For the third year in a row, here are five R&B and soul artists from Québec to keep an eye on in the coming months.
Gäelle
Gaëlle was six years old when she knew music would be her life. “I was watching High School Musical in the living room with my brother… and I just knew, right then, that this was it for me.”
Born in Ottawa, the Gatineau and Montreal-based singer of Lebanese heritage grew up listening to traditional Arabic music, as well as her mother’s favourite classic rock—especially ’70s bands. “My first inspirations were The Who, Led Zep, the Stones… And then, at some point, I started digging into the artists who inspired those bands. That’s when I discovered blues, jazz, and all the music from the ’50s and ’60s.”
It wasn’t until she studied music in CEGEP that she truly discovered contemporary R&B. “My vocal teacher would push me to explore, and I still remember the exact moment she played me ‘Dangerous Woman’ by Ariana Grande. There’s this note at the very end of the song—really high—and I tried to hit it, but I couldn’t… I’ve always had this drive to excel, to be the best I can be, so hearing that note really pushed me to grow as a singer,” says the artist, born in 2000. She also counts pop powerhouses like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston among her influences, alongside soul and jazz legends such as Aretha Franklin and Etta James.
After a somewhat mixed run on Star Académie in 2022, she released her first songs the following year, followed by her debut EP, All The Things I Can’t Say, in 2025. A second project is coming this fall. “This EP is about showing that you can be both incredibly strong and deeply sensitive. I want to express that a woman can be many things at once—fully confident in her sexuality at some moments, and more reserved at others. Everything can coexist.”
Irdens Exantus
Irdens Exantus grew up surrounded by music: a brother who rapped, a mother who sang in choirs, and a father who directed them. Even before his acting career took off—with roles in Antigang and other projects—the Montréal-born artist from Ahuntsic-Cartierville was already playing piano and saxophone. “Gospel was my musical foundation, but what really moved me as a teenager was French rap, especially conscious rap,” explains the singer, born in 1994, citing Youssoupha among his influences.
“Singing came much later. I took lessons at church when I was younger, but I don’t think I was ready to own my voice. It was my sister who eventually said, ‘Sing for real!’ That’s when I gained confidence, around 2017 or 2018,” he recalls, naming Drake and Bryson Tiller as role models.
It was in 2021 that Irdens Exantus really gained momentum as an actor. A graduate of the École nationale de théâtre, he jumped at the acting opportunities that came his way (Larry, Fragments, Les armes), while always keeping music in mind. “Right now, I’m really trying to do both, and they feed each other. Acting, for example, influences a lot how I perform on stage. It was actually Sébastien Ricard (actor and also rapper with Loco Locass) who made me realize I didn’t have to choose between the two. That’s what eventually led me to participate in the Francouvertes.”
A finalist in the 30th edition of Quebec’s premier showcase competition, Les Francouvertes Irdens finished the competition in second place. By the end of 2026, he plans to release several songs on streaming platforms, while continuing to work on his debut album.
Naïma Frank
Naïma Frank first got interested in R&B thanks to her older sister, Shah Frank—the most recent Félix winner for R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the ADISQ Gala. As kids, the two sisters spent their time watching MusiquePlus discovering Destiny’s Child, Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, and Christina Aguilera. “Their songs were the first ones I learned by heart,” she recalls.
But the 1994-born artist took her time giving her voice a real chance. A communications graduate, she actually waited until her mid-twenties, just before the pandemic, to start pursuing music seriously. “I had no background, no theoretical knowledge of music. But I knew I wanted to do it. So I started working behind the camera, thinking it would be the perfect place to meet artists. But I have to admit: I was shy about owning my voice. I was afraid of being judged!”
The Montreal artist from Côte-des-Neiges then moved to France to launch her music dream. That’s where she cut her teeth, performing at open-mic nights and meeting other artists, including Parisian Damys, who went on to appear on the popular talent show Nouvelle École. “After meeting so many French rappers, I decided to stop writing in English and focus solely on French. Suddenly, I was so much prouder of what I was creating.”
Three years after her first collection of songs (Petite fille devient grande), Naïma Frank released her debut full-length album earlier this year, 18 ans et +. “This is my 30-year-old album, so I wanted it to be a snapshot of my twenties. Kind of like what Adele did with 19, 21, and 25. In your twenties, you test your limits, you go to extremes. I think the album really captures that energy,” she explains. The artist will be performing at Les Francos de Montréal on June 17.
St-Prince
St-Prince was 11 years old when his uncle introduced him to the music production software FL Studio. “The first time I saw him using it, I thought, ‘How do people keep finding new inspiration?’ In my head, everything had already been done. It took me a while to understand that creation has no limits.”
After he started to experiment with FL Studio, beginning with simple electronic beats, the artist from Neufchâtel, Québec, was drawn into the SoundCloud rap wave of the late 2010s—a scene known for its raw approach to recording and mixing, blending rap, emo, and rock. “That’s when I thought, ‘OK, this is doable… I can make this kind of music.’ I started mixing on YouTube, grabbed my beat-up mic, and recorded a song that ended up spreading through my school and friend circles. I basically became ‘the school’s artist,’” he recalls, a smile in his voice.
Wanting to collaborate with other artists in Québec, he formed the anglophone group SOS LUV in his late teens. The trio played a few shows and even opened for Dead Obies. But the COVID-19 pandemic stalled the group’s momentum, and it soon disbanded. “That’s when I started my solo career. I had a lot of time, so I refined my sound and began a project in French. My lyrics became more personal, more grown-up,” explains the Vietnamese-Québécois singer and actor, who cites Drake and Hamza as his main influences.
He’s releasing his debut EP, rien de saint, on May 15 under the respected hip-hop label Disques 7 ième Ciel (home to Koriass, FouKi, and Souldia).
Jules
Jules had a real “wake-up call” in CEGEP while studying psychology. “I thought, ‘If you don’t try, you’ll never know. You’ll be stuck with regrets when you’re 50…’”
In love with the stage ever since he took part in Secondaire en spectacle a few years earlier, the Montreal singer from Pointe-aux-Trembles began studying music. He then entered a period of intense learning, where he discovered, among other things, the richness of Black American music. One group in particular caught his attention: Hiatus Kaiyote, the Australian neo-soul band that’s been making waves since the 2010s. “The first time I heard them, I thought my brain was going to explode. I was completely blown away! There was musical genius, but also groove and sheer musicianship. They inspired me massively in the early days. A real epiphany!”
Jules honed his skills on the keyboard and performed wherever he could, entering competitions and festivals. In 2018 and 2022, he moved to a bigger stage by appearing on La Voix and Star Académie. “Honestly, the best thing I got out of those shows was being in contact with people from the industry. I’ve met so many amazing people that I keep running into everywhere now—producers, directors, technicians… That’s the real reward.”
After releasing his debut EP, Pour tout vous dire, which was nominated at the ADISQ Gala in 2024, the 27-year-old artist, signed to Maison Kanda (the label co-founded by Corneille), have released a more intimate project on May 14, titled Oublier hier. “The challenge with this album was about vulnerability and honesty. I wanted to allow myself to fully feel my emotions instead of keeping everything bottled up. I think I succeeded.”