Jody Watley, singer/songwriter/producer/businesswoman, is one of the architects of 21st century pop. From her groundbreaking marriage of rap & R&B (1987’s “Friends,” a collaboration with hip-hop legends Eric B. & Rakim) to her vision-forward marriage of high fashion, street fashion and music in the ‘80s (long before it became the norm), to her fusion of jazz and underground club culture with keen pop instincts, and the ease with which she crossed and still crosses genre, Ms. Watley forged the template that is now everybody’s playbook.
Winner of the Best New Artist Grammy in 1987, Jody Watley’s entire career has been about looking forward, drawing inspiration from personal heroes like Grace Jones, David Bowie, Diana Ross and jazz great Nancy Wilson – iconoclasts who were always ten steps ahead of the pack. The Chicago native’s eclectic repertoire – R&B, hip-hop, House, jazz, pop, drum & bass, ambient, spoken-word – is built on a positive vision and a strong taste for artistic and aesthetic risk.
Her self-titled 1987 solo debut – a showcase for her vocal chops and songwriting skills – was a beats & grooves tribute to her club kid roots, from the underground spots she frequented as a teenager to her stardom (while still a teen) as one of the most popular dancers in the history of iconic TV show “Soul Train.” It yielded the chart topping hits “Looking for a New Love” (which launched the Jody-penned phrase “Hasta la vista” into popular vernacular, becoming so huge that Arnold Schwarzenegger jacked it for his signature line in the movie The Terminator), “Don’t You Want Me,” “Most of All,” “Some Kind of Lover” and “Still a Thrill,” whose video was the first (and as yet unmatched) time a pop star flexed their skills at waaking, the underground Los Angeles dance that is a sibling to both breakdancing and voguing.
1989’s Larger Than Life, her blockbuster sophomore album, yielded the hits “Real Love” (whose influential music video – nominated for seven MTV Video Music Awards – was her second collaboration with acclaimed film director David Fincher, the first being her sleek video for “Most of All”), “Friends,” and the sultry ballad “Everything.” They were all huge hits.
Like many artists who top the charts, Ms. Watley soon found herself stymied by the limited vision of her label, who wanted to shoehorn her into formula. The albums Affairs of the Heart (1991) and Intimacy (1993) displayed her deepening songwriting skills and singing prowess, as well as her assured experimentation with layered musical textures, but label support was missing in action. The powerful, beat-driven spoken-word track “When a Man Loves a Woman” from Affairs sparked controversy for addressing AIDS and domestic violence long before they were topics of national conversation, and her skittish label turned its back on the track and album. Though Ms. Watley’s artistry continued to deepen and grow, she was hamstrung by her label’s lack of support and their adherence to the same narrow definitions of success that saw her leave iconic R&B group Shalamar at the height of its popularity in 1983. Her own definition of success centered then and now on artistic growth and freedom, not simply replicating whatever was or is hot at the moment.
After breaking from the majors and starting her own label Avitone Recordings in 1995, Ms. Watley began collaborating with a Who’s Who of visionary producers and remixers, many of whom were longtime fans and jumped at the chance to work with her: 4 Hero, King Britt, Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez & Little Louie Vega, Mark de Clive Lowe, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ron Trent, Moto Blanco, and Alex Di Ciò. Thanks to her non-stop touring, her global fan base remains as fervent as ever and they’ve made chart and club hits of Ms. Watley’s indie albums – Affection (1995), Flower (1998), The Saturday Night Experience (1999), Midnight Lounge (2001), and The Makeover (2006) – and her 2014 EP Paradise.
