Samara Joy

Few figures in jazz history have experienced the kind of meteoric success that vocalist Samara Joy has, especially at such a young age. “It’s spooky,” the great bassist Christian McBride has said of Joy. “She sounds and tells stories like an elder.” Joy’s refined, distinctive style has been compared to Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald—all legendary singers. Her rich, velvety voice has earned her fans such as Regina King and Elton John, and appearances on TODAY, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, MSNBC, and the Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and Drew Barrymore shows. Millions of likes on TikTok have cemented her status as perhaps the first Gen Z jazz singing star. At just 26, the gifted young singer from the Bronx already has six Grammys and was named to the 2025 Forbes “30 Under 30” list.