Influenced by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, Southern California producer and singer/songwriter Joelle James delivers blue-eyed soul and pop-leaning R&B similar to JoJo and Jordin Sparks. Born and raised in Murrieta, California, James had her first big break at the age of 11, when she performed on Showtime at the Apollo. After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she graduated with a degree in music studies and voice. Soon after, she began to spread her work online, posting music to social media. In 2011, her videos caught the attention of singer Chris Brown, who signed her to his CBE imprint. A deal with Interscope followed. James would record a handful of singles with Brown, including 2012's "Fading Away" and 2014's "Leave the Club." Although she had been signed and had the backing of Brown, James became embroiled in label drama and parted ways with Interscope. She later joined up with Roc Nation. In 2016, James reunited with Brown for the duet "Scream," which featured an interpolation of New Edition's "Can You Stand the Rain?" ~ Neil Z. Yeung