For the past five years, the ever multi-tasking Ms. Watley has focused on both her thriving solo career and the group project “Jody Watley featuring SRL.” Much like Prince had The Revolution, NPG, and Third Eye Girl (among many other projects and aliases) as extensions or branches of his music and creativity, Jody Watley feat. SRL allows Ms. Watley another outlet for her artistic expression. SRL members Rosero McCoy and Nate Allen Smith – gifted singers, dancers, and choreographers in their own right – bring their own cool style and vibe to Ms. Watley’s trademark high-energy, all-love live performances, and the trio’s critically acclaimed concerts draw SRO crowds around the world. With musical influences that include Kaytranada, Anderson Paak, and Little Dragon, they’ve released several chart-topping hit singles in Europe, including the Alex Di Ciò remix of “The Mood.” Their forthcoming album will be a seamless mix of dance grooves, funky beats, deep House, R&B, trap, rock, and ambient ballads accented with guitar flourishes.
Also in the works is Jody Watley: The Jazzy Sessions, a longtime dream project finally come to fruition. Fans were given a taste of what to expect from that forthcoming EP on the bossa nova tinged cover of Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain,” which shot to the top of the jazz charts within weeks of its release. A lilting, gorgeously melancholy take on the classic tune, the track simmers with tension between the longing of the lyrics and the lush, languid music and arrangement. Though some newer fans were pleasantly surprised that Ms. Watley pulled off a jazz tune, longtime fans saw it as simply the artistic thread being pulled forward from Ms. Watley’s show-stopping cover of Cole Porter’s classic song “After You,” from the landmark AIDS benefit recording project Red Hot & Blue, released in1990.
What links “Waiting” to the rest of Ms. Watley’s far-ranging and impossible to pigeonhole catalogue (which has seen her hit the charts in every decade of her career, from 1977’s Uptown Festival album with Shalamar to 2018’s “Waiting in Vain” single) is the sincerity and honesty from which it springs.
“Everything I’ve ever done has been to be distinctively Jody Watley,” says the pop icon herself, “from my first solo album through right now. Everything that I will ever do always has to be authentic to me, work that I can always be proud of first and foremost. It’s not so much about, ‘Oh, this is going to be popular,’ or ‘Oh, this is going to be a big hit.’ It’s always been so personal to me, everything that I do. And the fans can feel that. They connect with the honesty.”
Jody Watley’s hot new single “The Dawn” (Alex Di Ciò Remix) continues its international momentum as Jamm FM Netherlands names it Record Of The Week, following its rise to #1 Breaker on the UK Soul Chart.
Blending sophisticated dance-pop, funk, soul, and contemporary electronic grooves, The Dawn showcases an artist who continues to evolve while staying true to her creative vision.
For those just discovering Jody Watley’s current music, this is not a comeback—it’s a continuation. From groundbreaking solo classics and GRAMMY-winning success to independent releases, EPs, albums, and charting singles throughout the 2000s and beyond, Jody Watley remains a vibrant force in contemporary music.
GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, and independent label founder Jody Watley is an iconic force in contemporary dance, electronic, soul, and pop music. A trailblazing solo artist whose influence spans generations, she is recognized by Billboard among the Top Female Artists, Top Dance Artists, and Top Black Solo Artists of All Time.
With classics and iconic catalog including “Looking For A New Love,” “Real Love,” “Friends,ft Eric B & Rakim” and “Don’t You Want Me,” alongside acclaimed recent releases through Avitone Recordings, Watley continues to blend innovation, sophistication, and groove into music made for today.
On June 22, 1987, Jody Watley appeared on the cover of JET Magazine, one of the most influential publications in Black culture and media.
The feature arrived during a landmark year for the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter as her self-titled debut solo album established her as one of the most exciting artists in contemporary music. Released earlier that year on MCA Records, Jody Watley delivered a series of hit singles that showcased her distinctive blend of R&B, pop, dance music, fashion, and innovation.
The album produced multiple Billboard Top 10 hits, including the No. 1 R&B and No. 1 Dance smash “Looking For A New Love,” along with “Still A Thrill,” “Don’t You Want Me,” and “Some Kind Of Lover.” The success of the project demonstrated Watley’s creative vision as an artist, songwriter, and trendsetter, helping to redefine the possibilities for women in popular music.
