which was composed by YAM and Unleaded.[20][21]
On 2 February 2024, he collaborated with Vegedream, Alonzo, and Zaho on the breakout single "T'étais où?" which was composed by DJ Wiils, directed by Styck, and co-produced by Daylight Productions and Ma Nia Film.[22][23] "T'étais où?" yielded his furthest commercial success and received a gold certification from SNEP.[24] On 22 March, Jungeli appeared on fellow Congolese-French singer Singuila's song "Tricheur"[11] before featuring on Bolémvn's "On y va" from his four-track Extended Play (EP), Canada Goose.[12] On 7 June, he made a guest appearance on Youka's single "Allo".[13]
Discography
editSingles
editYear | Title | Details | Certifications |
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2023 | "À moi" |
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2023 | "Petit Génie" (featuring Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa) |
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2023 | "Rashel" (featuring Dystinct) |
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2024 | "Bijou" |
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2024 | "Yebisa Bango" |
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2024 | "T'étais où?" (Vegedream, Alonzo, and Zaho) |
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2024 | "Briller" |
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Awards and nominations
editYear | Event | Prize | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
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2024 | Les Flammes | Best African or African-inspired Music | "Petit Génie" (with Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing, and Lossa) | Won | [9][10] |
2024 | BET Awards | Best New International Act | Himself | Nominated | [11][12][13] |
References
edit- ^ Éric Bureau (31 January 2024). ""On l'a enregistré juste pour kiffer": Jungeli, le "Petit Génie" qui explose avec son tube inattendu" ["We recorded it just to enjoy it": Jungeli, the "Petit Génie" who explodes with his unexpected hit]. Leparisien.fr (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Biographie Jungeli: Qui est Jungeli ?". NRJ (in French). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Jungeli featuring Abou Debeing, Alonzo, Lossa and Imen Es – Petit Génie". lescharts.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b ""Petit génie" de Jungeli vient de battre un record jamais vu depuis l'ère du streaming" [Jungeli's "Little Genius" Just Broke a Record Not Seen Since the Streaming Era]. Gentsu.fr (in French). 7 February 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Leduc, Nathalie (29 April 2024). "Le Centre national de la musique révèle les certifications export pour 2023" [National Music Center reveals export certifications for 2023]. Le CNM: Centre national de la musique (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). "Petit génie". SNEP (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Kambala, Étienne (13 November 2023). "Grâce à "Petit génie", Jungeli s'offre le single de diamant le plus rapide de l'année 2023" [With "Petit génie", Jungeli offers himself the fastest diamond single of the year 2023]. Eventsrdc.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "Le morceau "petit génie" de Jungeli & Cie certifié single de diamant le plus rapide de l'année en France" [Jungeli & Cie's "Petit génie" certified as the fastest diamond single of the year in France]. Talents2kin.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Farrant, Theo (26 April 2024). "Les Flammes 2024 : Aya Nakamura reigns supreme wins three top awards". Euronews. Lyon, France. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Les Flammes 2024 : Voici la liste complète des gagnants" [Les Flammes 2024: Here is the complete list of winners]. Mbote.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "BET Awards : Drake, Nicki Minaj et Beyoncé dominent les nominations" [BET Awards: Drake, Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé dominate nominations]. Generations.fr (in French). 17 May 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d BET Awards (16 May 2024). "Drake Tops the List of Nominees for BET Awards 2024 With Seven Nods". BET. New York City, New York, United States. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Grein, Paul (16 May 2024). "Drake Leads Nominations for 2024 BET Awards: Full List". Billboard. New York City, New York, United States. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b Muyaya, Ruphin (3 April 2024). "EMMA'A et Fally Ipupa aperçus dans un studio d'enregistrement, la nouvelle fait saliver le public!" [EMMA'A and Fally Ipupa spotted in a recording studio, the news has the public salivating!]