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Jael Wena speaks about music the way some people speak about inheritance, not as something she chose, but something she was born into. Raised in Melbourne, Australia, Jael grew up in a household where music wasn’t extracurricular, but foundational. Her parents met playing in a church band; her mother led worship, her father played, produced and learned music by necessity and determination. “I always knew music was the thing I wanted to do,” Jael says simply. There was never a backup plan, because there was never any doubt. It wasn’t until lockdown that Jael began to consciously shape her own musical identity. Isolation created space to listen deeply and explore jazz, R&B and soul without distraction. Aretha Franklin’s authority, Frank Sinatra’s phrasing, and the orchestral storytelling and playfulness of film composer Michael Giacchino opened new doors. At the centre of it all was her voice. Rich, controlled, quietly commanding, Jael’s tone carries an emotional immediacy that can’t be manufactured. Her influences reflect that gravitation toward vocal truth: Lauryn Hill’s depth, Alicia Keys’ piano-led honesty, Adele’s restraint, Jorja Smith’s tonal individuality. Jael is not rushing toward an image of who she should be. She is becoming who she already is: an artist shaped by lineage, faith and feeling, grounded in family, and guided by a voice that refuses to hide.