With her distinctive husky voice and love-whispering pen, Snoh Aalegra (born Shahrzad Fooladi in Uppsala, Sweden, in 1987) has become one of contemporary R&B’s most captivating artists. The Swedish-Iranian singer-songwriter debuted under her current name in 2014 on Common’s “Hustle Harder,” followed by her own first single (“Bad Things") and EP (There Will Be Sunshine) that same year. Prince, upon hearing Aalegra’s music, reached out, initiating a yearslong mentorship. Her ascent quickened in 2017 with her debut album, FEELS—sensual, vintage-sounding R&B she calls “cinematic soul”—from which Drake sampled “Time” for his mixtape. Across her next two albums, Aalegra’s songwriting, from “Whoa” and “I Want You Around” to “DYING 4 YOUR LOVE,” continued to appeal to the lovers and the lovesick with their palpable emotion and hypnotic haze. In 2023, she reemerged with a string of singles, inviting listeners into her cinematic world.