. Strong2kin Moov (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Jungeli: après le tube "Petit génie", son nouveau single "Rashel" avec Dystinct" [Jungeli: after the hit "Petit génie", his new single "Rashel" with Dystinct]. Chartsinfrance.net (in French). 16 December 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Big Ben et Jungeli te font danser dans "C'est qui"" [Big Ben and Jungeli make you dance in "Who's that?"]. Generations.fr (in French). 2 December 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Jungeli enchaîne avec "Rashel"" [Jungeli continues with "Rashel"]. Soul-addict.com (in French). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Jungeli invite Dystinct sur son nouveau single "Rashel" (audio)" [Jungeli Invites Dystinct on New Single "Rashel" (Audio)]. Talents2kin.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b ""Biso mibale", la déclaration d'amour d'Emma'a et Jungeli [VIDÉOCLIP]" ["Biso mibale", Emma'a and Jungeli's declaration of love [VIDEO CLIP]]. Strong2kin Moov (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b Narduzzi, Guillaume (28 January 2024). "Après le tube "Petit génie", Jungeli enchaîne avec les titres "Yebisa Bango" et "Bijou"" [After the hit "Petit génie", Jungeli followed up with the titles "Yebisa Bango" and "Bijou]. Chartsinfrance.net (in French). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b Narduzzi, Guillaume (29 January 2024). "Top Singles: Jungeli menacé par la tornade PLK, Jul et Shay débarquent" [Top Singles: Jungeli threatened by the PLK tornado, Jul and Shay arrive]. Chartsinfrance.net (in French). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Jungeli avec Vegedream, Alonzo et Zaho pout "T'étais où"" [Jungeli with Vegedream, Alonzo and Zaho for "T'étais où"]. Generations.fr (in French). 2 February 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Nouveau clip "T'étais où?" de Jungeli feat Alonzo , Zaho et Vegedream" [New video clip "T’étais où?" by Jungeli feat Alonzo, Zaho and Vegedream]. Talents2kin.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP). "Jungeli feat. Vegedream, Zaho & Alonzo: T'étais Où?". SNEP (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Biographie Jungeli: Qui est Jungeli ?" [Jungeli Biography: Who is Jungeli?]. NRJ (in French). Paris, France. 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Éric Bureau (31 January 2024). ""On l'a enregistré juste pour kiffer": Jungeli, le "Petit Génie" qui explose avec son tube inattendu" ["We recorded it just to enjoy it": Jungeli, the "Little Genius" who explodes with his unexpected hit]. Le Parisien (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ ""Fally Ipupa plus fort que Michael Jackson?", Jungeli explique son approche" ["Fally Ipupa stronger than Michael Jackson?", Jungeli explains his approach]. Strong2kin Moov (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ a b DJ Freak (7 February 2024). ""Petit génie" de Jungeli vient de battre un record jamais vu depuis l'ère du streaming" [Jungeli's "Petit génie" Just Broke a Record Not Seen Since the Streaming Era]. Gentsu.fr (in French). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Berthelot, Théau (15 August 2023). "Qui est Jungeli, l'artiste derrière le tube surprise "Petit génie" avec Imen Es et Alonzo?" [Who is Jungeli, the artist behind the surprise hit "Little Genius" with Imen Es and Alonzo?]. www.chartsinfrance.net (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Jungeli dévoile le clip de la chanson phénomène "Petit génie" [VIDÉOCLIP]" [Jungeli unveils the video clip for the hit song "Petit génie" [VIDEO CLIP]]. Strong2kin Moov (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Jungeli "Petit génie" feat Imen Es,Alonzo , Abou2being et Lossa (Clip Officiel)". Talents2kin.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ ""Je ne m'attendais pas à tout ça", Jungeli sur le succès de son titre "Petit génie"". Strong2kin Moov (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ "Jungeli est un "Petit génie" avec Imen ES, Alonzo, Abou Debeing et Lossa" [Jungeli is a "Little Genius" with Imen ES, Alonzo, Abou Debeing and Lossa]. Generations.fr (in French). 11 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ a b ""Petit génie": Jungeli, Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing et Lossa rendent hommage à Pépé Kallé et Brigade Sabarti" ["Petit génie": Jungeli, Imen Es, Alonzo, Abou Debeing and Lossa pay tribute to Pépé Kallé and Brigade Sabarti]. Eventsrdc.com (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Jungeli featuring Abou Debeing, Alonzo, Lossa and Imen Es – Petit Génie". lescharts.com. Retrieved 12 February 2024.