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Janet Leon
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Janet Ava Owji (born 19 October 1990), also known by her stage name OWJI[2] and her former stage name Janet Leon, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and A&R. Leon began her career as part of the pop group Play, for which she was lead singer 2003–2005. She rose to further prominence in Sweden with the release of her hit debut solo album Janet (2009) and the successful singles "Let Go" and "Heartache on the Dancefloor", both also released in 2009.

Leon competed in Melodifestivalen, an annual Swedish song competition which selects the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, in 2013 and 2014. Her single "New Colours" was selected as the official song for Stockholm Pride 2013.

Early life

[edit]

Janet Ava Owji was born on 19 October 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden[3] to an Iranian father and a Spanish mother.[4] She is an only child.[5] Leon grew up in the Gothenburg borough Johanneberg[6] and was in her childhood interested in music, theatre and football. She began playing the violin at the age of four[7] and arranged performances of songs together with her friends while in kindergarten.[8]

Leon began participating in talent shows as a singer at the age of seven;[7] one of her earliest stage appearances was performing Spice Girls songs alongside some of her friends at a school talent show.[5] She also began writing her own songs at around the age of 8.[9] In her youth, Leon and some of her friends were part of a blues band[7] called "Walking Spanish" which performed at various music festivals in Sweden.[1]

Leon's musical idols and inspirations include Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Eminem,[7] Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.[10]

Career

[edit]

2003–2005: Member of Play

[edit]

Leon's professional music career began in 2003 when she at the age of 13 joined the Swedish pop group Play as lead singer in December 2003.[7][11] She replaced the band's former lead singer, then 16-year-old Faye Hamlin, who left to finish her studies at school.[11] Leon became acquintaned to the members of the band through her relatives and was recruited after sending in a demo to the band's manager, Laila Bagge.[7] Bagge called back almost immediately after receiving the demo and travelled to Gothenburg the next day to hear Leon perform in person and ask her about her life goals.[6] Leon was officially announced as part of Play in a press release on 15 December 2003.[1]

Leon's first album with Play (and the group's third studio album overall), Don't Stop the Music, was released on 9 March 2004[1] but turned out to be a commercial failure.[11] In the summer of 2004, Play went on a tour in the United States. The group were accompanied by some of their parents as well as a teacher to not fall behind in school.[7] Play performed together with various artists during the tour, including Aaron Carter and Destiny's Child;[6] Leon also had a dinner with her idol Beyoncé.[7]

Play's next album, the Christmas-themed Play Around the Christmas, released in November 2004 and also failed to chart.[11] In 2005 the group then released a compilation of hits, Girl's Mind, though only songs from Hamlin's time as lead singer were featured. In September 2005, Play announced an indefinite hiatus.[11] Play was later briefly reformed 2009–2011, though Leon did not rejoin the group.[11]

2005–2011: Early solo career, debut album

[edit]
Leon performing in 2009

After the breakup of Play, Leon began a solo career,[11] working towards the eventual goal of putting together a solo studio album.[1] She continued to work with her manager Laila Bagge, as well as producers Anders Bagge and Andreas Carlsson, who had previously worked with Play.[9] Her early solo work included recording songs for the American toy store brand Build-A-Bear Workshop and for Kohl's clothing brand everGirl. In 2005 she also contributed vocals to two songs on the Bratz: Rock Angelz Soundtrack.[1] She voiced a fawn in the 2008 Swedish animated children's film Gnomes and Trolls: The Secret Chamber.[12]

In late 2008, Leon was chosen to be one of two participants in the Swedish television show Made in Sweden, hosted by Laila Bagge, Anders Bagge and Andreas Carlsson. Made in Sweden saw the producers attempt to forge successful musical artists; in Leon's case the programme followed her over the course of two months as she worked on and prepared her first solo studio album.[3][13] The album, titled Janet, was released in 2009 and became a hit,[11] spending three weeks on the Swedish charts.[14] Leon's debut single, "Let Go" (2009), also nearly topped the charts[11] and her second single released later in the same year, "Heartache on the Dancefloor", rose to number 34 in Sweden and charted for a total of 10 weeks.[14]

Following the release of her album and singles, Leon spent some time touring in Sweden[5][15] and also began working on a second album.[15] In 2010, she played a part in a Swedish musical stage production based on the film Grease (1978), which transplanted the plot of the film to 1960s Sweden.[16] In 2011, Leon recorded vocals for the song "Fire Fly" on the Childish Gambino album Camp.[17] On 3 December 2012, Leon released an acoustic version of the new song "These Chains" through the newspaper Expressen; "These Chains" was intended to eventually be part of her second album.[18]