At a time when a JET Magazine cover represented an important cultural milestone, the feature recognized a rising star whose influence extended beyond music into fashion, style, and contemporary culture.
The cover captured a pivotal moment in a career that would continue to break barriers and set new standards. Nearly four decades later, Jody Watley remains celebrated for her artistry, innovation, and enduring impact on music and culture.
Producer • Songwriter • Creative Entrepreneur • Independent Music Pioneer
GRAMMY® Award-winning recording artist, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Avitone Recordings.
For more than four decades, Jody Watley has built a career defined by innovation, creative independence, and cultural influence. As a pioneering solo artist, she helped redefine the intersections of music, fashion, visual storytelling, and popular culture while earning multi-platinum success, chart-topping hits, and industry recognition including induction into the Women’s Songwriters Hall of Fame and inclusion in Billboard’s lists of the Top Female Artists, Top Dance Artists, and Top Black Solo Artists of All Time.
In 1995, Watley founded Avitone Recordings, establishing an independent platform focused on artistic ownership, strategic partnerships, and creative freedom. Through Avitone, she has continued to develop new music, multimedia projects, brand collaborations, and innovative approaches to audience engagement while maintaining a global presence across streaming, digital media, live performance, and content creation.
Today, Jody Watley remains committed to creating forward-thinking music spanning dance, electronic, soul, and pop while championing authenticity, innovation, and long-term artistic sustainability.
Jody Watley’s “The Dawn (Alex Di Ciò Remix)” Reaches No. 1 UK Soul Chart Breaker & Earns Record Of The Week Honors (June 15, 2026) . Continuing an iconic legacy rooted in quality music and style.
Additional UK radio support this week:
Record Of The Week — Starpoint Radio (UK)
Record Of The Week — Sunshine Radio (UK)
Written by Jody Watley.and Mark de Clive Lowe
Produced & Mixed by Alex Di Ciò. Another independent release via Avitone Recordings
“The Dawn (Alex Di Ciò Remix)” is available now on all major digital music platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, Beatport, TIDAL, and YouTube Music.
Thank you to DJs, radio programmers, music lovers, and fans worldwide for the continued support.
Pip: The Official Jody Watley Website is where a five-decade career keeps moving forward — and right now, it is moving at dance-floor speed.
Mara: Admin has the full story on the new single, the label behind it, and what this release means in the context of a catalog that just keeps building. Let’s start with the music itself.
Jody Watley’s New Single ‘The Dawn’ Is Out Now
Pip: The question here is straightforward: what does a new Jody Watley single in 2026 actually represent — a moment, or a momentum?
Mara: The post frames it as the latter. The setup is that this release follows back-to-back chart successes, and the post puts it plainly: “The Dawn is the latest in the singer songwriting, producer’s ongoing discography of feel good blend of soulful rhythms and dance-floor energy.”
Pip: So this is not a one-off. It is the next step in a streak — a number-one iTunes USA and Amazon Music UK Dance and Electronic album in 2025, a number-two UK Soul Chart single in 2024 — and now a new remix produced by Alex Di Ciò landing on every major platform worldwide.
Mara: The release comes through Avitone, her independent label established in 1995 with the stated mantra of “Fueling Quality Music.” That label context matters — this is not a major-label rollout. It is a deliberate, multi decades-long independent operation.
Pip: Thirty years of independent operation, and the singles keep charting. That is not luck, that is infrastructure.
Mara: The post also grounds the release in a much longer arc. Watley is listed in Billboard as one of the Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, Top 25 Dance Artists of All Time, and Top 100 Black Solo Artists of All Time — a GRAMMY Award-winning Best New Artist and three-time nominee whose catalog spans R&B, pop, dance, hip-hop, jazz, and electronic music across more than five decades, going back to her Shalamar years beginning in 1978.
Pip: The bio closes with a phrase that earns its place: “Still Thriving. Still Creating. Still Evolving on her own terms independently.” At this point in the discography, that reads less like marketing and more like a statement of fact.
