Баста
JONY (Джони; real name — Jahid Afrail oglu Huseynli; born February 29, 1996, Baku, Azerbaijan) is a singer and songwriter of Azerbaijani origin who gained wide recognition on the Russian-language pop scene. His music combines pop, R&B, hip-hop rhythms and distinctive Eastern melodic elements.
JONY gained widespread popularity in the late 2010s thanks to the songs «Аллея», Love Your Voice and especially «Комета». His catalog later expanded with «Ты беспощадна», «Ты пари», «Пустота», «Титры», «Никак», «Воздушный сарафан», «Мне не больно», «Реки вели» and other compositions. His discography includes the albums «Список твоих мыслей» (2019), «Не ищите во мне жанры» (2022) and «Рядом» (2025), as well as the EPs «Небесные розы» (2020) and EPIC (2024).
Childhood in Baku and move to Moscow
Jahid Huseynli was born on February 29, 1996, in Baku. When he was four years old, his family moved to Moscow, where his father developed his own business.
Music, however, was already familiar within the family. Jahid’s father had sung in his youth and for some time earned money by performing, while one of his uncles was professionally connected with the Azerbaijani music scene.
His father, however, did not want his son to pursue an artistic career. Having achieved success in business, he expected Jahid to receive an education and eventually continue the family business.
The future singer himself had been interested in music since childhood. He sang in a school choir and by his teenage years was increasingly serious about creating his own music.
Where the stage name JONY came from
The stage name appeared long before his professional career.
As a child, Jahid loved the animated series Johnny Bravo. His mother jokingly began calling him Jony, and the nickname became established within the family.
After moving to Moscow, it also proved practical: his classmates found it difficult to immediately remember and pronounce the name Jahid, so he began introducing himself as Jony.
When the time came to choose a stage name, there was no need to invent a separate artistic alias — JONY was the name his family and close friends had called him for almost his entire life.
Education and the choice between business and music
After finishing school, Huseynli enrolled at the State University of Management, studying international business.
He completed a four-year bachelor’s degree followed by a two-year master’s program. Throughout this period, his father expected his son to join the family business.
Jahid did not give up music, however. During his studies, he recorded cover versions of popular songs and posted them on social media.
After receiving his degree, the future artist asked his father to give him a chance to try building a music career. They agreed that if the experiment did not bring results, Jahid would return to business.
At the time, he was around 22 years old.
Cover songs and the beginning of a professional career
JONY took his first noticeable steps through social media. His cover versions began attracting an audience, while the singer gradually became acquainted with representatives of the music industry.
During this period, he met ANDRO, then ELMAN, and became part of the creative circle around RAAVA Music.
His professional career began with a series of independent songs. In 2018–2019, he released «Пустой стакан», «Френдзона», «Звезда», «Аллея» and the collaboration with HammAli & Navai «Без тебя я не я».
«Аллея» and the first major success
One of his early breakthroughs was «Аллея», released in March 2019.
The song combined a minimalist pop beat, romantic lyrics and JONY’s vocal style, in which melodic recitative transitions into full singing.
The popularity of the song and its music video sharply expanded the artist’s audience and made his name recognizable beyond social media.
«Список твоих мыслей»
On June 21, 2019, JONY released his debut album «Список твоих мыслей».
It included nine tracks:
- «Ты меня пленила»;
- Love Your Voice;
- «Лали»;
- «Дай мне руку»;
- «Без тебя я не я» with HammAli & Navai;
- «Аллея»;
- «Френдзона»;
- «Пустой стакан»;
- «Звезда».
The album established JONY’s early artistic identity: romantic pop music with a contemporary rhythmic foundation, melancholic lyrics and melodies influenced by Eastern song traditions.
«Комета»
The main breakthrough of the first period was «Комета», released in the autumn of 2019.
The track topped the Russian Apple Music chart and became one of JONY’s most recognizable songs.
At the end of 2020, Apple Music named «Комета» the most popular song of the year in Russia.
This track ultimately moved the performer from the category of promising internet artists into the ranks of leading representatives of mainstream Russian-language pop music.
«Небесные розы»
On August 21, 2020, JONY released the EP «Небесные розы».
Unlike the occasionally used description of it as a “second album,” official digital catalogs classify it as a five-song EP.