2012–2014: Melodifestivalen

[edit]
Leon at the 2013 Grammis ceremony

While working on her potential second album together with songwriter Jörgen Elofsson, the two had the idea to send in a song as a competing entry to Melodifestivalen, an annual Swedish song competition which selects the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.[15] Leon and Elofsson saw a potential performance in Melodifestivalen as a good comeback to relaunch Leon's musical career.[8]

Leon's entry was accepted and she was officially announced as a contestant for Melodifestivalen 2013 in November 2012. Her entry, the original song "Heartstrings", was written by Fredrik Kempe and Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad.[19] Leon performed "Heartstrings" in Skellefteå on 16 February 2013[20] and placed fifth in her semi-final, failing to qualify for the final.[21][22] Leon had planned to release her second studio album in 2013 shortly after Melodifestivalen[6][9][15][23] but it as of yet remains unreleased.

On 7 May 2013, Leon's new single "New Colours" was selected as the official song for Stockholm Pride 2013. The song was co-written by Leon, along with songwriters Jörgen Elofsson, Lisa Desmond and Jesper Jakobson[24] and debuted at number 10 on the Swedish music chart Svensktoppen.[25] Also in 2013, Leon provided backing vocals for Agnetha Fältskog's album A.[26][27]

In November 2013, Leon was announced as a contestant for Melodifestivalen 2014, competing with the song "Hollow".[28] The song was written by songwriters Karl-Ola Kjellholm, Jimmy Jansson, and Louise Winter and was performed by Leon in Örnsköldsvik on 22 February 2014.[29] Leon placed eighth and last in the semi-final and did thus not qualify for the final.[17] "Hollow" was a challenging song to sing; Leon lost her voice while singing it several times during rehearsals.[30]

2014–present: Career in the United States

[edit]

In late September 2014, Leon moved to Los Angeles, California to further pursue her dreams.[17][31] Beginning in 2014 she worked as a songwriter and A&R,[32][33] for instance at the entertainment company DEFIENT.[34] She has in this capacity worked together with various artists, including Elva Hsiao.[35]

On 7 April 2021, Leon partook in the Clubhouse talk "Women in Music – Goddess Power Unite", hosted by Swedish musician Josefine. The talk also featured various other female musicians and music creatives and also brought attention to the UK-based social organization Girls Out Loud.[32][33]

In October and November 2022, Leon joined fellow Swedish-Iranian singer Arash on a tour of North America, performing concerts in support of the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.[36]

On 14 April 2023, she stated that she would no longer be using the stage name "Janet Leon", citing as reasons the strange experience of growing up in the music industry and not being herself. She instead announced that she would henceforth use the stage name OWJI (pronounced O-G), adapted from her family name.[2]

Personal life

[edit]

Leon moved from Gothenburg to Stockholm, where her musical collaborators were based, in 2009.[8][37] Leon revealed in February 2012 that she then lived in Stockholm together with her boyfriend, whom she had been dating for sixteen months.[23] In September of the same year Leon moved in together with her friend My in the Årsta borough of Stockholm.[38] Leon has since moved to Los Angeles in 2014 but frequently travels back to Sweden.[17][31]

Discography

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart positions
SWE
[39]
Janet
  • Released: 18 February 2009
  • Label: Sony BMG, Columbia
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 14

As a member of Play:

Singles

[edit]
List of singles as lead artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
SWE[39]
"Let Go" 2009 3 Janet
"Heartache on the Dance Floor" 34
"These Chains"[18] 2012 — —
"Heartstrings" 2013 36 Melodifestivalen 2013
"New Colours" 10 —
"Hollow" 2014 — Melodifestivalen 2014

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Janet Leon

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Janet Ava Owji (born 19 October 1990), professionally known as Janet Leon from 2003 to circa 2018 and subsequently as OWJI, is a Swedish , and A&R executive of Iranian descent. Born in , she entered the music industry as a teenager, joining the pop group Play in late 2003 as a replacement vocalist following the departure of Faye Hamlin, and remained with the group until its disbandment in 2005. Leon transitioned to a solo career in 2008, releasing her debut album Janet in 2009, which featured the single "Let Go" that peaked at number three on the Swedish Singles Chart, along with subsequent releases such as "Heartstrings" and "Hollow." Her work has primarily been in the pop genre, with influences from dance and electronic music, and she has performed at events including the . In recent years, under the OWJI moniker, she has explored more experimental sounds while continuing songwriting and A&R roles in Los Angeles.

