artist info

Goapele (pronounced gwa-puh-lay), which means “to move forward” in Setswana has been doing just that, moving forward and making her presence felt in the music industry since 2001 as an American soul and R&B singer/songwriter. Her latest release Strong As Glass (October 21, 2014) features hit single “Hey Boy.” Produced by Keith Harris, known for hits like “Meet Me Halfway” (Black Eyed Peas) and “American Boy” (Estelle) and a collaborative songwriting process, which included Estelle, “Hey Boy” is a fun, summery track with an up-tempo and flirty retro vibe that makes you want to dance. The new album Strong As Glass is her fourth studio album.

Goapele’s upbringing in her hometown of Oakland, California combined with ethnic influences from her South African father and New York-born Israeli Jewish mother have created a unique artist with a passion for her music and her community. Once called the “spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo” by Rolling Stone magazine, Goapele has both a sensuous and serious voice that is making a difference in the music world by blending genres including jazz, soul, and hip-hop, infused with her own poetry.

Following her time at Berklee College of Music, Goapele debuted her musical talent with a self-released album Closer in 2001. At its peak, Closer was #63 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. In 2004, her first nationally distributed album, Even Closer, reached #24 on the Billboard Charts for Top Independent Albums. Her other Billboard accolades include her 2006 album, Change it All, which was both #32 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart and #2 on the Top Heatseekers, while the single “First Love” reached #18 on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.

Throughout her career Goapele has appeared on several well-known shows like Soul Train, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and has been praised in many prestigious magazines such as Rolling Stone, Nylon, Billboard, Essence and Vibe. Goapele has also proven to be a savvy businesswoman. She is a UNIQLO ambassador and is part of the UNIQLO campaign, which is a clothing company designed for people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, etc., as well as members of all communities and social groups.