Mara: “The Dawn” is available now on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud.
Pip: Five decades in, a new single, a thriving independent label — the arc here is genuinely long.
Mara: And it keeps moving. More to come from this catalog, no question.
GRAMMY winning artist and Icon Jody Watley’s new single “The Dawn” Remix Produced by Alex Di Ciò and written by Watley is OUT NOW on digital music platforms worldwide from her longtime independent label Avitone, established in 1995 with a mantra of “Fueling Quality Music.”
Following the success of the #1 iTunes USA and Amazon Music UK Dance/Electronic album “Let’s Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats” in 2025, 2024’s single “EVERLASTING” #2 UK Soul Chart and #2 iTunes Top Dance / Electronic albums, Jody keeps the groove moving forward.
“The Dawn” is the latest in the singer songwriter, producer’s ongoing discography of feel good blend of soulful rhythms and dance-floor energy.
Listen Now! iTunes / Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Soundcloud + Check out Jody Watley’s Youtube Channel Message: Here
About The Artist:
Jody Watley is a GRAMMY® Award–winning Best New Artist and 3x nominee, multi-platinum singer, songwriter, producer, entrepreneur, and style icon.
Renowned as one of the most defining female artists of the 80s and 90s Watley is listed in Billboard as one of the Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, Top 25 Dance Artists of All Time and Top 100 Black Solo Artists Of All Time. The recipient of Crossover Music Icon from Black Music Honors 2017 with an ongoing diverse music discography spanning R&B / Pop / Dance /Hip Hop / Spoken Word/Electronic / Jazz / Adult Contemporary 80s, 90s, 2000s-Present with Top 10 hits including the iconic “Looking for a New Love,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Friends” ft. Eric B. & Rakim, and the gold-certified “Real Love,” she has built a multi-decade career of over 5 decades of genre-spanning, critically acclaimed catalog including disco (from her Shalamar days from 1978 to 1983), and then on to her iconic solo for over 4 decades evolution finds her -Still Thriving. Still Creating. Still Evolving on her own terms independently.
The new Jody Watley single “The Dawn” arrives JUNE 12 on digital music platforms worldwide.
Following the success of “Let’s Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats” in 2025 #1 iTunes USA Top Dance Electronic Albums and Amazon Music UK. The acclaimed 2024 single “EVERLASTING” with mixes by Alex Di Ciò & Dam-Funk + dance remixes that reached #2 iTunes Top Dance Electronic Albums Chart, the Jody Watley Discography continues to evolve.
“The Dawn” is the latest preview from the forthcoming EP “Just Groove”—a feel-timeless blend of soulful rhythms.
Jody Watley is a GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer and style icon. Named Best New Artist in 1988, she’s one of Billboard’s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, with 6 Top 10 Hot 100 hits, 13 No. 1 Dance singles, 2 R&B #1s and genre-spanning success across R&B, Pop, Dance, Downtempo Electronica and Jazz-80s, 90s, 2000-Present.
A visionary in music and fashion, Watley helped pave the way for Black women to break boundaries. Honored as a Crossover Music Icon by Black Music Honors, an inductee in Women’s Songwriters Hall of Fame + more; her influence continues and goes back as far as her days as a teenager as one of the show Soul Train’s most popular and trendsetting artists—5 decades strong as an artist, she remains an inspiration to many.
Arriving June 12, 2026: “The Dawn” (Alex Di Ciò Remix) — the groove-heavy new single from GRAMMY® Award-winning music icon Jody Watley.
Experience a fresh evolution of rhythm, soul, and dance-floor energy as Jody Watley and acclaimed producer/remixer Alex Di Ciò deliver the perfect soundtrack for the season. The song is another Jody Watley composition. “It’s a tough time for a lot of people, and also quite a bit of negativity in the world. I think it’s always important to have songs that keep people motivated and in a positive mindset – to let go of worries and stress, My music is always a vessel for that.”