Early life and background

Family heritage and upbringing

Janet Leon was born Janet Ava Owji on 19 October 1990 in , . Her father is Iranian and her mother is Spanish, conferring upon her a mixed Persian and heritage. Raised as an in Gothenburg, Leon grew up in a household influenced by her parents' immigrant backgrounds, with her family having resided in for an extended period following their arrival from abroad. From an early age, Leon displayed interest in the , beginning lessons at five years old and enrolling in dance classes. She participated in local musical theater productions during her childhood, fostering her initial exposure to stage performance and contributing to her development as a singer and dancer. These formative experiences in laid the groundwork for her professional career, which commenced in her early teens.

Musical training and influences

Leon commenced formal musical training at age four by learning violin, which she studied for approximately four years. At age six, she began dance instruction, encompassing , hip-hop, , cha-cha, and belly dancing, reflecting an early diversification into performance arts that complemented her instrumental foundation. By age ten, Leon had co-founded a local youth band named Walking Spanish, comprising two girls and two boys, with her serving as ; the group performed original material at Swedish music festivals and restaurants, marking her initial foray into live ensemble work and song delivery. This pre-professional experience, occurring around 2000–2002 given her 1990 birth year, honed her stage presence ahead of her entry into the pop group Play at age thirteen. Leon has cited a broad palette of international musical influences shaping her pop-oriented style, describing it as "really mixed" with elements from various countries, though specific artists remain undetailed in available accounts. Her early exposure through violin, dance, and band performances emphasized rhythmic and melodic versatility over genre-specific specialization.

Career

2003–2005: Joining and tenure with Play

In late 2003, following the departure of Play's founding lead singer Faye Hamlin in to pursue high school education in Sweden, 13-year-old Janet Leon from joined the group as her replacement. An official press release on December 15, 2003, confirmed Leon's role as the new lead vocalist, noting her prior acquaintance with member . Leon contributed vocals to Play's third studio album, Don't Stop the Music, released in March 2004, marking the group's first project with her as a member. The album included covers and original tracks aimed at a teen pop audience, with promotion involving U.S. performances such as the Radio Disney Spring Thing Tour alongside acts like and Stevie Brock. During her tenure, Play released singles like "Evergirl" in 2004, featuring Leon in the music video, though commercial performance was modest compared to earlier hits. The group disbanded in 2005 amid shifting dynamics for acts, ending Leon's time with Play after approximately 18 months.

2005–2011: Transition to solo career and debut

Following the Swedish pop group Play's announcement of an indefinite hiatus in September 2005, Leon began developing her solo career, focusing on songwriting and recording new material. In the years immediately after, she contributed promotional tracks for American brands, including a song for and another for everGirl clothing line. Leon signed with EMI Music Sweden and worked with producers such as toward her debut release. Her lead single "Let Go" was issued in early 2009, peaking at number 3 on the and earning certification for sales exceeding 10,000 units. The self-titled debut album Janet, released on February 18, 2009, featured 11 tracks including "Heartache on the Dancefloor," "Shimmy Shimmy" (with rapper Tha Will), and "Breakaway," blending pop, electro, and synth elements. The album debuted at number 28 on the Swedish Albums Chart, spent three weeks in the top 60, and also achieved status. Follow-up singles "Heartache on the Dancefloor" and "This Is It" received moderate in Sweden but did not replicate the chart success of "Let Go."

2012–2014: Melodifestivalen participation and Eurovision bids

In November 2012, Leon was announced as a participant in , Sweden's national selection for the . She competed in the third heat on 16 February 2013 at Skellefteå Kraft Arena with the ballad "Heartstrings", written by Fredrik Kempe and Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad. The performance featured Leon delivering emotional vocals over piano and strings, but it placed fifth out of eight entries with 50,251 combined votes, failing to qualify for the final or Second Chance round. Leon returned for Melodifestivalen 2014, entering the fourth heat on 22 February 2014 at Fjällräven Center in with "Hollow", an introspective pop ballad about loss co-written by Karl-Ola Kjellholm, , and Louise Winter. The song received 8,307 televotes, placing eighth and last, with no advancement. These participations represented Leon's bids to represent at the , though neither advanced beyond the heats.