The release included:
- «Ты беспощадна»;
- «Ты пари»;
- «А за окном дожди»;
- «Мир сошёл с ума»;
- «Небесные розы».
The EP developed the romantic side of the debut, while the arrangements became more expansive and the role of the vocals more prominent.
«Камин» with EMIN
One of the biggest collaborative hits of this period was «Камин», recorded with Azerbaijani singer EMIN.
The track was released in 2020 and maintained long-term popularity on streaming services. Over time, it became one of the most-played recordings in JONY’s digital catalog.
«Маска» and victory as the Crocodile
In 2021, JONY participated in the second season of the television show «Маска» on NTV.
The artist performed in the costume of the Crocodile and reached the final, where he became the winner of the season.
The project allowed him to demonstrate a much wider vocal range than listeners were accustomed to hearing in his own pop singles.
Leaving RAAVA Music
In 2021, JONY ended his collaboration with RAAVA Music and continued his career independently.
The separation from his previous team marked a new stage. While the first years of his music had developed within the broader RAAVA circle alongside ELMAN, ANDRO and other artists, his subsequent releases placed greater emphasis on the singer’s personal creative identity.
«Пустота», «Падаю — поймай» and other singles
Between major releases, JONY continued to actively release standalone tracks.
During this period, he released «Пустота», «Падаю — поймай», «Лилии» with МОТ, «Наверно, ты меня не помнишь» with HammAli, as well as collaborations with EMIN, Dima Bilan, ANDRO and other artists.
Collaborations became an important part of his catalog and allowed him to move beyond the boundaries of his usual sound.
«Не ищите во мне жанры»
On December 2, 2022, JONY released his second full-length album «Не ищите во мне жанры».
It contains 15 tracks, and the title itself emphasizes the artist’s desire not to limit himself to a single musical direction.
The album included:
- «Мой рай»;
- «Когда всё поймёшь» with NAVAI;
- «Иголки»;
- No Sense;
- «Согрей»;
- «Силуэт» with Erika Lundmoen;
- «Регресс»;
- «Наверно, ты меня не помнишь» with HAMMALI;
- «Никак»;
- «Как любовь твою понять?» with ANNA ASTI;
- «Титры»;
- Diamond;
- «Ветер»;
- «Полигон»;
- «Восток» with TLK.
On this record, his range expanded noticeably: alongside familiar romantic pop appeared more rhythmic, electronic and R&B-oriented compositions.
«Титры»
One of the most successful songs of this period was «Титры».
The composition received Russia’s national «Золотой граммофон» award in 2022 and became one of JONY’s most recognizable works after «Комета».
«Мир зелёного цвета» with Leonid Agutin
In 2022, JONY recorded the song «Мир зелёного цвета» together with Leonid Agutin.
The collaboration became a notable example of two generations of the Russian-language pop scene coming together and once again demonstrated that JONY does not limit his circle of partners to artists of his own musical generation.
Forbes «30 Under 30»
In 2023, Jahid Huseynli was named among the winners of the Russian Forbes «30 Under 30» ranking in the “Music” category.
By that point, JONY had already progressed from social media and his beginnings as a RAAVA Music artist to an independent performer with several major releases, awards and an established concert audience.
«Воздушный сарафан» and a new stage
In 2023, one of his central solo works was «Воздушный сарафан».
The song continued JONY’s characteristic combination of soft melody and emotional vocals, but in a lighter and brighter form.
During the same period, he also released «Не смогу забыть», «Фотоплёнка» and «Волен».
EPIC
On May 31, 2024, JONY presented the EP EPIC.
The release contains five tracks and runs for approximately fourteen minutes.
The artist himself described the idea of the EP as music capable of supporting the listener, helping them move toward their goals and emotionally cope with difficult periods.
One of the central songs was «Мне не больно». The project also included a special version of «Реки вели», connected with the EpicFeat competition.
«На улицах Баку»
In July 2024, JONY released the collaborative track «На улицах Баку» with Natia Rigvava.
The composition holds a special place in his catalog because of its direct connection to the singer’s birthplace. M'Dee also participated in the creation of the song.
The music video was filmed directly in Baku.
Mentor on «Голос. Дети»
In 2024, JONY became one of the mentors on the 11th season of the show «Голос. Дети» on Channel One.
Dima Bilan and Yulianna Karaulova occupied the other red chairs alongside him.