Dawn definition: Dawn is the period of the day when the first light appears in the sky, marking the transition from night to morning before the sun breaks the horizon at sunrise.Metaphorically, it refers to the beginning, emergence, or advent of something new (e.g., “the dawn of a new era”) “the dawn of a new day”
About The Artist:
Jody Watley is a GRAMMY-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter/producer and style icon. Named Best New Artist in 1988, she’s one of Billboard’s Top 60 Female Artists of All Time, with 6 Top 10 Hot 100 hits, 13 No. 1 Dance singles, 2 R&B #1s and genre-spanning success across R&B, Pop, Dance, Downtempo Electronica and Jazz. Her career longevity spans 5 decades in the music industry.
A visionary in music and fashion, Watley helped pave the way for Black women to break boundaries. Honored as a Crossover Music Icon by Black Music Honors, an inductee in Women’s Songwriters Hall of Fame + more; her influence continues—decades strong and she remains an inspiration to many.Her most recent album “Let’s Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats” released July 9, 2025 vaulted to #1 on the iTunes Top Dance Electronic Albums and Amazon Music UK on July 11, 2025.
“The Dawn” Cover Art by Shawn West and Jody Watley. Logo Design: Ray Easmon.
Grammy Award-winning music icon Jody Watley is among the many esteemed trailblazing female artists featured in SUPREME SIRENS: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Music, the celebrated 2024 release by acclaimed author and style expert Marcellus Reynolds.
Released on January 23, 2024 through Abrams Books, SUPREME SIRENS is the first-ever photography book dedicated to honoring Black female singers and musicians whose artistry, innovation, resilience, rebellion, and cultural impact transformed music history and popular culture.
The stunning collection celebrates generations of influential Black women in music through powerful imagery and storytelling — making it an essential addition for music historians, photography enthusiasts, style aficionados, and coffee table book collectors alike.
From groundbreaking artistry to enduring influence in music and fashion, Jody Watley continues to be recognized as a visionary creative force whose impact spans decades across music, style, culture, and entertainment.
Book Details:
SUPREME SIRENS: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Music
It’s the ultimate party experience for fans of Disco, Dance, R&B/Soul and Funk music – all on one unforgettable cruise experience sailing from Ft. Lauderdale aboard the Celebrity Silhouette sailing to Grand Turk, Puerto Plata Dominican Republic, concerts, celebrity hosted activities and more.
Catch Her Outside! Join Jody Watley at Sea – It’s Paradise!
Jody Watley fans – Use Promo code JODYFAN for special cabin savings.
Let’s Do This! Let’s Dance! Get your groove and disco glam on!
Have you heard Jody Watley’s covers of the CHIC classic “I Want Your Love” a #1 single for Watley in 2008 and Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” from her #1 2025 iTunes Top Dance Album “Let’s Dance Vol. 1- Hit Them Beats”? If not head to your favorite digital music platform.
Jody Watley. Let’s Dance Vol. 1 T-shirt – Make it Your Own!
Jody Watley’s latest album Let’s Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats energy isn’t just an album—it’s a mindset and a mantra to keep it moving. From adding to your playlists to your personal style statements, celebrate the spirit of Let’s Dance Vol. 1 (Hit Them Beats) in your own way.
The official collection is all about expressing your connection to the music, showing support for Grammy winning Icon Jody Watley and her sustained independence 40 plus years as a solo artist and entrepreneur—navigating the dance of life, perseverance and business.
Wear it. Share it. Dress it up or down!
Jody Watley – Let’s Dance Unisex T. Dress it Up or Down. Make it Your Own.
And if you haven’t yet—press play, add 2025’s #1 iTunes and Amazon Music UK Dance Electronica Album Let’s Dance Volume 1 – Hit Them Beats, released via her Avitone label celebrating the 30th Anniversary of forming the label; to your playlist. Keep the music in motion.
Just Push Play for a Non Stop Mix. Jody Watley “Let’s Dance Vol. 1 – Hit Them Beats”