2014–present: Relocation to the and A&R roles

In late 2014, following her second consecutive appearance in , Leon relocated from to , , aiming to expand her opportunities in the music industry. There, she transitioned from performing to behind-the-scenes roles, primarily as a songwriter and A&R representative, contributing to artist development and project scouting amid the competitive U.S. market. By 2016, her presence in was evident through posts reflecting on professional endeavors in the city. She has maintained residence there into the 2020s, focusing on these non-performing capacities without major public releases or credits documented post-relocation.

Artistic style and reception

Musical influences and evolution

Leon began her musical journey with classical training on the starting at age 4, alongside dance studies in , hip-hop, , cha-cha, and belly dancing from age 6, which contributed to a foundation blending rhythmic and performative elements in her pop-oriented career. These early experiences, combined with performances in talent shows from age 7 and with a local band, exposed her to varied styles before her professional entry into with Play in 2003. Her style evolved from the bubblegum pop and R&B-infused grooves of Play, where she provided lead vocals on tracks emphasizing vocal harmonies and upbeat production, to a more mature solo output post-2005. In solo work, particularly around her 2013 Melodifestivalen entry "Heartstrings," Leon characterized her sound as passionate, up-tempo pop-dance incorporating diverse international influences for a mixed genre blend. This Europop direction persisted in 2014's "New Colours," maintaining danceable electronic elements while collaborating with producers like for non-balladic, energetic tracks. By the mid-2010s, following relocation to the and a shift toward A&R roles, Leon's artistic evolution trended toward rawer, experimental expressions in projects like 'OWJI,' emphasizing emotional depth over polished pop structures amid tours and genre explorations. This progression reflects a transition from group-driven commercial pop to individualized, introspective songwriting, influenced by contemporary artists such as , whom she publicly admired for vocal and emotional resonance.

Critical and commercial assessments

Leon’s solo debut album Janet, released on February 18, 2009, marked her transition from group to individual artistry and achieved moderate commercial success primarily within Sweden. The lead single "Let Go" peaked at number 3 on the Swedish Singles Chart, while follow-up "Heartache on the Dance Floor" also entered the Top 40, reflecting domestic appeal in the pop genre but limited international penetration. These tracks, produced with contributions from Swedish songwriters, capitalized on her vocal range honed during her Play tenure, yet album sales figures remain undisclosed in public records, suggesting niche rather than blockbuster performance. Subsequent Melodifestivalen entries, including "Heartstrings" in 2013 and "Hollow" in 2014, generated visibility through national broadcasts but failed to secure Eurovision selection, with placements outside the top tier in their respective heats. Commercially, these singles charted modestly on Swedish lists without sustaining broader momentum. Critically, Leon's output has received scant formal analysis from major outlets, often framed in fan and industry contexts as competent teen-pop execution rather than innovative artistry, with emphasis on her live vocal delivery over stylistic depth. Overall assessments position Leon as a reliable performer in 's pop ecosystem, bolstered by early group success but constrained by market saturation and genre conventions, yielding no major awards or enduring critical acclaim beyond domestic charting achievements.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Janet Leon was born on October 19, 1990, in , , to parents of Iranian origin who had resided in the country for an extended period. She is an only child, having grown up without siblings in her immediate family. Leon has maintained a high degree of regarding her romantic relationships, with limited public disclosures. In a 2009 interview with Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, she stated that she had never had a boyfriend, attributing this to the demands of her early career focus. No verified reports of , long-term partnerships, or children have emerged in subsequent media coverage, consistent with her reticence on personal matters.

Religious beliefs and cultural identity

Janet Leon was born on October 19, 1990, in , , to parents of Persian and Spanish descent, which informs her multicultural heritage. Her father, Hans, and mother, Fari, reflect this mixed background, with Persian roots likely contributing to her non-Scandinavian ancestry. Raised in , Leon's cultural identity aligns closely with Swedish norms, as evidenced by her early musical training on and integration into the local pop scene from . Public information on Leon's religious beliefs remains limited, with no explicit declarations of affiliation in available records. She acquired a reading "Have " on her right around her 20th birthday in , suggesting a personal valuation of faith, potentially spiritual or motivational in nature, though its precise context is undisclosed. Absent further statements from Leon, interpretations of this symbol as indicative of would be speculative.

Discography

Studio albums

Janet is the debut and only studio album by Swedish singer Janet Leon, released on 18 2009 as a CD by the independent label Made In Sweden. The album comprises pop-oriented tracks produced in collaboration with Swedish songwriters, including the hit singles "Let Go", which preceded the album release, and "Heartache on the Dancefloor". Despite generating chart success for its singles in , the album did not spawn a follow-up full-length release in Leon's solo discography, with subsequent output focusing on singles and contributions to group projects.

