VanJess
{{Short description|American musical duo}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = VanJess
| alt =
| caption = Left to right: Ivana and Jessica Nwokike
| image = VanJess_red.jpg
| origin = California, U.S.
| genre = {{hlist|R&B|neo soul{{cite web | url=https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/top-new-neo-soul-r-and-b-singers.html | title=Neo-Soul 2020: 23 Contemporary Artists Pushing the Sound Forward - Okayplayer }}}}
| years_active = {{start date|2009}}–{{end date|2022}}
| current_members =
| past_members = Ivana Nwokike
Jessica Nwokike
}}
VanJess was a Nigerian-American{{Cite web |last=Méndez |first=Chris Malone |title=VanJess announce breakup and Jess' forthcoming solo career |url=https://www.revolt.tv/article/2023-03-16/280589/vanjess-announce-breakup-and-jess-forthcoming-solo-career |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=REVOLT}} R&B duo composed of sisters Ivana and Jessica Nwokike. The duo began their career on YouTube performing cover songs. After one of their videos, a cover of Drake's "Headlines", had viral success, they decided to pursue a serious career in music.{{Cite news|url=https://myspace.com/article/2016/5/6/vanjess-10-things|title=10 Things You Should Know About VanJess|work=Myspace|access-date=2018-08-18}} In 2011, the duo hired a manager and recorded in a studio for the first time.{{Cite news|url=https://hypebae.com/2017/11/baewatch-vanjess-interview|title=BAEwatch: VanJess|work=HYPEBAE|access-date=2018-08-18}} On November 12, 2018, the group announced that they had signed to the RCA joint venture label Keep Cool.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BqX7BU4lVmE/|title=VanJess on Instagram: "anyone who's followed our journey knows how crazy this is. being signed with a label who so strongly believed in our potential even when…"|website=Instagram|language=en|access-date=2018-11-20}} Thus far in their career, VanJess has released one studio album, Silk Canvas, and one EP, Homegrown.
History
The sisters are first-generation Nigerian immigrants of Igbo origin,{{Cite news|url=http://www.factmag.com/2018/08/22/fact-rated-vanjess-silk-canvas/|title=VanJess are the new architects of electronic-soul on their debut album Silk Canvas|date=2018-08-22|work=FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.|access-date=2018-08-23|language=en-US}} They were both born in the United States.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/sister-collab-the-405-meets-vanjess-151|title=Sister Collab: The 405 meets VanJess|work=The 405|access-date=2018-08-18|language=en}} According to Jessica, they spent 'about eight or nine years' of their childhood in Nigeria, before moving to La Palma, California with their mother, when they were 10 and 8 years old, respectively. They later moved to Cerritos.{{Cite news|url=http://www.okayafrica.com/vanjess-silk-canvas-interview/|title=VanJess Are Set to Takeover the R&B World and Beyond|date=2018-07-12|work=OkayAfrica|access-date=2018-08-18|language=en}} Jessica and Ivana attended a performing arts elementary school. In middle school and high school, they performed as a duo in talent shows.{{Cite news|url=https://pigeonsandplanes.com/in-depth/2017/12/vanjess-who-is|title=Who Is VanJess?|work=PigeonsandPlanes|access-date=2018-08-18|language=en}}
They have supported causes like the "Louder than Words" campaign in 2012 and performed at 2013's "Lights Camera Cure" dance-a-thon.
They have made appearances on shows like VH1's The Linda Perry Project.{{Citation
|title = VanJess On Working With Linda Perry
|url = https://www.vh1.com/news/zom6vu/vanjess-interview-make-or-break-linda-perry
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231012190926/https://www.vh1.com/news/zom6vu/vanjess-interview-make-or-break-linda-perry
|url-status = live
|archive-date = 12 October 2023
|website = VH1
|access-date = 2014-08-28}}
The duo re-released their debut EP 00 till Escape in 2015 which charted in the iTunes top ten and trended worldwide.{{Cite web |title=Heineken Green Room Presents VanJess |url=https://pubwebb.com/events/heineken-green-room-presents-vanjess/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Pub Webb |language=en}} Their debut album Silk Canvas, an album of original material, was self-released by the duo in 2018.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-04|title=TOKiMONSTA Announces Tour, Shares New Song With VanJess|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/tokimonsta-announces-tour-shares-new-song-with-vanjess-listen/|access-date=2021-11-26|website=Pitchfork|language=en-US}} The duo released five singles from the album: "Adore", "Touch the Floor", "Through Enough", "Addicted", "Easy", and "Control Me". The album includes collaborations with Masego, GoldLink, Little Simz, Leikeli47, and Berhana.
They released their EP, Homegrown, on February 5, 2021. The project includes collaborations with Kaytranada, Phony Ppl, Jimi Tents, Garren, and Devin Morrison.
The duo has listed Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Xscape, TLC, and SWV as their biggest musical influences.{{Cite news|url=http://www.okayafrica.com/vanjess-silk-canvas-interview/|title=VanJess Are Set to Takeover the R&B World and Beyond|date=2018-07-12|work=OkayAfrica|access-date=2018-08-18|language=en}} In a 2021 interview with Buzzfeed, they listed Brandy, Toni Braxton, and Whitney Houston as additional influences on their music.{{Cite web|title=VanJess Talks Us Through Creating In Quarantine And The Making Of Their EP, "Homegrown"|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hissasalwe/vanjess-homegrown-quarantine-interview|access-date=2021-08-18|website=BuzzFeed News|date=5 February 2021 |language=en}}
On March 16, 2023, Jessica announced that Ivana had stepped away from VanJess eight months earlier. Jessica also announced that she will continue to make music on her own.[https://twitter.com/vanjess/status/1636427996658810880?s=46&t=qFE4kuaHvsHvBLC_PyUuew]
Discography
= Studio albums =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| Title
! Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Silk Canvas
|
|
= EPs =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| Title
! Details |
|---|
| scope="row"| Homegrown
|
|