For JONY, this was his first full-fledged experience as a mentor on a project of this format, although he had previously appeared on the adult version of «Голос» as a guest artist.
«Рядом»
On November 7, 2025, JONY released his third full-length album «Рядом».
It was the artist’s first major album since «Не ищите во мне жанры» in 2022.
The record included nine tracks:
- «Рядом»;
- «Поэма»;
- «Помню»;
- «Излей душу»;
- «Всё забирай»;
- «Одинокая»;
- «Оксиген»;
- «Пара ненормальных»;
- «О тебе».
Thematically, the album once again focuses on relationships, closeness, loneliness and emotional vulnerability. JONY himself connected its concept with the desire to stay close to the listener during moments when a person particularly needs an emotional companion.
New releases in 2026
After «Рядом», JONY continued releasing new songs.
In 2026, his catalog expanded with «Красивая», «Эйфория», LETO and other singles.
On July 24, 2026, the track «С тобой», recorded together with Tasso, was released.
Thus, following the major album period of 2025, the artist returned to regularly releasing standalone songs and collaborations.
Musical style
JONY is usually associated with contemporary pop music, although his sound is formed at the intersection of several styles.
His songs include:
- contemporary pop;
- R&B;
- hip-hop rhythms;
- electronic pop production;
- Eastern melodic elements;
- ballad-style songwriting.
One of JONY’s main characteristics is his melodic vocal style. Even tracks built on hip-hop beats usually do not turn into traditional rap: recitative quickly transitions into singing and large melodic phrases.
Apple Music has separately highlighted the connection between his contemporary pop music and traditional Eastern song melodies. This is especially noticeable in elongated vocal intonations and the romantic dramatic structure of his songs.
Song themes
Personal relationships remain at the core of JONY’s lyrics.
He most often writes about love, breakups, emotional dependence, loneliness, memories and the inability to let another person go.
As his career developed, however, the range of themes gradually expanded. «Не ищите во мне жанры» included more reflective works, while the EPIC EP was connected not only with romantic relationships but also with inner motivation and overcoming difficult emotional states.
Personal life
JONY prefers not to make his personal relationships a constant part of his public image and rarely discusses romances in detail.
The artist speaks much more openly about his family. His parents play a particularly important role in his biography: his mother supported her son’s interest in music from childhood, while his relationship with his father evolved from disagreements over his career choice to acceptance of his musical path.
JONY more often transfers stories from his own relationships and emotional experiences directly into songs than discusses them in celebrity-news formats.
Awards and achievements
Within several years of his debut, JONY received a number of Russian music awards and professional recognitions.
- 2019 — “Breakthrough of the Year” according to VK and BOOM;
- 2020 — «Комета» became the most popular song of the year in Russia according to Apple Music;
- 2021 — winner of the second season of «Маска» as the Crocodile;
- 2021 — «Комета» received the MUZ-TV award for Best Song;
- 2021 — “Singer of the Year” at the «Жара Music Awards»;
- 2022 — «Золотой граммофон» for the song «Титры»;
- 2023 — “Singer of the Year” at the «Жара Music Awards»;
- 2023 — winner of the Forbes «30 Under 30» ranking in the “Music” category.
JONY discography
Studio albums
- «Список твоих мыслей» — 2019;
- «Не ищите во мне жанры» — 2022;
- «Рядом» — 2025.
EPs
- «Небесные розы» — 2020;
- EPIC — 2024.
JONY’s place in contemporary pop music
JONY emerged in the late 2010s alongside a wave of artists whose careers were shaped not through traditional television and major record companies, but through social media, streaming and small independent music teams.
His early success was based on his ability to combine simple contemporary pop production with easily recognizable Eastern melodies and emotional vocals. «Аллея» attracted a broad audience, while «Комета» transformed this approach into a mainstream format.
Subsequent releases demonstrated a gradual expansion of his musical language. From the romantic debut and «Небесные розы», the artist moved toward the more genre-fluid album «Не ищите во мне жанры», the experimental EP EPIC and the intimate lyricism of «Рядом».
JONY’s career became an example of a rapid transition from home-recorded covers and social media to the major pop stage. At the same time, the foundation of his recognizability remains not a single genre formula, but the combination of melodic vocals, Eastern intonation and emotionally direct songs about human relationships.