Singles and EPs

Janet Leon's solo singles discography consists primarily of pop-oriented releases tied to her debut album Janet (2009) and subsequent entries. No extended plays (EPs) have been released under her name as a solo . Her debut single, "Let Go", was released in 2009 via Made In Sweden, serving as the lead track promoting her self-titled album; it featured electronic pop production but did not chart significantly in . "Heartache on the Dance Floor" followed later in 2009 as the second single from the same album, emphasizing elements with a runtime of 3:25; it was issued digitally and included in various compilations but similarly lacked major commercial impact. In preparation for Melodifestivalen 2013, Leon released "Heartstrings" as a single in early 2013, co-written by Thomas G:son and others; the track, a mid-tempo pop , peaked at number 3 on the Swedish Singles Chart following its contest performance but did not advance to the finals. "New Colours", another 2013 release, was selected as the anthem for that year, highlighting themes of self-expression in an upbeat pop format, though it received limited standalone promotion beyond the event. For , "Hollow" was issued as a single in January 2014 via King Island Roxystars Recordings, featuring introspective lyrics over electronic production; it placed 8th in its heat and was later distributed digitally with a runtime of 3:02, marking her final prominent solo single release to date.

References

  1. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1540452-Janet-Leon
  2. https://www.last.fm/music/Janet%2BLeon/%2Bwiki
  3. https://youmix.com.br/artist/10587958/janet-leon?tab=about
  4. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/janet-leon/304130165
  5. https://open.spotify.com/artist/1jYEIaJfxmcXFQGO4q5irm
  6. https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-owji-leon
  7. https://playartist.fandom.com/wiki/Janet_Leon
  8. https://fabulous-play.tripod.com/id27.html
  9. https://playfans.fandom.com/wiki/Janet_Leon
  10. https://scandipop.co.uk/melodifestivalen-2013-our-chat-with-janet-leon/
  11. https://www.aaemusic.com/artist/janet-leon
  12. https://www.last.fm/music/Play/%2Bwiki
  13. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/play/1559894
  14. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5001376/
  15. https://www.thethings.com/what-happened-swedish-girl-group-play-rosie-munter-anais-lameche/
  16. https://sverigetopplistan.se/search/?query=Leon
  17. https://www.discogs.com/release/2253067-Janet-Leon-Janet
  18. https://www.discogs.com/release/4400157-Janet-Leon-Heartache-On-The-Dancefloor
  19. https://eurovision.tv/story/melodifestivalen-2013-line-up-complete
  20. https://eurovisionworld.com/national/sweden/melodifestivalen-2013
  21. https://eurovisionary.com/eurovision-news/melodifestivalen-2013-viewers-success-voting-figures-shows-robin-almost-missed-final/
  22. https://eurovisionworld.com/national/sweden/melodifestivalen-2013/janet-leon-heartstrings
  23. https://eurovisionworld.com/national/sweden/melodifestivalen-2014
  24. https://eurovision.tv/story/last-semi-final-complete-in-sweden
  25. https://eurovisionworld.com/national/sweden/melodifestivalen-2014/janet-leon-hollow
  26. https://www.angelfire.com/pop2/ever-play/bio.html
  27. https://www.discogs.com/master/2108548-Janet-Leon-Heartstrings
  28. https://www.discogs.com/release/18570772-Janet-Leon-Heartstrings-Remixes
  29. https://www.truehollywoodtalk.com/janet-leon-unveils-anticipated-project-owji-amid-ongoing-north-american-tour-with-arash/
  30. https://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Janet+Leon
  31. https://rareandobscuremusic.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/play/
  32. https://musicspace.fandom.com/wiki/Play
  33. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/janet-leon.html
  34. https://www.expressen.se/noje/sa-flirtar-kandissinglarna/
  35. http://alwaysplayfans.blogspot.com/p/about-girls.html
  36. https://genius.com/artists/Janet-leon/albums
  37. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/janet_leon
  38. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/janet_leon/heartache_on_the_dance_floor/
  39. https://open.spotify.com/album/0ksoQyMHahMDVpOpBCCp0j
  40. https://open.spotify.com/album/4LKfYWFsHfUGm4mBgPqusS
  41. https://open.spotify.com/album/0w8ieAZUEUxCm7nj81wUVd
  42. https://music.apple.com/us/album/hollow-single/988904179
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